Democrats Are Spending More in This Michigan District Than in Any Other in the Country

LANSING, Mich.—As politics junkies pore over the day-to-day polling changes in the battle for the Senate, a lesser-known House district in Michigan is setting records for spending.

The race in Michigan’s redrawn Seventh Congressional District, which pits Democratic incumbent Elissa Slotkin against Republican challenger Tom Barrett, a state lawmaker and military veteran, has emerged as one of the most hotly contested in the country. Together, spending from both sides totals nearly $27 million.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee alone dropped nearly $5 million to save Slotkin, more than the group has spent anywhere in the country. Nearly 1 out of every 22 dollars spent on a House race this cycle has gone to the battle over this district.

Slotkin likely never anticipated such a close race. She currently represents Michigan’s eighth district, but newly drawn districts moved her to run in the seventh, which is slightly more Democratic-voter-heavy than her old home. Biden’s plummeting approval ratings, along with the nation’s shaky economy, however, have nearly negated that advantage.

The district is in many ways the perfect swing district, encompassing the full spectrum of voter types—there are urban voters and college students in Lansing, but also rural voters in surrounding counties, including farmers and blue-collar factory workers.

Republican nominee Barrett, who sat down for an extensive interview with the Washington Free Beacon, says the race will ultimately be decided by Slotkin’s voting record, which is 100 percent aligned with President Joe Biden and 96 percent with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). Though Slotkin and her supporters have spent millions touting her record on jobs and protecting abortion rights, inflation remains the top concern of Michigan voters leading into Election Day—a fact Barrett thinks will be hard for Slotkin to escape.

“Elissa Slotkin has a voting record she needs to be held accountable for,” Barrett said. “She put Joe Biden first 100 percent of the time, I’m running to put the people and the families of my district first.”

A Southfield, Mich., native, Barrett served in the U.S. Army for over two decades and was stationed in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq. He was elected in 2014 to the Michigan legislature and says he has an actual record of bipartisan votes rather than just claims of them.

“I’ve stood up to my own party on issues over the years, I don’t lie to people,” Barrett said. “I’m a conservative because I feel

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