3 days ago
Retired Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam runs as Democrat for U.S. House against Barrett
Retired Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam has entered the 2026 race for the Democratic nomination in Michigan's 7th Congressional District, hoping to challenge current U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, of Charlotte, who flipped the Lansing-anchored swing district for the Republican Party in 2024.
Maasdam, who released a video announcing his run on July 1st in which he touted his military experience in Iraq and Afghanistan and as a military aide who carried the nuclear launch codes for former President Barack Obama, joins former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink — a career diplomat — in vying for the nomination to face Barrett.
"Here in Michigan, we know what hard work means: It makes us who we are. So we know that Congress hasn't worked for us in decades. All we see are politicians yelling at each other. They're not solving our problems or bringing us together," Maasdam says in the video before introducing himself and adding, "I'm not a politician."
"I'm running for Congress to continue serving my country, not any political party," Maasdam says.
According to Maasdam's campaign, he grew up in Nebraska before attending the University of Michigan and then entering the Navy; he met his wife, Laura, who served as a helicopter pilot, in survival school. After leaving the service, Maasdam worked in business, including a role with Under Armour's online operations, overseeing some 2,000 employees for the sportswear company.
Six years ago, Maasdam and his family relocated to Michigan, living in Ann Arbor Township. That's outside the 7th District, which is comprised of all or part of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties and a sliver of Oakland County. But Maasdam's campaign said he is looking to move into the district.
Members of Congress aren't required to live in the districts they represent as long as they are residents of the state, though as a practical matter, most members of the U.S. House live in their districts. The 7th District was represented by Elissa Slotkin, who was elected a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate in 2024; Barrett, a former state senator and Army helicopter pilot, defeated Democratic former state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. the same year for the open House seat.
On his campaign website, Maasdam has little about his political platform but he does say in his announcement video that he is trying to remain focused on families and not political parties. As such, he said he opposes cuts proposed to Medicaid, the insurance program for lower-income individuals and families, as well as tariffs on imported goods put in place by Republican President Donald Trump "that make things more expensive and threaten our jobs."
"I know our country can do better," he says in the video.
Maasdam's campaign said if Maasdam is elected, he would be the first Democratic Navy SEAL to serve in the House, though there are more than a half-dozen Republican Navy SEALs in the House and Senate.
The entry of both Brink and Maasdam in the race, while both are newcomers to elected politics, suggests what could be a hotly fought race for a Democratic nomination for a seat the party feels can be won in a year when it hopes to reclaim a majority in the U.S. House.
Jason Roe, a Republican consultant who works with Barrett, called Maasdam "another recruitment failure for national Democrats."
"Like Bridget Brink, Matt Maasdam was not born in the 7th District, was not raised in the 7th District, and has never lived in the 7th District. He grew up in Nebraska and now lives in Ann Arbor, which is in (Democratic U.S. Rep.) Debbie Dingell's district," he said. "The people who live and work in the 7th District deserve a representative who actually lives and works here, too."
Zach Bannon, a spokesman with the National Republican Congressional Committee based in Washington, said Maasdam is "yet another out of touch Democrat to parachute into the messy, expensive race to the left Democrat primary."
"Barrett continues to deliver commonsense results and will defeat whichever radical Democrat emerges from the messy Democrat primary," Bannon said.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@ Follow him on X @tsspangler.
This story has updated with additional information.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Matt Maasdam runs as Democrat for U.S. House against Tom Barrett
