Oakland County, Michigan —  Today, 10 former federal workers and officials from Democrat Joe Biden and Democrat Barack Obama's administrations endorsed Don Ufford for Congress in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. Ufford is the only candidate in the race who has never run for political office before, the only candidate with experience working in the federal government, and is the first candidate in the race to reject all Corporate PAC money.

“These federal workers are some of the most amazing people I’ve had the chance to work with. The truth is, these federal workers were held to higher ethical standards than most elected politicians. We need to raise the standards for our elected officials,” Ufford said.

“I was proud to serve in the Biden Administration, where I worked to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., develop advanced manufacturing capability, accelerate the Electric Vehicle transition, and bring people together to secure $50 Million for Michigan to train our workforce for jobs of the future,” Ufford continued. 

“It’s critical that we send a Democrat to Congress who will not accept Corporate or Utility PAC money, who will fight to ban Congressional stock trading, and who has experience actually getting things done in industry and the federal government,” the Former Federal Workers for Don said in a joint statement.

Members of Former Federal Workers for Don include: 

1. Sue Helper, Former Senior Advisor for Industrial Strategy, White House Office of Management and Budget

2. Clif Ray, Former Office of Advanced Manufacturing

3. Anna Duffy, Former Policy Advisor, National Economic Council

4. Matt Boghosian, Former Senior Policy Counsel, Environmental Protection Agency

5. Adair Morse, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Capital Access Office for Domestic Finance

6. Zach Valdez, Former Science Advisor

7. Christine Harada, Former Senior Advisor, Office of Federal Procurement Policy

8. Alejandro Molina, Former Director of Economic Policy, National Economic Council

9. Erin Lavik, Former Federal Employee

10. Susan Ipri-Brown, Mechanical Engineer, Former Federal Employee

Ufford for Congress Campaign Manager Mark Goldenberg emphasized the campaign’s growing momentum. “Don Ufford is the only candidate in this race who is an outsider with real-world experience. He’s the first candidate to reject Corporate and Utility PAC money. And he’s ready to get to work for Michigan on day one.”

Former Federal Workers for Don

Sue Helper, Former Senior Advisor for Industrial Strategy, White House Office of Management and Budget: I'm supporting Don Ufford because of his effectiveness in working  for good government, clean energy and the EV transition, and his readiness to tackle Washington corruption. He's the right Democrat who can win this seat and help us get things done in the House." 

Anna Duffy, Former Policy Advisor, National Economic Council: “I had the privilege of serving with Don at the White House to advance policies to revitalize American manufacturing. From leading engineering teams at Ford to delivering results in government, Don understands how Washington’s decisions actually affect Michigan workers and industry. He’s principled, effective, and exactly the kind of leader Congress needs.”

Matt Bogoshian, Former Senior Policy Counsel, Environmental Protection Agency: "Producing priority products in Michigan that create good jobs and sustainable development requires industry and government rowing in the same direction.  Don's trusted experience in both arenas will be critical to making that happen."

Adair Morse, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Capital Access Office for Domestic Finance: “As a former Federal Worker, I had the opportunity to work alongside Don engineering policies and implementing funding programs for small and medium businesses in manufacturing, transport, materials, services and other industries. It would have been impossible to drive opportunity-creating policies without the deep industry expertise that Don brought to the table. The same holds true now. More than ever, government needs the well-forged expertise, thoughtful and listening demeanor, and visionary industry outlook of Don Ufford.”

Zach Valdez, Former Science Advisor: “I had the opportunity to work closely with Don on projects that gave us a real fighting chance in strengthening America’s manufacturing landscape, informed by insights that ranged from local communities to international supply chains. Don is relentlessly results-oriented, pushing past abstract policy debates to address root causes and design programs that actually helped people and industry, drawing on his STEM education work in Michigan and his firsthand exposure to manufacturing in places like Japan. Having worked with Don in the policy space for nearly five years, I saw him show up early, stay late, listen carefully, and make sure every idea was considered… a true selfless public servant committed to building a competitive edge for Americans.”

Christine Harada, Former Senior Advisor, Office of Federal Procurement Policy: “I worked closely with Don Ufford in the White House during the Biden administration, where he helped advance the Made In America Agenda and implement the CHIPS and Science Act. Don understands how investing in American innovation, manufacturing, and technology creates real jobs and durable economic growth - and he leads with a strong bias towards results.”

Alejandro Molina, Former Director of Economic Policy, National Economic Council: During my time working with Don Ufford at the White House in the Biden Administration, I saw firsthand how seriously he takes the work of delivering for American communities. He was deeply engaged in initiatives to bolster auto manufacturing in the Midwest, with a particular focus on Michigan - bringing together partners, spotting bottlenecks in the supply chain, and pushing practical solutions that translate into real investment and real jobs. Don is tireless and consistent, the kind of teammate you can count on to do the work when it’s hard and when it’s urgent. Just as importantly, he leads with integrity and a clear moral compass, staying founded in what’s right while staying focused on what works.”

Erin Lavik, Former Federal Employee: “Don was one of the most transformative people I worked with in the federal government. He brings his brilliant engineering mind, compassion, and common sense to all of his work. He made sure things always moved forward. In every meeting, he always made sure we all had action items. Thanks to him, good things were done.”

Susan Ipri-Brown, Mechanical Engineer, Former Federal Employee: “Don brings the community together for action. Collaborating with him at the federal level, he's uniquely able to bring together stakeholders, find common ground, build a coalition, and move them to action. That's a rare and powerful skill in Washington, DC.”