Running for Congress has been one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences of my life.

Each and every day, I learn something new — about the process, about myself, and about how our elections work.

So, almost a year after beginning this journey, I wanted to take a few minutes and answer some questions I’ve gotten on the campaign trail. If you have any questions I didn’t get to here, reply to this email and my team and I will answer as many as we can!

What’s the money for? Why are you asking for it, and why do we care about how much you raise?

The hardest part about running for office is that it isn’t set up for regular people like me — moms, women, people in the middle class, young (for Congress, at least!). It’s designed for people who are already wealthy, don’t need to work, or have an inside edge. That is because it takes a tremendous amount of money to run TV commercials, hire staff, pay for fliers (you know the thing you hold in your hand ten seconds before it hits the trash - but hopefully gives you enough time to notice a name). It’s that stuff. For our race, we are working to raise two million dollars. That’s insane. But it’s what we need. And, the more we can raise, we show that we have the resources to buy advertisements, travel the district, and hire the people to help us do this. The more we can do those things, the stronger our campaign is, and it helps us get more endorsements and partnerships for getting Bergman out of office.

What’s your dog’s name and what breed is he?

Maloo the malamute. And, no, he won’t be at the UP 200 sled dog races because he’s getting up there in years, and he’s worked hard to maintain his ample figure.

What’s up with all the fundraising deadlines? Are those all made up?

So each month we have target goals to hit to keep us on track (pay staff, save enough for messaging, etc.) Every financial quarter (every three months) we file with the Federal Election Commission. That filing becomes public and people and organizations across the country use it to judge the viability of your campaign (which matters because you’re constantly working to build your network of supporters, endorsements, etc.)

What’s the most rewarding part of running for office?

Building a movement. I’ve been so encouraged by folks I meet who aren’t ready to give up yet — who are courageous enough to believe in something bigger than themselves like standing up for our democracy and our rights to live lives of our choosing. We aren’t in this alone, and together we’re building the infrastructure and coalition we need to make real change.

Who should run for office?

Let’s go for normalish people. Not even normal — just “ish” will do. Ha! People who care more about their communities than they do about being celebrities. We’ve got a big job to do, and the only way we can change who represents us is by encouraging real, passionate, dedicated, commonsense people to run, win, and pave the way for others to get involved.

Why is it so hard to run against an incumbent member of Congress like Bergman?

Incumbents have the advantage of institutional barriers built into the system that come with challenging the good ol’ boys club, especially as a woman and mother. For example, Bergman has so much corporate money that it takes a lot of fundraising to be able to message as much as he can.

And there’s the age and gender thing. If I had a dollar for every time someone said something about my age or my kids or my gender as if any answer to those questions would be disqualifying, I’d maybe have more than enough money to take on Rep. Bergman in November.

But here’s the thing — we aren’t exactly dealing with Mr. Popular. I hear from residents in this district all the time, no matter the political party, that Rep. Bergman is completely disengaged from the people in this district - he doesn't listen, he’s never in the district, and he is lacking in providing robust constituent services.

We’re gonna win this race, folks.

How can ordinary Michiganders get involved in my campaign?

Right now, there are a few really important things you can do:

1. Chip in now. I know. I know. But — we need to keep fundraising hard to build up the resources needed to take on an entrenched incumbent. While I wish it wasn’t the case, donating now is the most strategic thing you can do to help me win.

2. Volunteer with a campaign, your local get-out-the-vote club, or nonprofit organization. Right now, we need help collecting signatures to get on the ballot, and in the coming months we’ll need help knocking doors, talking to voters, and getting our friends and neighbors out to vote! Respond to this email if you’re interested in volunteering with our campaign, and we’ll be in touch!

Thank you for the questions! Hopefully, this helps to “pull back the curtain” on what we’re building here and why you matter in all of this. Thank you. Have a great weekend!

Gratefully,

Callie and Team Callie Barr