Tom Barrett
Tom Barrett, a Republican and U.S. Army veteran who has represented Michigan's 7th congressional district since 2025, seeks reelection in 2026 against Democrat William Lawrence, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Tom Barrett.
- Born
- April 30, 1981
- Birthplace
- Southfield, Michigan
- Education
- Western Michigan University (Bachelor of Arts in political science)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Tom Barrett was born on April 30, 1981, in Southfield, Michigan. After graduating from high school he joined the Army, where he served for 21 years, with service in South Korea, Guantanamo Bay, Kuwait and Iraq, and he is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He served in the Michigan Army National Guard as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 until retiring in 2022. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and worked as an analyst for the Michigan Department of the Treasury before running for office.
Career
Tom Barrett was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2014, narrowly defeating Democratic incumbent Theresa Abed, and won a 2016 rematch with 54% of the vote. He was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2018 and served from 2019 to 2023, chairing its Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in 2022. In the Senate he sponsored Senate Bill 858 to regulate the governor's emergency powers, which Governor Gretchen Whitmer vetoed in May 2020.
Barrett first sought the 7th congressional district seat in 2022, winning the Republican primary and losing the general election to Democratic incumbent Elissa Slotkin, 46% to 52%.
He ran again in 2024 and defeated Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr. Sworn into the 119th Congress on January 3, 2025, he serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization.
On June 3, 2026, he was one of four House Republicans to vote for a War Powers Resolution directing the removal of U.S. forces from Iran. He lives in Charlotte, Michigan, with his wife, Ashley, and their four children.
2026 race
The 7th district is based around the Lansing and East Lansing metropolitan area and also includes Livingston County and a small part of Oakland County. Tom Barrett flipped the district in 2024 with 50.3% of the vote and is the Republican nominee in 2026.
In the general election on November 3, 2026, he faces Democrat William Lawrence, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, who won a three-way primary with 43.65% of the vote over Bridget Brink, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and Slovakia, and Matt Maasdam.
Green Party candidate Shane Dedrick is also on the ballot.