Candidates vying to represent Michigan's First Congressional District will make their case to voters at a public forum on Wednesday, April 1, from 6:00–7:30 PM at the Milliken Auditorium in the Dennos Museum Center on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College.

TIES (Traverse Indivisible Education and Solidarity) is hosting the Traverse City event, which is part of an 11-stop MI-01 Meet the Candidates Forum Series organized by grassroots groups across northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Between February and April, the series is bringing congressional candidates to communities from Ironwood to Whittemore, giving voters in one of the state's most geographically sprawling districts rare face-to-face access before the primary election.

Confirmed participants include:

Kyle Blomquist – Democrat (Iron Mountain)

Justin Michal – Republican (Grayling)

Zebulon Featherley – Independent (Traverse City)

Wayne Stiles – Democrat (Traverse City)

Incumbent Rep. Jack Bergman (R, Watersmeet) and candidate Callie Barr (D, Traverse City) have also been invited.

The forum will follow a structured format with moderated questions by Pat Livingston, news director at Up North Live, and timed responses designed to ensure a civil and informative discussion of issues important to voters. Registered audience members will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance.

"With 35 counties and 25,000 square miles to cover, many voters in MI-01 never get the chance to meet their candidates in person," said John DeSpelder, Executive Lead at Traverse Indivisible Education & Solidarity (TIES), the event's host organization. "This series ensures that every corner of the district has access to the same information and the same opportunity to be heard."

The forum is free and open to the public, a livestream will be available for those unable to attend in person, and a recording will be publicly available. Registration is encouraged to help organizers plan for seating.

We regret that the Meet the Candidates forum conflicts with the first night of Passover. We strive to be sensitive to religious holidays, however due to multiple constraints such as venue size and the date restraints imposed by the event series, we were left with April 1 as our only option. 

Event Details

MI-01 Meet the Candidates Forum – Traverse City

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Schedule:

5:15 PM — Doors open; informal meet & greet (Dennos Museum Sculpture Court)

6:00–7:30 PM — Meet the Candidates Forum (Milliken Auditorium)

7:30–8:00 PM — Post-forum candidate chat in the Sculpture Court

Location: Milliken Auditorium, Dennos Museum Center, 1701 West Front St., Traverse City

Admission: Free and open to the public

Registration (in-person): Click Here. Registered attendees will be given seating priority and will be invited to submit questions prior to the event.

Registration (livestreaming): Click Here. Registered attendees will be invited to submit questions prior to the event.

The MI-01 forum series reflects growing civic engagement across northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula as community groups work to connect voters with candidates seeking to represent them in Washington. For information on the entire 11-event series, click here.