Summary
Current Position: State Senator of District 24 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2023 US Representative for District 7
Former Positions: Army veteran; State Delegate from 2015 – 2019
Thomas M. Barrett (born April 30, 1981) is an American politician serving as a member of the Michigan Senate from the 24th district. A Republican, he previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.
Prior to his election to the House, Barrett served as a liaison between the Michigan Department of Treasury and the office of the Governor of Michigan. Barrett is the Republican nominee in the 2022 election for Michigan’s 7th congressional district.
Source: Wikipedia
OnAir Post: Tom Barrett
About
Source: Campaign page
Tom Barrett was born and raised right here in Michigan. He learned the value of hard work and the importance of family by watching his dad work two jobs while his mom stayed home to raise him and his six siblings.
As Tom was finishing high school, he didn’t feel ready for college and didn’t have a career in mind, so he decided to join the United States Army and gain some life experience while serving his country. After graduation he took the first airplane ride of his life as he departed for Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Tom’s service in the military has continued for more than 21 years, and his deployments have taken him to Iraq, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay, and South Korea. After returning from Iraq, the Army selected him to attend flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama where he learned to fly some of the most advanced helicopters in the world.
When Tom returned to Michigan, he was shocked to find so many of his battle buddies struggling to find opportunities back home. Michigan had the second highest veteran unemployment rate in the nation. Tom decided to act, and ran for the Michigan House of Representatives, where he was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2016. In 2018, he was elected to the Michigan Senate, winning election by more than ten points in a district won by Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Tom is the only Iraq War Veteran in the Michigan Senate, where he has been a true “voice for veterans.”
In 2016, he was instrumental in investigating concerns at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, where an audit had exposed abuse, neglect, and cover-up. After holding a first of its kind legislative hearing at the Home for Veterans, reform legislation was passed that led to dramatic improvements and also resulted in the construction of multiple brand new facilities for Michigan’s veterans.
Tom stood up to Governor Gretchen Whitmer and challenged her unilateral lockdown orders before it was politically popular. He introduced the original legislative bill that later became the “Unlock Michigan” citizen initiative. In addition, he sponsored legislation this year that was vetoed by Governor Whitmer to require individuals to show a photo ID before casting their ballot in an election. He is 100% pro-life, and Planned Parenthood even declared him their “Chump of the Day” because of his strong Pro-Life advocacy. He was presented the “Award for Conservative Excellence” by the American Conservative Union as both a State Representative and a State Senator.
Tom attended Western Michigan University on the Montgomery GI Bill and graduated with honors in 2007. He lives in Charlotte with his wife, Ashley, and their four young children, Patrick, Eleanora, Gwendolyn, and Louis. In 2021 he announced his campaign for Congress to continue fighting for Michigan families struggling to get by under President Biden’s failed policies.
Michigan’s 7th Congressional District includes all of Ingham, Clinton, Shiawassee, and Livingston Counties, most of Eaton County, and portions of Oakland and Genesee Counties.
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
Politics
Source: none
Finances
BARRETT, THOMAS (TOM) has run in 3 races for public office, winning 3 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $1,671,361.
Source: Follow the Money
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
Issues
Source: Campaign page
Economy & Jobs
Corporate Welfare
Taxpayer subsidies of giant corporations is the wrong way to spend public money. Investments in our infrastructure, reform of our tax and regulatory structure, and a lower cost of living are far more important to attracting business investments than subsidies. In fact, corporate surveys show that public subsidies rank at the bottom of the list for site selectors when choosing a new business location.
The recent corporate welfare proposal my opponent supported involving General Motors spends $166,000 per job promised, however, those jobs are not required to pay more than minimum wage and don’t have to be permanent.
Hardworking taxpayers struggling to pay their own bills do not want politicians using their money for corporate subsidies. I share that view which is why I have a near perfect voting record opposing corporate welfare in the State Legislature.
