The Case Against Tom Barrett

To: Interested Parties
From: Katie Smith, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 4, 2026
Subject: The Case Against Tom Barrett

Over the years, Tom Barrett made Michiganders a lot of promises that now ring hollow. From telling Michiganders he’d lower prices at the pump and at the grocery store, to saying he’d be an independent voice, Barrett has failed on every count. Instead, he has rubber stamped the extreme and chaotic Trump administration’s agenda that hurts Mid-Michigan.

In this closely-divided toss-up district that has flipped back and forth between Republican and Democratic control, Barrett’s record is a serious vulnerability. He voted with Trump nearly 100% of the time, proving he isn’t an independent voice for Michigan: he’s a yes-man to Washington, breaking his promises to Michiganders and using his position to benefit himself.

Barrett will be forced to defend his toxic record of gutting health care and raising premiums, jacking up gas prices by continuing to fund Trump’s forever war, slashing programs helping families afford to pay their energy bills and put food on the table, all while giving handouts to the billionaires and corporations bankrolling his campaign. That record full of broken promises, along with his record of funneling campaign cash to himself and his family, will be disqualifying.

While Barrett rakes in money from lobbyists and special interests, Will Lawrence has organized his community to stand up to corporate power and its corrosive effect on our political system. An organizer at heart, he has fought against irresponsible data center construction within his community, demanded accountability from Barrett who’s never held an in-person town hall, and protected families from Wall Street firms trying to evict them from their homes. Will has dedicated his life to action, a strong contrast with career politician Tom Barrett who breaks promise after promise. This election will be a referendum on Tom Barrett’s record – and he will lose to Will, a community leader who fights against the corrupt system that Barrett has enabled.

Tom Barrett’s String of Broken Promises 

Tom Barrett promised on the campaign trail that he’d lower costs for families. Instead, he backed every single Trump policy that is forcing families to pay more – even laughing as he cast his vote for the Big, Ugly Bill that’s crushing Michiganders. Barrett’s vote gutted health care and jacked up premiums, raised energy costs, ripped away food from children, all while giving handouts to corporate billionaires. More than 23,000 people in MI-07 are losing care due to Barrett’s vote – not to mention the countless more at risk of being priced out.

Barrett then voted against the health care tax credits that were a lifeline for Michigan families, falsely calling them “not real” tax credits. Not surprising from the guy who prioritizes slashing taxes for billionaires instead of working families. Thanks to Barrett, 22,000 people in MI-07 are paying significantly more for their health care.

Barrett told Michiganders he understood they’re “plagued” by “high home heating prices” and “high food prices.” But while energy bills tick up and up, Barrett slashed programs to help lower energy bills. Thanks to Barrett’s vote, families are projected to pay up to $473 more for their utilities. Barrett also voted eight times to rubberstamp the tariffs causing everything from clothes to school supplies to grocery prices to rise. Barrett’s tariffs stuck Michiganders with the bill, threatened small businesses, and undermined Michigan’s manufacturing industries. And Barrett voted to gut SNAP, ripping food off the table of children while increasing the burden on families to feed their kids.

Barrett literally stood in front of a gas pump and told voters in his own words, “when I’m elected to Congress… we’ll get gas under control so that this will be a lot more affordable for families like yours.” Instead, Barrett voted to raise gas prices by backing the war, causing prices at the pump to skyrocket. When Donald Trump lied to Americans claiming this wasn’t a forever war, Tom Barrett covered for him. Barrett voted twice to enable Trump’s reckless war of choice to continue and it’s thanks to Barrett’s approval that this forever war still stretches on, and Michiganders are footing the bill. Just last month, despite voting to seemingly chastise the President and finally joining Dems in supporting War Powers resolutions, Barrett still gave the Trump Administration a blank check for their war of choice, voting for tens of billions more in taxpayer dollars despite no plan or timeline for ending the spiraling conflict.

Barrett said he’d stand up for Michigan’s veterans. But instead, he proudly backs a bill that could put billions in VA funding for veterans’ health care on the chopping block. Barrett’s bill would “put more than $100 billion in annual VA medical funding on a three-year countdown clock,” threatening programs that provide veterans’ health care simply because Congress hasn’t reauthorized them within three years. Barrett defended DOGE cuts that forced layoffs at the VA, undermining veterans’ care. He’s a fraud who once again, broke his promises to Michiganders.

Will Lawrence will cut through the chaos and actually get to work to lower costs. He’ll fight to lower the cost of housing, ensure every Michigander can access the health care they deserve, and make child care and paid family leave a reality. Will understands that Michigan families need real relief now, and will actually stand up to fight for a lower cost of living and do what’s right for Michigan.

