Tom Barrett

Tom Barrett earned a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University. He served in the U.S. Army between 2000 and 2022. Barrett served during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, reaching the rank of Chief Warrant Officer, and was a helicopter pilot in the Michigan Army National Guard.[1][2][3]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am in my first term as the U.S. Representative for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. I was born and raised in Michigan and learned the value of hard work and the importance of family by watching my dad work two jobs while my mom stayed home to raise my six siblings and me.

As I was finishing high school, I decided to join the United States Army and serve my country. After graduation I took the first airplane ride of my life and departed for Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

My time in the military continued for 22 years, serving in the Iraq War, Guantanamo Bay, Kuwait, the Korean DMZ, and logging in more than 1,000 hours in some of the most advanced helicopters in the world.

When I returned to Michigan, I was shocked to find so many veterans struggling to find opportunities back home. Michigan had the second highest veteran unemployment rate in the nation and I decided to act, running for the legislature and becoming a leading voice for veterans in Lansing.

After eight years in the state legislature, I ran for Congress, and was one of only five Republicans nationally to flip a Democratic seat. I serve on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and am chairman of the Technology Modernization Subcommittee.

I attended Western Michigan University on the Montgomery GI Bill. I live in Charlotte with my wife, Ashley, and their four kids.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Michiganders know how difficult it has become to afford a home and keep a roof over their families’ heads. Working families face thousands of dollars in hidden costs from excessive regulation, while the average first-time homebuyer is now 40 years old. At the same time, private equity firms and large investors are buying up single-family homes, making it harder for working families to compete.

We need to make housing more affordable by cutting unnecessary barriers to construction, expanding opportunities for first-time homebuyers, and addressing practices that drive up the cost of housing. Every Michigander who works hard should have a fair shot at owning a home and building a future for their family.Health care costs are putting too much pressure on families across Mid-Michigan. For too long, our health care system has allowed insurance companies, drug manufacturers, and other middlemen to drive up costs while patients struggle to afford the care they need. We need serious reforms that increase transparency, expand access to affordable health savings accounts, and give patients more control over how they spend their health care dollars. We should also hold insurers accountable when they unfairly deny legitimate claims or put profits ahead of patients. Fixing our broken health care system won’t happen overnight, but we can lower costs, increase competition, and put patients back at the center of our health care system.For decades, politicians sent Americans like me into wars without clear missions, defined objectives, or a plan for when the fighting would end—while too many of our allies failed to carry their share of the burden. It’s time for a different approach to American foreign policy: one grounded in clear objectives, responsible limits, and a full accounting of the human cost of war.

Congress should repeal open-ended war authorizations and replace them with clearly defined missions, objectives, and limits. We can deter our adversaries, strengthen our military, stand firmly with our allies, and protect American interests without committing another generation of Americans to endless wars.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a 22-year Army veteran who served in Iraq, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay, and the Korean DMZ, I know firsthand that our commitment to those who serve cannot end when they take off the uniform. I’m passionate about making sure veterans and their families receive the benefits, health care, and opportunities they earned through their service. In Congress, I’ve worked to increase benefits for severely disabled veterans and Gold Star families, expand VA home-loan eligibility for Guard and Reserve members, improve access to veterans’ health care, and make it easier for veterans to navigate the VA.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Police Officers Association of Michigan

US Chamber of Commerce

Michigan Corn Growers Association

NFIB

Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers, Local 2, MI

Campaign ads

"Care Over Profits" -Barrett campaign ad released September 9, 2026

"Cheap"-Barrett campaign ad released September 9, 2026

"Michigan First" -Barrett campaign ad released September 9, 2026

View more ads here:

YouTube

Facebook

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Campaign website

Barrett’s campaign website stated the following:

Four Pillars of Security

Families like mine are struggling to make ends meet while worrying about the future our children will inherit. I’m running for Congress to reinstill the values that took us from a fragile republic, to the greatest nation in the world. - Tom Barrett

Economic Security

It’s time to rein in inflation once and for all. That means cutting government spending, lowering taxes, and putting America First in our trade policies. Michigan families continue to be plagued by high gas prices, high food prices, and high home heating prices.

Neighborhood Security

Years of attacks on our law enforcement and under-funding of our police has led to the highest crime in decades. Soft-on-crime prosecutors are letting violent criminals back on the street and our communities are less safe. It’s time to make our streets safe again.

National Security

America’s standing in the world has never been so tenuous. Feckless leadership in the White House, questionable military leadership, and increased global threats have all made us more vulnerable than ever.

Border Security

Our Southern Border is out-of-control and has been for too long. The last few years have seen record numbers of people entering the country illegally, some on the terrorist watch list, and the flow of fentanyl into our communities is now the #1 killer of Americans age 18-45. [28]

—Tom Barrett’s campaign website (2024)[29]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Senator Tom Barrett is the Republican candidate for Michigan’s 7th District. Tom Barrett is running to fight for you and your family as your next congressman. Tom Barrett has served in the United States Army for the past 22 years with deployments around the world, and he has logged over 1,000 hours as a helicopter pilot. Tom is the only Iraq War Veteran in the Michigan Senate, where he has championed support for veterans of all backgrounds. Tom and his wife, Ashley, live in Charlotte where they are raising their four children Patrick, Eleanora, Gwen, and Louis.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Inflation is at a 40 year high and hurting working families. I am running to cut inflation by opposing reckless spending in Washington D.C. to lower the cost of living.Make America energy independent again. Gas prices are at record highs and Americans are feeling the pain at the pump. I will work to expand America's energy production, open pipelines, increase drilling, and end our reliance on foreign oil.We need to secure the border, stop the flow of fentanyl, and increase public safety by supporting law enforcement and our rule of law.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about the issues that affect working families, individuals, and small businesses in mid-Michigan. Inflation is stealing more and more of our paychecks, gas and groceries are becoming unaffordable.

I also care deeply about our military and our veterans. I spent 22 years in the Army, and I know what it is like to serve, and what it is like to come home.