Taxes
Mid-Michigan families are overtaxed and with inflation driving up the costs of everything we rely on, they deserve more money in their pocket. Michigan has record surpluses but rather than giving them back to taxpayers, Governor Whitmer has proposed the largest spending plan in Michigan history.
I’m the only candidate running who has signed the Taxpayer’s Protection Pledge and will work to lower the tax burden on all Americans as a member of Congress.
Health & Education
Education
I am a product of public schools and went to college on the G.I. Bill. Ashley and I are now parents of school age children and like so many parents we are very concerned about the level of control the bureaucracy and the unions have asserted over our kids. Decisions that should be made by parents are increasingly being claimed by the education bureaucracy and parents who speak out are shamed and bullied. Reports of school districts monitoring parents’ social media and contacting their employers, the teaching of CRT, encouraging gender confusion, and the indefensible at-home learning and in-school masking policies, are leading more and more families out of public schools.
If we are going to save our public schools, we have to push back and make our children the priority. Our schools should spend less time on progressive and woke indoctrination, and more time focused on educating our children and keeping them safe.
My opponent is one of the top recipients of teacher’s union money in the entire Congress and takes the union’s side over our children every time. Our kids deserve better.
Human Rights
I am a Christian and I believe our elected leaders have a responsibility to represent the values our faith teaches. Protecting individual rights includes protecting the unborn. Ashley and I have been involved in the pro-life movement our entire lives and as an elected leader, I will always work to protect life from conception.
Public Safety
Crime
Over the last two years, crime rates have exploded around the country. Lansing hit a record number of murders and is now the 9th most dangerous city in America. Woke politicians have slashed police budgets and stopped enforcing the law, leading to increased crime affecting all of our communities.
Our first job is to keep our communities safe from violent crime. I’ve consistently supported the men and women in public safety. One of my proudest honors was when I was awarded “Legislator of the Year” by the Michigan Corrections Officers Organization because of my work to recognize the men and women who are so often a forgotten part of our law enforcement community. I also sponsored the largest state police budget in history and will oppose all efforts to defund our police and prosecutors.
Foreign Policy
The American withdrawal from Afghanistan was one of the most embarrassing events in our nation’s history. President Biden, General Milley, and their congressional allies abandoned the nation with no exit strategy, stranded American allies, and are responsible for the deaths of 13 American servicemembers.
Their failure led to my decision to run for Congress and as a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Army, I promise to put American interests and the protection of American lives at the forefront of our foreign policy, not political-pandering and weakness.
Illegal Immigration
We are a nation of immigrants and that history is what makes America the most diverse, pluralistic society in the history of the world. It is also what attracts so many to seek our shores and the American Dream.
However, our immigration system is broken and our southern border is an out-of-control mess. There are currently 11 million people in the United States illegally and hundreds of thousands entering the country through our porous border. The Biden Administration has revoked Title 42, which grants the government the ability to deport those entering the country illegally if they pose a public health risk such as Covid. Nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants were deported using Title 42.
I will work hard to make sure our border security agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs have the tools they need to prevent people from entering the country illegally. I will also work to complete the border wall, which has worked successfully in places like the California-Mexico border, which has seen a dramatic drop in illegal immigration since the wall was erected.
See Also
Google Search
More Web Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Barrett_(Michigan_politician)
Thomas More Barrett[1] (born April 30, 1981) is an American politician who served as a member of the Michigan Senate from the 24th district. A Republican, he previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.[2][3]
Barrett was the Republican nominee in the 2022 election for Michigan’s 7th congressional district, which he lost to incumbent Democrat Elissa Slotkin. He is running for the same seat in 2024.
