Callie Barr Launches Campaign for Congress in Upper and Northern Michigan

 

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Callie Barr Launches Campaign for Congress in Upper and Northern Michigan

“Fighting for a future we can actually afford”

GLEN ARBOR, MI – Callie Barr, a veterans’ advocate, educator, and proud fifth-generation Northern Michigander, officially launched her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in Michigan’s First Congressional District today. Barr is running to bring integrity, accessibility, and common sense back to representation in Congress.

Kicking off her campaign, with anticipated events throughout the district to follow, Barr emphasized the core of her candidacy: fighting for a future we can actually afford.

“Upper and Northern Michigan deserve a representative who listens — a trusted leader who will work hard and put the needs of the people here first,” Barr said.

“How has Jack Bergman made our lives better these past 8 years? He hasn’t. Everything still costs too much. It seems what we need gets buried under what Washington wants. I want every voter in MI-01 to know that they matter — that their hopes and fears for the future matter. My goal during this campaign is to have real conversations with Michiganders so we can plan for a future together that makes sense for us - real solutions, not just soundbites.”

Born and raised in Traverse City and Cheboygan, Barr has deep roots in the region. Her great-grandmother once taught in a local one-room schoolhouse, and Barr, a basketball and track star, graduated Valedictorian of Cheboygan High School before earning her degree in secondary education from Central Michigan University. 

Barr’s personal journey has been shaped by service and sacrifice. After her husband, Matt, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps post-9/11, the couple moved five times in 15 years while raising two daughters. Matt deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. When Matt returned from combat with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress, Callie became his primary caregiver and began advocating for veterans and military families. That path led her to law school at the University of Michigan and a career helping veterans access free legal services.

Now, she’s ready to take that fight to Congress — with a focus on rural healthcare, veterans care, affordable housing, and protecting programs like Medicaid that many Michiganders rely on to survive.

Michigan’s First Congressional District is the largest district east of the Mississippi, covering 36 counties and home to more than 775,000 people. Barr believes its unique strengths — from tourism to agriculture to small-town entrepreneurship — deserve a representative who shows up and takes the job seriously.

The incumbent, Jack Bergman, has come under fire for his absence in the district, lack of town halls (he has not had a public townhall in 8 years), and alignment with extreme party politics, such as voting for Medicaid cuts which will devastate rural hospitals in both the UP and Northern Michigan. 

“Michigan’s First deserves someone who’s rooted here, not someone who lives in Louisiana and forgets who he’s supposed to represent,” said Barr. “Too much is at stake to sit on the sidelines. We’ve got work to do, and I hope you’ll join me.”

For more information, visit CallieforCongress.com

Callie Barr for Congress

Info@callieforcongress.com

(231) 224-6040

I am not sitting this election out

And here's why.

We deserve hope. We deserve representation. We deserve a Democracy. We deserve government and a representative who works for US and meets with US and doesn't hide. We deserve better. 

Dump Traitor Bergman 

Stay tuned. More coming soon. 

It's time!

It's been a busy month!  We had an amazing Rural Caucus and then our official election. I drove downstate on Sunday April 27, was officially elected as the 3rd Vice Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. 

In this role, I will serve as an officer and on the State Central Committee; I am grateful to represent Iosco County and rural voices around our state. I will share more as I step into the role. 

During Chair Hertel’s introduction, he shared how important it is to support the Michigan Democratic Party. We all know, there are many financial requests made of us; we support our party and office, assist with local events, and help so many community organizations. The MDP provides support including a Political Specialist (the incomparable Jaime Brants), grants from Contest Every Race, communications and social media tools. 

Any amount you can contribute to our state party is appreciated. Donations can be made via Act Blue here or by mailing a check to Michigan Democratic Party, 606 Townsend Street, Lansing, MI 48933.

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Mark your calendar for our Empty Chair Jack Bergman Town Hall! 

We will be hosting our missing Representative, Jack Bergman on Saturday May 17, 2025, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. We will gather at the VFW located at 240 Chrysler Rd, Oscoda Twp, MI. 

Registration is required; sign up here or call 616-284-1416 with questions.

Please bring your questions to the town hall; you will have two minutes to ask the empty chair whatever is on your mind. If possible, bring a copy of your question(s); it is our plan to collect the questions and mail them all to Bergman’s office.

Another day, another NO SHOW for Jack Bergman

Saturday afternoon, I joined almost 700 of your constituents online and watched several hundred people who showed up in person in Traverse City for another town hall. And, no surprise, you didn’t show up. Again.

This time, your excuse was some imaginary boogeyman, George Soros. I can tell you with great certainty that no one in Iosco County gives a flying leap about whoever George Soros is. What our community does care about is your complete and utter abdication of your responsibilities to your constituents. Voting to cut individual benefits, educational resources, veteran benefits, and putting social security, Medicare and Medicaid in your crosshairs will cause extreme hardship in our small, rural community. All of this to benefit your wealthy friends.

You have unilaterally decided you only represent those who agree with you. As a former human resources professional, if I had an employee who unilaterally decided to skip a third to a half of the job, they would be fired. FIRED. There is a word for this: insubordination.

Insubordination occurs when an employee, after understanding an instruction, refuses to carry it out, either explicitly or through non-performance.

This Representative Bergman is YOU. According to Congress, your responsibilities include: [t]he duties carried out by a Member of Congress are understood to include representation, legislation, and constituent service and communication, as well as electoral activities.

Where Representative Bergman is OUR representation? Where is OUR communication? Where are OUR constituent services? You are not performing the responsibilities of the position. You should be fired.

As the spouse of a Navy veteran, I know many veterans including Marines. These veteran friends are some of the bravest people I know. You, Representative Bergman, are not brave. You are a coward. Woman-up (I would say man up, but you have shown that to mean run and hide) and show up for your ALL your constituents.

We deserve better.

Hey Jack Bergman, what do we get for our money?

 Representative Bergman, 

From public records, your salary is $174000, paid for by Michigan taxpayer dollars. What exactly do we get for our money? You haven't had a town hall since 2017 and apparently "don't like drama." 

You don't like drama? Your party is creating chaos and drama never before seen in this country.  

You don't like drama? And you vote to cut jobs and resources in Congressional District 1.  What kind of drama do you think that creates? 

You don't like drama? Our residents in Iosco County may lose their financial and medical support and potentially their homes because you are voting for tax cuts for the rich.  

You apparently don't like snow either. I found this from your retirement notice:   

Closing out a 40-year career as a military aviator -- eight of them in New Orleans -- Bergman on Saturday handed command of Marine Forces Reserve to Lt. Gen. John Kelly, a father of two Marines who has served three tours in Iraq, including a stint overseeing coalition forces in Anbar province that ended in early 2008.

On Monday, Bergman said he and his wife, Cindy, know that most of their days in retirement will be spent in Louisiana. They have a home in St. Francisville, far south of their native states of Minnesota and Iowa.

"We quite honestly fell in love with New Orleans and Louisiana, " Bergman said. "Pure and simple. It's not any more complicated than that. We feel this is a community and a state that we want to be part of. And it doesn't hurt that we don't get 10 feet of snow here in the winter."

Do us a favor, Representative Bergman. Let us hire someone who actually cares about the wellbeing of her constituents, votes to keep jobs here, votes to support and aid veterans, votes to feed the hungry, clothe those in need and provide medical insurance, and lastly, votes to hold felons accountable (you know, those peaceful January 6th tourist felons). 

Please go back to Louisiana so we may have someone who loves 10 feet of snow, will show up for town halls and meetings, and actually vote in the best interests of the residents in Congressional District 1.