{"id":2184555,"date":"2024-02-23T04:20:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T09:20:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-republican-tom-barrett-seeks-do-over-in-critical-house-race-with-one-edge-my-opponent-is-not-a-woman\/"},"modified":"2024-02-23T04:24:46","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T09:24:46","slug":"michigan-republican-tom-barrett-seeks-do-over-in-critical-house-race-with-one-edge-my-opponent-is-not-a-woman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-republican-tom-barrett-seeks-do-over-in-critical-house-race-with-one-edge-my-opponent-is-not-a-woman\/","title":{"rendered":"Michigan Republican Tom Barrett wants a second chance in a crucial House race, with one advantage: his opponent is not female"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">42<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmichigan-republican-tom-barrett-seeks-do-over-in-critical-house-race-with-one-edge-my-opponent-is-not-a-woman%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2184555&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Exclusive: Tom Barrett Hopes to Overcome Abortion \u2063Issue in Michigan Congressional\u200c Race<\/h2>\n<p>The abortion matter was\u2063 a political albatross for former Michigan Republican state\u2064 Sen. Tom Barrett\u2019s first campaign for Michigan\u2018s 7th\u200d Congressional District, one of the country\u2019s \u2064most expensive \u2064races last election cycle.<\/p>\n<p>But with \u2063eventual winner\u200b Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI),\u2063 a second-term incumbent,\u2063 running for Michigan\u2019s open U.S. Senate seat, Barrett is \u2063hoping the matter will be less politically charged now,\u200d particularly after the state\u200b constitutionally\u200d protected access to the procedure in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>During an hourlong interview with the Washington Examiner at \u2062his campaign headquarters in Lansing, \u2063Barrett, 42, downplayed \u2062the possibility \u200dto\u200c \u201cever \u200breplicate the intensity around the [abortion] issue \u200cthat it had in\u2063 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cRoe \u200dv. Wade had \u200cjust been\u200c overturned, 50 years of precedent, and all of a sudden, we wake \u200cup the next day, and\u200b that\u2019s not the case anymore,\u201d \u2064Barrett\u2063 said. \u201cAnd then,\u2063 at the same time, Michigan\u2062 had this pending\u2062 ballot, constitutional amendment, to ratify a pretty \u200bextreme pro-abortion\u200d standard \u200bin Michigan in our constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>While contending that\u2064 Democrats are underscoring abortion\u200c to overshadow concerns regarding the southern border, the cost of\u200b living, and crime, Barrett, a former Michigan state representative and Army veteran, also argued that members\u200b of Congress have \u201ca lot smaller of a role as it relates to abortion policy.\u201d Regardless, Democrats \u2014 including one-time\u2063 state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., a declared candidate \u200dfor Michigan\u2019s 7th District \u2014 are preparing to criticize him\u200c for his abortion positions, especially\u200d his stance \u200don\u2064 a federal ban.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe fundamentals of this race remain\u200d the \u2064same: Tom Barrett supports banning abortion\u2064 with no exceptions for rape or incest and \u2064voted five\u200d times against legislation\u200b that is creating thousands of good paying union\u200d jobs in mid-Michigan,\u201d \u200da Hertel spokeswoman told\u200c the Washington Examiner. \u201cVoters already\u2062 rejected his out-of-touch extremism once and will do so again next November.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Barrett reiterated his \u200bdefense of his 2021 opposition\u200c to the incentives for a new General Motors \u200belectric vehicle battery factory in nearby Delta Township.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIt was easy to attack me on it under the guise \u2064of, \u2018Look what\u2019s going to happen\u2019 and \u2018Tom Barrett voted against X number \u2064of jobs,&#8217;\u201d \u2064he said. \u201cThat\u2019s \u200ca potent attack. But\u200b when you explain to people the cost \u2064per job, that the corporate executives \u200care going \u200bto be getting \u2064all this money \u200dand \u2063very little of it \u2062is going \u200bto be\u2062 given\u2064 to the actual workers doing\u2064 the jobs, and you \u2063point out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-commerce-secretary-arrives-in-beijing-as-ccp-struggles-to-save-its-economy\/\" title=\"US Commerce Secretary arrives in Beijing amidst CCP's economic struggles.\">national security\u2064 concerns<\/a> and\u200d other things,\u200d I\u200b think you erode the public support\u200c for \u2063a program.