Early life and education
Barrett was born in Southfield, Michigan. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.[4]
U.S. Army and early career
After graduating from high school, Barrett joined the Army, where he served for 21 years. He served abroad in South Korea, Guantanamo Bay, Kuwait, and Iraq, and is a veteran of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served in the Michigan Army National Guard, holding the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 2, until retiring in 2022.[5][4]
Prior to running for public office, Barrett worked as an analyst for the Michigan Department of the Treasury.[6][7]
Political career
Michigan House of Representatives (2014–2019)
Barrett was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2014, narrowly beating Democratic incumbent Theresa Abed.[8] He won re-election in 2016, defeating Theresa Abed in a rematch. Barrett garnered 54% of the vote to Abed’s 43% and Libertarian Marc Lord’s 3%.[9]
Michigan Senate (2019–present)
Barrett was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2018, and in 2022 chaired the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.[10]
Barrett was a vocal critic of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer‘s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and sponsored Senate Bill 858 to regulate the governor’s state of emergency powers, which the governor vetoed in May 2020.[11][12]
Barrett was one of eleven state senators to sign a letter to Congress requesting, in January 2021, an “objective and transparent investigation into credible allegations of misconduct” in the 2020 presidential election.[13][14] In September 2022, Barrett said that the legitimacy of the 2020 election is “unknowable”.[15][16]
2022 U.S. House election
In November 2021, Barrett announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2022 election for Michigan’s 7th congressional district.[17] He won the Republican primary in August 2022, but lost to Democratic incumbent Elissa Slotkin in the November general election,[18] receiving 46% of the vote to her 52%.[19]
Bridge Michigan reported that, as of October 12, 2022, this was the most costly congressional election in the U.S.[20] By November 4, over $36 million had been spent by both campaigns.[19]
2024 U.S. House election
Barrett is running again for election in 2024 for the same district.
Personal life
Barrett lives in Charlotte, Michigan, with his wife, Ashley, and their four children.[21]
References
- ^ “No. 72, State of Michigan Journal of the House of Representatives, 99th Legislature, Regular Session of 2018”. November 28, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ “7th District: Q and A with Elissa Slotkin and Tom Barrett”. The Oakland Press. October 2, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ “Michigan 71st District State House Results: Tom Barrett Wins”. The New York Times. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ a b “Tom Barrett, District 71 – Michigan House Republicans”. June 25, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Holleman, Krystle (November 15, 2021). “Sen. Tom Barrett announces U.S. House campaign”. WILX. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- ^ Spangler, Todd. “Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin may have edge on Tom Barrett, but race for US House far from over”. USA TODAY. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ “Tom Barrett analyst Michigan Department Treasury detroit free press”. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ “2014 Live Michigan election results: State House Districts 1-110”. MLive.com. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
- ^ “2016 Michigan Official General Election Results – 11/08/2016”. miboecfr.nictusa.com. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ “Michigan’s race for Congress: Tom Barrett v. Elissa Slotkin in 7th District | Bridge Michigan”. www.bridgemi.com. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ “Republican Michigan senator critical of Gretchen Whitmer tests positive for COVID-19”. The Detroit News. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ “State Senate mulling rare Saturday session to meet quarantine requirement after GOP senator tested positive”. Mlive. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Breuninger, Kevin (October 27, 2022). “GOP Rep. Liz Cheney backs Rep. Elissa Slotkin in tight Michigan House race in her first endorsement of a Democrat”. CNBC. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ Mauger, Craig. “Michigan GOP senators briefly post differing letters to Congress on election claims”. The Detroit News. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ Lillis, Mike (November 6, 2022). “Liz Cheney makes waves on her way out of Congress”. The Hill. Nexstar Media Inc. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ “Will Michigan candidates accept the results of the 2022 election? Here’s what they said”. WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit. September 27, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Lehr, Sarah (November 15, 2021). “Republican Tom Barrett launches bid for U.S. House in mid-Michigan”. WKAR Public Media. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Orner, Ben (August 3, 2022). “Slotkin, Barrett advance to November in tossup Michigan congressional race”. mlive. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ a b Burr, Alyssa; Miller, Matthew (November 9, 2022). “Slotkin wins tight race in the 7th Congressional District”. mlive. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ “Slotkin-Barrett race draws big money, interest with Congress up for grabs | Bridge Michigan”. www.bridgemi.com. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ “13 Jan 2019, A4 – Lansing State Journal at Newspapers.com”. Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
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