A Grand Traverse County Board meeting got tense after Congressman Jack Bergman joined.
The Republican represents northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. House of Representatives. A resolution praising him failed after many residents called in to say they didn’t support him. But the former military man has won three elections by growing margins and Congressman Bergman plans on being in office for the foreseeable future.
The Grand Traverse County Board’s last meeting opened with Jack Bergman calling from his car.
“Good morning everyone and thank you for allowing me to join you, because God blesses us everyday with those 24 hours, and it’s up to us how we use those 24 hours.”
Bergman recited the pledge of allegiance and a bible passage before signing off.
The Congressman was one of the main topics of the meeting. Specifically his stance on the 2020 election.
Congressman Bergman voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s victory. Even after the insurrection attempt.
During public comment Richard Walter said Bergman should resign.
“He should not be praised and should not be honored by a frivolous resolution that does nothing to help this community.”
A few of his supporters called in to repeat baseless or debunked claims of voter fraud.
Here's Heather Cerone who ran for a state house seat last year:
“And Congressman Bergman is representing the majority of the people in our district. The election was fraudulent.”
Bergman says he didn’t want to overturn the election results. But did want a federal commission to audit them.
“People in Michigan and people in my district wanted to know that when they voted that their vote was fairly counted, it was accurately counted, and if you weren’t supposed to vote, your vote wasn’t counted.”
States, including Michigan, did post-election audits before results were certified.
Jack Bergman was born and raised near Minneapolis but started vacationing in the Upper Peninsula in the 80s. His career was split between the Marine Corps and the private sector.
When the U.P.’s congressional seat opened up, he thought about running.
But he was unknown in northern Michigan.
“Oh sure who’s gonna vote for you nobody knows you.”
That outsider status helped get Bergman the job.
In 20-16 he beat two former state senators, Tom Casperson and Jason Allen, in the primary.
In the general last year, he got over 60 percent of the vote.
Jack Bergman is very popular among Republicans in northern Michigan like Cam Williams.
She works for the county G.O.P.
She likes Bergman’s staunchly conservative politics and anti-abortion stance.
“He’s concerned about the same things that I am.”
But most important to her is Bergman’s military background. Williams’ husband and father both served.
She believes Bergman knows how to clean up bureaucracy at the V.A.
“He’s been in the military. He knows the red tape that there is in the military. So he’s just trying to make that easier for veterans.”
She occasionally calls his office to get his stance on an issue. Williams says if she can’t get Congressman Bergman himself.
“I can get a hold of someone to tell me something.”
But Bergman is an elusive figure to others in his district.
Amy Hjerstedt is a veteran and also comes from a military family. But to her, Congressman Bergman still feels like an outsider.
“You know I don’t actually hear a ton of people talking about him here.”
Hjerstedt teaches political science at Lake Superior State in Sault Saint Marie. She said she’s called his office but has never talked to Bergman himself. And that her voicemails often go unanswered.
And she doesn’t see Bergman having town halls or coffee hours like other lawmakers.
“It’s like he strategically just comes and goes as fast as he can and really doesn’t have any desire to talk with his constituents.”
Bergman had an empty calendar on his website that now redirects to the home page. Constituents can request meetings.
A rep for the Congressman says they promote his events with press releases and newsletters.
I.P.R. combed through everyone we’ve received since the new year. We found no announcements of public availability ahead of time.
It’s similar on social media. The Congressman will often post a picture after an event, like a visit to Elk Rapids High School in February.
Hjerestedt says she only sees Bergman at one spot.
“The only thing our elected will come to is the Soo Locks and acts like it’s his personal project when really we know this has been decades in the works.”
As of February, Congressman Bergman had 24 bills signed into law. Most were on Veterans issues. That productivity is similar to other republicans he was elected with in 2016.
Jack Bergman dismisses 90 percent of his critics as partisan.
“Well I think you should ask the people when they say that, you should ask them: ‘Well did you vote for him? Let’s face it, that is rhetoric meant to poison people’s opinion, and I would suggest it’s from the left.”
Bergman says he’s been there. He met with a Traverse City-based progressive group several times through 20-19.
Otherwise he blames his constituents for his unavailability. He points to tense town halls during his first-term to say that some don’t want to talk.
Here’s a bit from one in Escanaba in 2017.
“No, no, no, I have to tell you, hang on gang, if you wanna hear me talk. I wanna hear you, but we have to have the exchange.”
And Bergman says he wants to host more events with constituents post-Covid, with a caveat.
“But if they wanna do the things that they did after the 2016 election, you know? That’s middle school behavior.”
As for the complaints that he says aren’t partisan, Bergman blames the district’s size.
“People who are really paying attention to where I am and what I’m doing, they know that if I’m up in Houghton on Tuesday there’s a pretty good chance I’m not gonna be in Traverse City on Wednesday.”
Bergman’s district is big. With 32 counties, it’s the second biggest east of the Mississippi.
Bart Stupak held the seat while it was gerrymandered by Republicans three different times. But the democrat stayed in office for nearly 20 years.
His secret?
“Staying in contact with constituents was my number one priority.”
He says the First Congressional is a republican district that he won by talking face-to-face with voters.
But he says that kind of politics may be extinct. The constant travel eventually kept him from seeking re-election.
And he doesn’t think politicians have that dialogue with constituents now.
Stupak says too many lawmakers avoid the heat, and constituents are constantly battling misinformation.
“It’s a difficult time, we’re bitterly divided as a nation. But that’s when I think you need your elected officials out there more, trying to bridge those gaps.”
Stupak says a democrat could win the First Congressional again. But adds that would require the party to care about the rural district, and finding the right candidate.
In the meantime, Congressman Jack Bergman says he’s not going anywhere.
“And oh by the way in case anyone’s wondering, Yes I am gonna run again in 2022, and probably 2024 and who knows 2026 and beyond.”