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Barrett is the \u200donly \u200dRepublican\u200c who has\u200b announced \u200ba campaign for \u200bthe 7th District, a central Michigan district anchored by \u2062Lansing and whose lines \u2063between Detroit and Grand Rapids were redrawn in 2022 because of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/four-battle-to-win-new-colorado-congressional-district-gop-primary\/\" title=\"Four Battle to Win New Colorado Congressional District GOP Primary\">post-2020 census redistricting<\/a>. And with Hertel, \u200bGov. Gretchen Whitmer\u2018s\u200c (D-MI) former legislative director, the only\u2063 declared Democrat, the pair\u2019s\u2063 primary posturing is a preview of their \u2063likely\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/impossible-gop-picked-up-seats-in-house-picked-up-state-legislatures-picked-up-governorship-held-the-senate-but-sniffy-joe-won-not-a-chance\/\" title=\"IMPOSSIBLE: GOP Picked Up Seats in House, Picked Up State Legislatures, Picked Up Governorship, Held the Senate -- But Sniffy Joe Won?... NOT A CHANCE\">general election<\/a>, considered a Democratic-leaning \u200dtoss-up contest by prognosticators, such as \u200bthe CookPoliticalReport. Their respective primaries\u200c are not until August.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from \u2063abortion, Barrett attributed his 2022 campaign loss to Slotkin\u2019s incumbency advantage\u2063 \u2014 for example, the former\u200d CIA \u200danalyst \u200dand Pentagon \u2062official\u2019s\u200d fundraising edge \u2014 as well \u2063as \u2062problems \u200dwith the top of the then-Republican ticket, namely GOP\u2063 gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon. For reference, Slotkin\u2019s campaign raised $9.9 \u200bmillion two years ago, compared to Barrett\u2019s $2.8 million,\u200d excluding \u2064outside fundraising \u2064and spending. She won Michigan\u2019s\u200d 7th District \u2064by 6 points,\u2063 52% to Barrett\u2019s 46%, or 20,185\u200c votes.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cMy opponent is not a\u2063 woman. He does not have \u2064the depth of resources that Slotkin\u200d had. The top of\u200c the\u200d ticket should be far more\u200b competitive. The abortion\u200d proposal, which dominated\u2064 the race and every race in America\u200b seemingly two years ago, is not on the ballot in Michigan this \u200byear,\u201d Barrett said. \u201cIn addition to that, I feel like \u2064the same issues that we were \u2063really highlighting in 2022 \u2014\u2063 cost of living, energy, national security,\u200c the border, crime, all of these \u200cthings \u2014 are as \u200bbad or worse today as they were in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI already know people in\u200d the district. I\u2019m not meeting them\u2064 all for the first time,\u201d he\u2062 added. \u201cIt\u2019s never easy to raise money, but \u200dit\u2019s a little bit\u2064 easier when donors \u200dare \u2062a little \u2062more familiar with you because they\u2019ve heard\u2062 your name before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hertel, \u2064though,\u2064 also has name recognition, with \u2063his father, Curtis Hertel Sr., serving \u2062as co-speaker of Michigan\u2019s House of Representatives \u200cfrom 1993 \u2064to 1994, \u200dand his brother, Kevin Hertel, \u200bwinning his state Senate campaign in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>With Barrett repeating that his 2024 campaign could \u200cbe \u201cthe end of the road\u201d for his political\u200d career, he was simultaneously \u201ccognizant of the challenges\u201d \u2063should he win in November and become \u2063part of\u2063 a U.S. House Republican conference that appears to disagree with \u2063him \u2062largely, specifically \u2062on foreign policy.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe essentially\u2063 have a tied game in the\u200d U.S. House right\u2064 now, so it makes it extremely difficult\u200b to govern from that standpoint,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t\u2063 go\u200d into this with rose-colored lenses. My best-case scenario is I\u200c win this election, and\u2062 then the \u2062hard work really starts\u2064 in trying to govern this country \u2062and \u2064move us in the right direction,\u200b in spite of\u2064 the challenges that we\u2019re facing, \u200bin spite of all the\u200c differences that we have, in spite of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-post-fact-checkers-new-approach-to-suggest-hunter-biden-laptop-disinformation-ignoring-key-documents\/\" title=\"Washington Post Fact-Checker\u2019s New Approach to Suggest Hunter Biden Laptop Disinformation: Ignoring Key Documents\">overheated political rhetoric<\/a>. We still\u2064 got to do our part to move the\u2064 country in \u2062the right \u2064place.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/tom-barrett-hopes-to-overcome-abortion-issue-in-michigan-congressional-race\">Click\u2062 here to read more \u2063from \u200dthe Washington Examiner<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Besides the abortion issue, what other factors does Barrett believe contributed to his\u200d previous loss and how does he remain optimistic about his chances this time around<\/h2>\n<p><span>  E, will\u2062 no longer\u2062 carry the same \u200bweight. \u2063These factors combined make me optimistic\u200b about my chances\u200d this time\u200b around,\u201d\u2062 Barrett expressed.