In Michigan, with the exception of the fight over Proposition 3 (to undo restrictions on abortions already on the books) and the heated race for governor between incumbent Democrat Gretchen Whitmer and Republican challenger Tudor Dixon, the most watched contest is that for the newly drawn 7th District.
In her last two trips to the polls, Democrat Elissa Slotkin unseated Republican Rep. Mike Bishop in the old 8th District in 2018 and then won reelection two years ago. Both were tight contests in which the former Pentagon official managed just over 51%.
Now, in the new 7th, Slotkin faces Republican State Sen. Tom Barrett in a race that Lansing sources insisted to Newsmax was "too close to call." Barrett's senate district encompasses about one-third of the new district.
"The issue here is that she votes down the line with [President] Joe Biden on all of his reckless spending," Barrett told Newsmax between campaign stops.
Slotkin strongly defends her support of the president on measures such as the trillion-dollar plus Build Back Better bill and said recently she supports Biden for reelection (although she recently said she hopes the Democratic Party comes up with "new blood").
Barrett also added that the congresswoman's rhetoric about "war with China" is dangerous and that, as a 22-year U.S. Army veteran (and the lone Iraqi War veteran in the Michigan legislature), he would be cautious about actions that could lead to war.
"And I'm for securing the border, and she isn't," Barrett told us.
According to recently completed reports, Slotkin has raised nearly $3 million in the last quarter to about $525,000 spent by Barrett.
But there are other factors. Republicans say that a voter backlash against the controversial Proposition 3 — supported by Slotkin and opposed by Barrett — could come because they conclude it will allow abortion under any circumstances will help Barrett.
"Polls don't have the detail — if one thinks all this does is reverse Roe-Wade, it passes," former Ingham County (Lansing) GOP Chairman Norm Shinkle told us. "It does a lot more than that. Slotkin has no clue what it does. On CBS, she was either lying or totally clueless on the issue."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.