Republicans Flip US House Seat Representing Michigan

Tom Barrett, Republican candidate for Michigan's 7th Congressional District, speaks at a campaign event in Potterville, Mich., on Aug. 29, 2024. Paul Sancya/AP Photo

The GOP gained a U.S. House of Representatives seat representing Michigan, after winning a race that was open due to the retirement of Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.).

U.S. Army veteran Tom Barrett secured the victory over Curtis Hertel, a former aide to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in the contest for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, according to projections from The Associated Press.

“Thank you, Michigan! It is my honor to be your next Congressman from the 7th District! I’m ready to continue fighting for you and make you proud,” Barrett wrote in a Nov. 6 Facebook post.

With 68 or 83 counties reporting results to Michigan’s Department of State as of early Wednesday, Barrett was up with 50.2 percent of the vote to Hertel’s 46.5 percent. Third-party candidate Rachel Dailey had the rest.

Hertel conceded to Barrett in a statement at 3 a.m. He wished the Republican well and thanked his own supporters.

“To every single volunteer, supporter, and member of Team Hertel who helped our campaign—from building yard signs, to donating a few bucks, to knocking doors and making calls—I will forever be grateful, and I am sorry this election did not turn out differently,” the statement said.

Barrett is a former state representative and senator. He previously ran for the same seat in the 2022 midterms but lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who vacated the seat to run for U.S. Senate.

Michigan’s 7th Congressional District has about 781,000 people. It is in central Michigan and includes the state capital of Lansing.

When Slotkin took office in early 2023, it moved the seat from 12 years of Republican control. The district was redrawn ahead of the 2022 election.

Incumbents easily won Michigan’s other congressional races. They include Republicans Jack Bergman, John Moolenaar, Bill Huizenga, Tim Walberg, and Lisa McClain; and Democrats Debbie Dingell, Haley Stevens, Rashida Tlaib, and Shri Thanedar.

Incumbents have largely been projected to win in other states as well, although Democrats flipped two seats in New York.

Democrat Josh Riley beat Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), a freshman incumbent in New York’s 19th Congressional District, which stretches from the Massachusetts border to the Finger Lakes region.

In central New York, Democratic state Sen. John Mannion defeated Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.). Williams, who represents New York’s 22nd Congressional District, was considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents this year because state Democrat leaders redrew his district.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.