Tom Barrett | |
|---|---|
.webp) Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's7th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Elissa Slotkin |
| Member of theMichigan Senate from the24th district | |
| In office January 1, 2019 – January 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Rick Jones |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Johnson |
| Member of theMichigan House of Representatives from the71st district | |
| In office January 1, 2015 – January 1, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Theresa Abed |
| Succeeded by | Angela Witwer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas More Barrett (1981-04-30)April 30, 1981 (age 44) Southfield, Michigan, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Louis C. Rabaut (great-grandfather) |
| Education | Western Michigan University (BA) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 2001–2022 |
| Rank | Chief Warrant Officer 2 |
| Unit | Michigan Army National Guard |
| Battles/wars | |
Thomas More Barrett[1] (born April 30, 1981) is an American politician, financial analyst, and formerU.S. Army officer serving as theU.S. representative forMichigan's 7th congressional district since 2025. A member of theRepublican Party, he previously served in theMichigan Senate from 2019 to 2023 and in theMichigan House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.[2][3] His congressional district covers a seven-county area that includesLansing.
Barrett was the Republican nominee for the district in the 2022 election, which he lost toDemocratic incumbentElissa Slotkin. He ran for the same seat again in 2024, defeating Democratic nomineeCurtis Hertel Jr.
Barrett was born inSouthfield, Michigan, on April 30, 1981.[4] He graduated fromWestern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree inpolitical science.[5]
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 bothOperation Enduring Freedom andOperation Iraqi Freedom. He served in theMichigan Army National Guard, holding the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 2, until retiring in 2022.[6][5]
Prior to running for public office, Barrett worked as an analyst for the Michigan Department of the Treasury.[7][8]
Barrett was elected to theMichigan House of Representatives in 2014, narrowly beatingDemocratic incumbentTheresa Abed.[9] 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%.[10]
Barrett was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2018, and in 2022 chaired the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.[11]
Barrett was a vocal critic of Michigan GovernorGretchen Whitmer's handling of theCOVID-19 pandemic, and sponsored Senate Bill 858 to regulate the governor's state of emergency powers, which the governor vetoed in May 2020.[12][13]
Barrett was one of eleven state senators to sign a letter toCongress requesting, in January 2021, an "objective and transparent investigation into credible allegations of misconduct" in the2020 presidential election.[14][15] In September 2022, Barrett said that the legitimacy of the 2020 election is "unknowable".[16][17]
In November 2021, Barrett announced his candidacy for theU.S. House of Representatives in the2022 election forMichigan's 7th congressional district.[18] He won the Republican primary in August 2022, but lost to Democratic incumbentElissa Slotkin in the November general election,[19] receiving 46% of the vote to her 52%.[20]
Bridge Michigan reported that, as of October 12, 2022, this was the most costly congressional election in the U.S.[21] By November 4, over $36 million had been spent by both campaigns.[20]
Barrett ran again for election in 2024 for the same district.
During the campaign, Black Michigan lawmakers called for a probe into a Barrett ad in a Black-owned newspaper that listed election day as November 6, alleging it was meant to mislead Black voters, as the actual date was November 5. His campaign denied the charge, calling it a one-time proofing error.[22][23]
He defeated Democratic nomineeCurtis Hertel Jr. in the general election.[24]
Barrett was sworn into the119th U.S. Congress on January 3, 2025.
In May 2025, Barrett voted for theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act, helping the budget and tax bill pass in a 215 to 214 vote in the House of Representatives.[25]
In February 2026, Barrett was part of the bipartisan Michigan congressional delegation that secured the designation ofCamp Grayling's National All-Domain Warfighting Center as a national range for uncrewed aerial systems testing by the Department of Defense.[26]
Barrett lives inCharlotte, Michigan, with his wife, Ashley, and their four children.[28] His great-grandfather,Louis C. Rabaut, representedMichigan's 14th congressional district as aDemocrat from 1935 to 1947 and from 1949 to 1961.[29] During thecongressional office lottery for the119th Congress, Barrett asked his colleagues to consider leaving Longworth 1232 vacant, which they did, so he could claim the same office held by Rabaut in 1954.[30]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's 7th congressional district 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 369th | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