Barrett made Michiganders a lot of promises. In less than two years, he’s broken them all and made things worse. Barrett can try to claim he’s an independent, but his record speaks for itself.

Tom Barrett Isn’t an Independent: He’s In Lockstep with His Special Interest Donors and Failed D.C. Politicians

Barrett told Michiganders he’d be an independent voice for them. That’s just another broken promise. Instead of standing up to special interests or doing what’s right, Barrett takes their side every time: siding with Big Pharma, the health insurance companies, Big Energy, and his Wall Street donors who’ve profited from his votes.

Barrett betrayed Michigan when he voted for the Big, Ugly Bill, but his donors got the payday they wanted. At the same time as that bill was moving through Congress, Barrett was taking money from the very billionaires and corporations set to benefit. Then, he voted to cut their taxes and give Big Oil and Gas handouts while raising Michiganders’ utility rates.

Barrett doesn’t stand up to his party: he falls in line. Barrett has voted with Donald Trump and his Washington party bosses nearly 100% of the time. While Trump, D.C. politicians, and Wall Street make headline after headline for unprecedented levels of corruption, Barrett is nowhere to be found. He refused to use his leverage to push for release of the Epstein files, and he consistently fails to stand up to the politicians ripping Michiganders off because he knows they cut his checks.

Barrett has received almost $2 million in cash from Washington Republican leadership, because they know they can count on Barrett to vote their way no matter how much it hurts Michigan. He’s rolled out the red carpet for elite D.C. administration officials, reminding Michiganders at every opportunity who he actually takes his orders from. No matter what he said on the campaign trail, his actions have made his true priorities clear: Michiganders don’t matter and he’s not standing up for families.

While Barrett puts his billionaire backers first, Will will always put Michiganders first. Will has shown he is willing to stand up to his party when it’s right for the community he loves, and he’ll take on corporate power and the Epstein class on behalf of Michigan families. Will sides with workers and will fight to pass the PRO Act to strengthen the power of working people, and he has a plan to ban politicians from stock trading, stop Trump’s corruption, and put money in the pockets of regular families by ending the cycle of corporate and political corruption that has captured Washington.

Tom Barrett Used His Office to Benefit Himself, Forgetting About Regular Michiganders

While breaking his promises and failing Michiganders, Barrett has had enough time to work the system to benefit himself.

Barrett got caught funneling tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash to companies his wife worked for, all after she was hired. He paid nearly $56,000 to firms employing his wife, and received nearly $15,000 in campaign contributions from the PAC of one of the companies his wife worked for after she came on board. Barrett’s inside dealing raises serious questions about whether he profited from the payments, and what exactly he knew.

Barrett has also faced scrutiny for paying himself tens of thousands of dollars from his campaign for mileage. His over $20,000 in mileage reimbursements far exceeds the average reimbursements of the rest of the Michigan delegation – meaning that if he were reimbursing himself at the standard rate, he “drove enough campaign-related miles to circle the Earth once with about 7,000 miles left to spare.” Barrett’s habit of siphoning campaign cash to himself begs the question of whether he’s fudging the numbers, funding personal travel on his campaign’s dime, or using his campaign as a personal piggy bank… or all of the above.

And Barrett has used his official government office to promote his allies. Barrett hosted a Republican political consultant and donor of his at a taxpayer-funded event to promote his political consulting business as a so-called “small business owner,” when in fact, the man is a paid political operative whose firm Barrett has paid thousands of dollars to.

Barrett isn’t an independent voice for Michigan – he’s a fraud who broke his promises. He is a part of the broken and corrupt system that is fleecing Michiganders, and he’s taking full advantage of it: raking in special interest campaign cash, using his position to benefit himself and funnel money to himself and his family, and schmoozing with political allies.

Will knows Washington is broken and has spent his life fighting back. He will fight to hold the powerful accountable like he always has: working to ban politicians from trading stocks, end the revolving door of Congress to lobbying firms, and overturn Citizens United to get dark money out of politics.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING 

Politico: Tom Barrett’s (R-Mich.) campaign and affiliated committees have paid two firms his wife works for more than $50,000 for political work [Politico, 3/25/26]

Rep. Tom Barrett’s (R-Mich.) campaign and affiliated committees have paid two firms his wife works for more than $50,000 for political work over the last two cycles, Morning Score reports.

