The race to represent Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. House is heating up, as another Republican seeks to try and primary incumbent Congressman Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet).
FEC fillings show businessman and realtor Matthew DenOtter is seeking the Republican nomination in Michigan's 1st Congressional District, which includes the entire Upper Peninsula and most of the northern Lower Peninsula. The filing shows he's currently based in southeast Michigan. DenOtter's campaign could not be reached before the publication of this story.
DenOtter ran and lost in the 2022 GOP primary election in Michigan's 11th Congressional District in metro-Detroit. He told the Keeping Up with the Chaldeans Podcast in 2022 that he worked for 21 years in pharmaceuticals and in real estate for five.
That same year, DenOtter told WDET he supported gun rights and curbing regulations for business. He listed sales at Johnson and Johnson as one of his professions.
"I will not support any legislation that will interfere with Americans' right to protect themselves or their families," he told WDET in 2022 when talking about gun rights.
DenOtter also said he was pro-life and supported a plan that would make adoption more affordable with stipends and tax incentives. "Rather than treating an unexpected pregnancy or child as a problem, we should work together to create a welcoming community," he said.
DenOtter joins U.S. Army veteran Justin Michal in the effort to try and primary Bergman in the GOP bid. Michal told WCMU that he wants to run a grassroots campaign.
"I'm just here as a person saying listen, I have conservative values, but we need to open better forms of dialogue," he said. "We have to have discussions and that has to incorporate everybody not just our side."
Michal expressed confidence about his campaign saying he had "strong favorability and 22 to 24 of the counties in our district and we have 36 counties."
Earlier this week, three Republican state lawmakers dropped their endorsements of Bergman, including State Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah), State Rep. Gregory Markkanen (R-Hancock) and State Rep. Karl Bohnak (R-Deerton).
McBroom can't run again due to term limits. All three support State Rep. Dave Prestin's (R-Cedar River) effort to succeed McBroom in the state Senate. Bergman is backing former State Rep. Beau LaFave instead.
"Jack promised me he would not be endorsing in this race," McBroom said in a statement. "I wish I could say I'm surprised that he lied to me or that this is out of character for my time working with Jack, but it's not."
In response, Bergman reiterated his support for LaFave on social media. He called the U.P delegation "do nothing anti-Trump political insiders who've fought me since 2016," referring to wining the 1st Congressional Distrist seat over Tom Casperson in that year's GOP primary. "They are still mad I beat their guy ten years ago," Bergman said.
Still, FEC filings show Bergman has a significant cash advantage. He sits at over $1 million in receipts and over $550,000 in cash on hand. His next closest opponent, Democrat Callie Barr, has $184,593.96 in receipts.
The Bergman campaign did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Barr and fellow Democrats Kyle Blomquist and Wayne Stiles are also running for the seat along with Independent Zebulon Featherly.
Up North Advocacy is hosting a candidate forum for the race at Lake Superior State University on Feb. 27. It's still unclear which candidates will attend.
WNMU's Nicole Walton contributed reporting to this story.
Copyright 2026 WCMU
