“I’m running to put an end to this invasion of our constitutional rights,” Barrett said. “To stand up for those afraid of losing their career or struggling to put food on the table in Biden’s economy. To call out the collapse of leadership in the White House that has cratered our economy at home and left 13 of our Marines and service members dead in Afghanistan.”

Barrett, a former two-term state representative, is currently a first-term state senator for Michigan’s 24th district. He touted his years of military experience in his announcement; he said he is leaving the army after 21 years of service to pursue federal office for the first time.

While the final demographics of Barrett’s prospective district aren’t yet finalized, a recent poll found Republicans may be poised for their best congressional performance in over 40 years, with 51% support compared to Democrats’ 41%.

Barrett has been a vocal member of Michigan’s State Senate since his election in 2018. Recently, Barrett has advocated against required masks and vaccinations for Michigan students.

Barrett has also criticized the legitimacy of the 2020 election, echoing former President Donald Trump’s fraudulent claims of fraud in a joint letter encouraging federal lawmakers to “pursue every available option and procedure to examine the credible allegations of election related concerns surrounding fraud and irregularity” before the Jan. 6 certification of the nation’s electoral votes. The statement was signed by 11 of Michigan’s Republican State Senators.