Barrett hadn’t paid the Butzel Long law firm before his wife Ashley Barrett, a campaign finance lawyer, was hired there in May 2023. Butzel Long, which hadn’t donated to Barrett in an earlier cycle, also donated $13,300 to Barrett’s campaign and joint fundraising committee in 2024. In the other case, Barrett’s campaign doubled its payments to top political software firm Aristotle International after it hired his wife in 2023, according to a review of FEC records.

Michigan Advance: GOP Rep. Barrett scrutinized over payments to firms employing spouse [Michigan Advance, 3/25/26]

Detroit News: Insider: “Tom Barrett’s wife’s firm did work for his campaign” [Detroit News, 3/28/26]

FEC records show that the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Michigan 7th District Republicans also paid Butzel Long for legal services in the fall of 2024.

Reuters: Tables turn as Republicans face gas-price attacks they once used on Democrats [Reuters, 4/22/26]

Tom Barrett tapped into voter frustration over high gas prices as part of his successful 2024 run for Congress in Michigan. Now the Republican is on the defensive on that same issue as Democrats see an opportunity to flip his seat.

Michigan Independent: Barrett voted in 2025 for policies that increase costs, despite campaign promises [Michigan Independent, 4/30/26]

WLNS: A bill to enforce congressional oversight could also put VA funding at risk [WLNS, 5/14/26]

U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett is defending his co-sponsorship of a bill that would put more than $100 billion in annual VA medical funding on a three-year countdown clock… Democratic critics argue that H.R. 143 would codify the DOGE approach into law, establishing a legal path for an administration to cut services, including VA health care, if Congress fails to reauthorize programs in time.  

Detroit Metro Times: Rep. Barrett claimed enough campaign driving to circle Earth once — and then some [Detroit Metro Times, 5/20/26]

If U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett’s mileage reimbursements are accurate, the Michigan Republican drove enough campaign-related miles to circle the Earth once with about 7,000 miles left to spare. From January 2024 through March 2026, Barrett’s campaign reimbursed him $21,908.83 for mileage, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings reviewed by Metro Times.

[…] Barrett’s reimbursements are notable because they far exceed the mileage payments reported by his recent opponents and most members of Michigan’s congressional delegation.

The Gander: ‘Big beautiful bill’ will end Medicaid for people in Ingham, Shiawassee, and Livingston counties this year. Here’s how many will lose it—and who’s responsible [The Gander, 7/25/25]

American Journal News: Tom Barrett promoted GOP budget by passing off a political insider as a small business owner [American Journal News, 10/10/25]

Michigan Advance: Moroun cash ties Michigan GOP hopefuls to Trump’s Gordie Howe bridge standoff [Michigan Advance, 2/11/26]

Those who remained silent about the situation include… Tom Barrett… Federal campaign finance data shows that he received $1,560 from Matthew Moroun in 2025, contributing directly to his campaign committee as he seeks to retake his seat as the representative of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.

Before that, Agnes Moroun, Matty’s sister, gave Barrett $2,900 during his failed 2022 bid for Congress against Slotkin. Matthew Moroun and Lindsay Moroun also gave Barrett $2,900 each in 2021. He previously received a total of $2,000 from Matthew and Lindsay Moroun in 2014 in his state House bid.

American Journal News: Barrett took big money from donors who profited from GOP tax law [American Journal News, 4/14/26]

American Journal News: Barrett sells Haiti-made t-shirts despite ‘Made in USA’ claim [American Journal News, 6/4/26]

PATH TO VICTORY

Michigan’s Seventh Congressional District is a toss-up seat and will host one of the most competitive races in the country. A district that narrowly went for Donald Trump, voters are now deeply dissatisfied and Trump’s approval rating is 13 points underwater – leaving rubber stamp Tom Barrett increasingly vulnerable. Barrett has nothing to show for his time in Washington but higher prices and a trail of broken promises voters are eager to hold him accountable for.

The path to victory in this race means winning back Independents, who make up a plurality of voters in this district. This election will be a referendum on Tom Barrett, and Democrats and Independents are highly motivated to fire him in November. In a midterm election year, base turnout can make or break this race and driving it will be imperative. Will Lawrence is positioned to inspire record midterm turnout in Lansing and East Lansing, which make up nearly a quarter of the electorate, including widespread support at the critical base of Michigan State University.

Tom Barrett rode a campaign built on false promises to Congress, and those promises will be his undoing. Voters will see the difference between his words two years ago, versus his actions in Congress: raising prices, falling in line with House GOP leadership, and helping himself. Mid-Michigan will fire Tom Barrett and elect a real fighter and leader in Will Lawrence.

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