Latest news with #BridgetBrink
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bridget Brink, ex-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, challenges U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, a career diplomat who grew up in Michigan and resigned as ambassador over a break with President Donald Trump over his policies regarding the war with Russia, is running as a Democrat to challenge U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, in next year's election. Brink made the announcement Wednesday, June 18, that she would run for Michigan's 7th Congressional District — a mid-Michigan district that is considered a tossup and was previously represented by Democrat Elissa Slotkin before she was elected to the U.S. Senate last year. "My passion for public service runs deep," Brink said in a video accompanying her announcement in which she talked about her Michigan roots and how as a foreign service officer she served nearly 30 years under presidents from both parties. 'My next mission: to fight for what's right, here at home. ... We've got to take on the chaos and corruption coming out of Washington because it's costing Michiganders." Brink lives in Lansing, which is in the 7th District, and her grandparents met there. Brink said she was raised by a single mother and her grandparents in west Michigan before she joined the foreign service. She worked in many countries and served as ambassador to Slovakia before being nominated by former President Joe Biden to become ambassador to Ukraine in 2022 following Russia's invasion of that country. In May, Brink wrote an opinion column for the Detroit Free Press in which she said she resigned as ambassador to Ukraine and returned to Michigan because of Trump's change in policy toward that country, which she said has been the victim of "brutal, unprovoked aggression by Russia." "I respect the president's right and responsibility to determine U.S. foreign policy ― with proper checks and balances by U.S. Congress. ... Unfortunately, the policy since the beginning of the Trump administration has been to put pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, Russia," she wrote. "As such, I could no longer in good faith carry out the administration's policy and felt it was my duty to step down. After nearly three decades serving our country, I resigned as our ambassador to Ukraine." Brink's challenge comes as Barrett is expected to run for a second two-year term in Congress in the 7th District. After losing to Slotkin there in 2022, he beat former state Sen. Curtis Hertel, of East Lansing, 50% to 47%. Zach Bannon, a spokesman with the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington, issued a statement on Brink entering the race. "Michigan Democrats are on the brink of disaster, attempting to parachute a radical Democrat into Congressman Tom Barrett's district," he said. "Barrett remains laser-focused on delivering real results for Michiganders, and he'll defeat whichever far-left Democrat emerges from what is sure to be a messy primary." Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@ Follow him on X @tsspangler. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Brink, ex-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine challenges U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett
Al Arabiya
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Who Resigned in Protest Launches Run for Congress in Michigan
Bridget Brink, who stepped down as US ambassador to Ukraine this year in protest of what she said was President Donald Trump's unfair treatment of the war-torn country, announced Wednesday that she's running for Congress in one of Michigan's most competitive districts. The longtime diplomat, who previously held high-ranking State Department roles in other former Soviet and Eastern European countries, is casting herself as a public servant as she runs in next year's midterm elections when her fellow Democrats hope to win control of the House. 'My next mission: to fight for what's right here at home,' she said. Trump picked Brink to be the country's ambassador to Slovakia in 2019, and Biden tapped her to be ambassador to Ukraine shortly after Russia invaded the country in 2022. She resigned in April, saying in an op-ed published in the Detroit Free Press that Trump 'continues to pressure Ukraine and not Russia.' 'Appeasing a dictator never has and never will achieve lasting peace,' she said in a video announcing her candidacy. 'And it's just not who we are.' Having worked as a diplomat under five presidents, Brink said that if elected she would take on extremists and powerful influences such as Elon Musk. She criticized Republicans for cutting government funding and programs. Brink, who grew up in Grand Rapids, is running in the 7th District, which covers a swath of southern and central Michigan that includes the capital, Lansing, and is one of the state's most competitive. Last year, Army veteran Tom Barrett flipped the district for Republicans, delivering a key win for the party as it kept its House majority. He defeated Democrat Curtis Hill by almost four percent in the open race. The seat was previously held by centrist Democrat Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who successfully ran for US Senate in 2024.
Washington Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Former US ambassador to Ukraine who resigned in protest launches run for Congress in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. — Bridget Brink, who stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine this year in protest of what she said was President Donald Trump's unfair treatment of the the war-torn country, announced Wednesday that she's running for Congress in one of Michigan's most competitive districts. The longtime diplomat, who previously held high-ranking State Department roles in other former Soviet and Eastern European countries, is casting herself as a public servant as she runs in next year's midterm elections , when her Democrats hope to win control of the House.
Toronto Star
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Former US ambassador to Ukraine who resigned in protest launches run for Congress in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Bridget Brink, who stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine this year in protest of what she said was President Donald Trump's unfair treatment of the the war-torn country, announced Wednesday that she's running for Congress in one of Michigan's most competitive districts. The longtime diplomat, who previously held high-ranking State Department roles in other former Soviet and Eastern European countries, is casting herself as a public servant as she runs in next year's midterm elections, when her Democrats hope to win control of the House.
Associated Press
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Former US ambassador to Ukraine who resigned in protest launches run for Congress in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Bridget Brink, who stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine this year in protest of what she said was President Donald Trump's unfair treatment of the the war-torn country, announced Wednesday that she's running for Congress in one of Michigan's most competitive districts. The longtime diplomat, who previously held high-ranking State Department roles in other former Soviet and Eastern European countries, is casting herself as a public servant as she runs in next year's midterm elections, when her Democrats hope to win control of the House. 'My next mission: to fight for what's right here at home,' she said. Trump picked Brink to be the country's ambassador to Slovakia in 2019 and Biden tapped her to be ambassador to Ukraine shortly after Russia invaded the country in 2022. She resigned in April, saying in an op-ed published in the Detroit Free Press that Trump continues to pressure Ukraine and not Russia. 'Appeasing a dictator never has and never will achieve lasting peace,' she said in a video announcing her candidacy. 'And it's just not who we are.' Having worked as a diplomat under five presidents, Brink said that if elected, she would take on 'extremists' and powerful influences such as Elon Musk. She criticized Republicans for cutting government funding and programs. Brink, who grew up in Grand Rapids, is running in the 7th District, which covers a swath of southern and central Michigan that includes the capital, Lansing, and is one of the state's most competitive. Last year, Army veteran Tom Barrett flipped the district for Republicans, delivering a key win for the party as it kept its House majority. He defeated Democrat Curtis Hill by almost four percentage points in the open race. The seat was previously held by centrist Democrat Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who successfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2024.