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200dabortion\u200b issue \u2062has\u2062 been a contentious topic in Michigan&#8217;s 7th Congressional District, and \u2063it played a \u2063significant role in Barrett&#8217;s previous campaign. \u200bHowever, Barrett believes that the landscape has shifted since then. With\u2063 Slotkin \u200dnow running for a Senate seat and the state constitution \u2063protecting access to abortion, \u2064Barrett hopes that\u200d the issue will be less politically charged.<\/p>\n<p>During his interview with the Washington Examiner,\u2064 Barrett emphasized the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-the-ukraine-war-revealed-about-the-worlds-fragile-food-supply-chains\/\" title=\"What The Ukraine War Revealed About The World\u2019s Fragile Food Supply Chains\">changing dynamics<\/a> surrounding abortion. \u200bHe pointed\u200c out that the overturning of\u200b Roe v.\u200d Wade and the constitutional amendment in Michigan have altered the context in which the issue \u2064is discussed. Barrett anticipates \u2062that the intensity \u200bsurrounding\u2063 abortion will not be the same as it was in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>While acknowledging that Democrats \u2064may use abortion \u2063as\u200d a platform \u200bto overshadow other important concerns, such as border security, cost\u200c of living, and crime, Barrett argued that members \u2064of Congress have\u2063 a limited role in \u200dshaping abortion policy. He also acknowledged that his abortion positions, including his support for a federal ban without \u200cexceptions for rape or incest, may draw criticism from Democrats like Curtis Hertel Jr., a candidate for Michigan&#8217;s 7th District.<\/p>\n<p>Hertel&#8217;s spokeswoman criticized\u2063 Barrett&#8217;s stance\u200d on abortion and \u200caccused him of rejecting pro-union legislation. She claims \u2064that voters have \u2064already rejected Barrett&#8217;s &#8220;out-of-touch extremism&#8221; and will do\u2062 so again in the upcoming\u200b election.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to abortion, Barrett addressed\u200b other\u2064 factors that contributed to \u2063his loss in the 2022 campaign.\u2062 He attributed his defeat to Slotkin&#8217;s \u2064incumbency advantage\u200c and fundraising edge, as well as problems with \u200cthe Republican ticket, particularly the gubernatorial nominee \u2063Tudor Dixon. Slotkin raised significantly\u200b more funds than\u2062 Barrett, and her campaign&#8217;s resources and incumbency played a significant role in securing her victory.<\/p>\n<p>Looking\u2063 ahead to the upcoming election, Barrett \u2064is the sole Republican candidate who has announced \u200dhis candidacy for the 7th\u2063 District. Hertel is the\u200b only declared Democrat.\u2062 As the primaries are\u200c scheduled for\u200d August, the posturing between Barrett and Hertel gives us a preview of \u2064what the general election might entail. Political analysts\u200d consider \u200dthe race to be\u2063 a Democratic-leaning toss-up contest.<\/p>\n<p>In \u2062conclusion, Tom Barrett hopes to overcome \u200cthe abortion issue that impacted his previous campaign. With changing dynamics and a different political landscape, Barrett believes\u2064 that abortion will not carry the same weight in the upcoming election. However, he anticipates criticism\u2064 from Democrats regarding \u2064his abortion positions. Barrett also\u2064 acknowledges other factors that contributed to his previous loss and remains optimistic about his chances this time \u2063around. The race for Michigan&#8217;s 7th Congressional District is\u2062 expected \u200dto be closely watched and highly contested.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>That the abortion issue will no longer be a burden in his second campaign for Michigan&#8217;s 7th Congressional District. Last election cycle, it proved to be a costly challenge, but with Rep. Elissa Slotkin now pursuing a Senate seat, Barrett sees an opportunity for a fresh start<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2652,"featured_media":2184556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP23188693848172-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2184555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP23188693848172-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2184555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2652"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2184555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2184555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2184556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2184555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2184555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2184555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}