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Matt Maasdam (Linkedin photo)
Former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam, who carried the "nuclear football" for President Obama, announced Tuesday that he's running for Congress as a Democrat in mid-Michigan's 7th District. The seat was previously held by Elissa Slotkin and is currently occupied by first-term Republican Congressman Tom Barrett.
The nuclear football is a highly secure briefcase carried by a military aide that contains codes and procedures for the president to authorize a nuclear attack.
"Here in Michigan, we know what hard work means, and that value shapes the kind of leader I want to be," he posted on X Tuesday morning. "In Washington, politicians are more focused on scoring political points than solving everyday problems. I know we can do better — and so do you.
"I’m a Navy SEAL who served presidents of both parties in Iraq, Afghanistan, and at the White House. I’ve dedicated my life to service. And now, I’m running for Congress to bring a different kind of leadership — one rooted in teamwork, courage, and integrity. I know we can build that future — together."
Maasdam, 50, a Nebraska native, earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School.
After leaving the White House in 2012, he worked as an executive at Under Armour in e-commerce and merchandizing, and later founded several e-commerce startups, according to his LinkedIn page.
