Curtis Hertel (D), Tom Barrett (R), and Leah Dailey (L) are running in the general election for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District

Curtis Hertel (D), Tom Barrett (R), and Leah Dailey (L) are running in the general election for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Elissa Slotkin (D) is running for U.S. Senate.

Bridge Michigan’s Lauren Gibbons wrote the district “is split nearly down the middle politically,” and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) described the district as “a microcosm within a microcosm of the country.”

Hertel was Whitmer’s director of legislative affairs. He represented the 23rd District in the state Senate from 2015 to 2023. Hertel is campaigning on improving the economy and lowering prices, saying at a campaign event, “We’re going to make lowering the costs of being a Michigander, of succeeding in raising a family, a major part of this campaign.” He is focusing on his work in the legislature, where he says he worked “with a lot of Republicans in order to do big things like bringing jobs here to Lansing.” Whitmer has endorsed Hertel and a group of Republican and Independent politicians have also supported his campaign.

Barrett is a former state senator and state representative. He was the Republican nominee for this district in 2022, losing to Slotkin 51.7% to 46.3%. In a statement to Michigan Advance’s Kyle Davidson, Barrett told the outlet his top priorities were “national security, border security, neighborhood security, …and economic security.” He is also focusing on foreign policy, saying, “Iran and other near-peer adversaries are getting stronger and more emboldened under this president. And we need a change in direction.” The National Republican Congressional Committee listed Barrett as one of 26 candidates it was supporting as part of its Young Guns program for candidates in competitive districts.

Barrett said in an interview that abortion was a factor in his loss in 2022: “Roe v. Wade had just been overturned…And then, at the same time, Michigan had this pending ballot, constitutional amendment, to ratify a pretty extreme pro-abortion standard in Michigan.” He said he has a better chance this year because “the top of the ticket should be far more competitive. The abortion proposal, which dominated the race and every race in America seemingly two years ago, is not on the ballot in Michigan this year.” Hertel says that abortion will still be a relevant issue because he says that voters will see the “potential for Republicans to take control of all branches of government and [pass] a national abortion ban.”

As of the most recent fundraising reports, Hertel has raised $4.2 million and spent $949,479. Barrett has raised $2.8 million and spent $1.6 million. To read more about campaign finance reports, click here.

All 435 U.S. House seats are up for election in 2024. Republicans have a 220 to 211 majority with four vacancies. As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Democratic candidate won 51.7%-46.3%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have defeated Donald Trump (R) 49.4%-48.9%.

Michigan’s 7th Congressional District is one of 37 congressional districts with a Democratic incumbent or an open seat that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting in 2024. To read about NRCC targeting initiatives, click here. For a complete list of NRCC targeted districts, click here. Michigan’s 7th Congressional District is one of 34 congressional districts with a Republican incumbent or an open seat the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is targeting in 2024. To read about DCCC targeting initiatives, click here. For a complete list of DCCC targeted districts, click here.