Matt Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL and military aide to former President Barack Obama, has landed a significant endorsement in his race to win the Democratic nomination for a mid-Michigan U.S. House seat, getting a nod from Democratic U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who previously held the seat herself.
“Matt has spent his life serving our country,” Slotkin said. “Matt could have chosen lots of other paths but he believes that service to the people of Michigan is the most important path he can take. We need fighters, and whether it is standing up to President Trump’s attacks on our democracy, taking on the corruption and special interests, or standing up for working people − he knows what it means to fight.”
The Free Press only writes about endorsements when they are newsworthy. This one is, given that it breaks with what had been a tacit tradition and comes from a substantial voice in the district.
It comes as another example of what used to be something of a rarity: top Michigan Democrats who are still in office attempting to put their finger on the scale in favor of someone involved in a competitive primary. Earlier this week, on July 13, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters endorsed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham to succeed him even though she’s in a tight nomination race with Abdul El-Sayed.
Maasdam, who has a residence in Livingston County (having lived in Ann Arbor previously), is part of a three-person field for the Democratic nomination that includes community activist William Lawrence and Bridget Brink, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who has done a lot to lock up much of the mainstream Democratic establishment. (Lawrence, meanwhile, has support from progressive stalwarts including Sen. Bernie Sanders, and some local leaders; both Brink and Maasdam have union endorsements as well.)
The winner will face U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, a first-term congressman in what is perhaps Michigan’s most competitive congressional district, the 7th, which is anchored by Lansing. Barrett, a former state senator, lost to Slotkin, of Holly, in the 7th Congressional District in 2022, then won it in 2024 after she ran for and won a U.S. Senate seat previously held by Debbie Stabenow.
Slotkin and Maasdam, however, do share a bit of background. Slotkin is a former intelligence officer who worked for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama; Maasdam was a military aide to Obama and carried the nuclear codes for him. Both did tours in Iraq; Slotkin rose to become acting assistant defense secretary, and Maasdam has significant support among veterans.
Maasdam, understandably, said he was “incredibly honored” to have Slotkin’s support, given that she has cut a national figure since joining the Senate (if not before) and been talked about as a possible 2028 presidential candidate.
He called her “a singular leader.”
“She never sits back when the stakes are high, and we are lucky to have her fighting for Michigan every day,” Maasdam said. “No one understands this district, its voters or what it takes to win here better than Senator Slotkin. I’m grateful for her trust in me.”
Brink, who walked away from the Foreign Service and the ambassadorship because she did not believe President Donald Trump was adequately committed to defending Ukraine, responded to Slotkin’s endorsement saying, “For me this fight is about who will stand up to Trump and who will take on a broken Washington that works for corporate special interests while leaving mid-Michigan families behind. The truth is I’m the only one who has stood up to Trump and will fight like hell to take on his chaos and corruption in Congress.”
“When I win this race, I look forward to working with Senator Slotkin in Congress to protect American jobs and manufacturing, make life more affordable for Michigan families, and fight back against Trump’s chaos and corruption,” she added.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on X @tsspangler.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Slotkin endorses Matt Maasdam in US House race against Barrett
Reporting by Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
