Retired Marine Corps officer Matt Morgan announced his candidacy for Congress Wednesday representing northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in the 1st Congressional District.

Morgan is the first Democrat to throw his hat in the ring for the 1st Congressional District seat in the 2018 election. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet), a retired Marine lieutenant general serving his first term. 

Morgan served as an infantryman and public affairs officer in the Marine Corps before retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He and his wife, Angie, live in Traverse City with their two sons.

“Since leaving the Corps, I’ve felt that I could be doing more to help Northern Michigan and the UP,” Morgan said in a statement. “Families work two jobs and can’t make ends meet. One in five children go to bed hungry each night in our hometowns. Entire communities miss out on new job opportunities, because we lack basic infrastructure, like high-speed Internet and reliable roads, which attract modern employers. We deserve better.”

Morgan has worked as an independent military consultant and "advocate for helping facilitate veterans’ access to healthcare and post-combat related mental health services," according to campaign materials. He produced the 2016 Smithsonian Channel documentary The Unknown Flagraiser of Iwo Jima.