Statement on the Michigan Chamber of Commerce's Endorsement of Jack Bergman

Sometimes an endorsement is its own indictment.

Traverse Indivisible Statement on the Michigan Chamber of Commerce’s Endorsement of Jack Bergman

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce exists to promote Michigan’s economy and support the businesses that create jobs across our state. That is why its endorsement of Congressman Jack Bergman is so difficult to understand.

Over the past year, Michigan lost 13,000 trade, transportation, and utility jobs and 9,000 manufacturing jobs. At the same time, Michigan’s Big Three automakers absorbed at least $6.5 billion in tariff-related losses, American families paid an estimated $1,000 more per year because of tariffs, and a majority of Michigan small-business owners identified tariffs and economic uncertainty as serious threats to their businesses. Yet Jack Bergman supported these policies every step of the way.

So much for standing up for Michigan business.

The damage didn’t stop there. Michigan’s Department of Agriculture reported that wheat and grain exports fell 89%, fresh cherry exports 62%, and fresh apple exports 58% during the first half of 2025. Those aren’t abstract statistics—they represent lost markets, lost income, and growing uncertainty for the farms and rural communities that make up much of Michigan’s First Congressional District.

The Chamber’s endorsement also overlooks a troubling pattern of public conduct. Bergman has repeatedly refused to hold open town halls where constituents can question him directly. He has faced an ethics complaint concerning fundraising practices involving his chief of staff. After supporting the pardon of convicted felon Elliott Broidy, Bergman accepted nearly $300,000 in campaign contributions from Broidy and his wife. Questions about Bergman’s residency and connection to the First Congressional District have also persisted for years.

Even members of Bergman’s own party have lost confidence in his leadership. Earlier this year, the Upper Peninsula’s Republican legislative delegation withdrew its support for Bergman, citing concerns that he had broken his commitments and become disconnected from the people he was elected to represent.

The Chamber has every right to endorse whomever it chooses. But that choice speaks volumes. By endorsing Jack Bergman, it is endorsing a record that has failed Michigan workers, farmers, manufacturers, small businesses, and the communities that depend on them.

An organization that claims to represent Michigan’s job creators should not be rewarding a record that has cost Michigan jobs.

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