Former U.S. Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam launched his first ad Thursday in pursuit of winning the competitive 7th Congressional District seat, according to his campaign.
The Ann Arbor Township Democrat plans a seven-figure ad blitz in the coming months, with the initial $305,000 buy targeting broadcast and cable television in the Lansing market, his campaign said.
The ad outlines Maasdam’s years as a Navy SEAL, his time carrying the nuclear code under Democratic former President Barack Obama and warnings about President Donald Trump’s actions in Washington, D.C.
“As a Navy SEAL, I fought for America,” the ad concludes. “In Congress, I’ll fight for you.”
Maasdam is vying for the Democratic nomination in the swing congressional district against former Ambassador Bridget Brink and community organizer William Lawrence, both of Lansing.
The winner of the August Democratic primary will face off against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett or Charlotte to represent the district, which includes all of Ingham, Clinton, Shiawassee and Livingston counties and parts of Genesee, Eaton and Oakland counties.
Barrett, 45, of Charlotte, is running for a second term in the 7th District. He first won the district in 2024 by 3.7 percentage points against former state Sen. Curtis Hertel, an East Lansing Democrat who now serves as the Michigan Democratic Party chairman.
Maasdam grew up in Nebraska but graduated from the University of Michigan before spending 20 years in the U.S. Navy as a SEAL. He served as a military aide under Obama and later went into business. He moved back to Michigan in 2019.
Brink, who announced her ad campaign earlier this week, moved to Lansing last year after serving 28 years as a diplomat, most recently as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, a post she resigned from in 2025 due to disagreements with Trump’s policy and actions.
Lawrence, a community organizer from Lansing, co-founded the youth-led Sunrise Movement for climate action. In recent years, he’s focused on housing affordability, founding the Michigan Rent Is Too Damn High Coalition to advocate for renters and tenants’ protections.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
Staff Writer Melissa Nann Burke contributed.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Maasdam launches first ad in swing 7th Congressional District
Reporting by Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
