Dana Ferguson

ALPENA — The matchup for Michigan’s 1st Congressional District has been set, as Dana Ferguson defeated Linda O’Dell during Tuesday’s Democratic primary and advances to take on incumbent Republican Jack Bergman in November.

Ferguson said late Tuesday he was confident he would have a good showing, but knew O’Dell had a lot of support and was a strong candidate. He said he is thrilled to have a chance to defeat Bergman and represent northern Michigan in Washington and address their concerns and challenges there.

With all precincts reporting in the massive district covering all of the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, Ferguson was beating O’Dell 64%-36%, according to unofficial results from the Michigan Secretary of State. The New York Times called the race for Ferguson shortly after midnight.

“We’re all pretty excited,” Ferguson told The News late Tuesday. “We didn’t really know what this picture was going to look like tonight, but we were confident and our approach worked. We’re excited and anxious, but there is still a lot of work to do, and our goal is to build on what we have accomplished.”

Ferguson, a 41-year-old inventory production manager at Bell Forest Co., said he wouldn’t have been able to defeat O’Dell without the dedication of his campaign staff and many supporters. He said he may be the face and name at the forefront of the effort, but everyone involved, at every level, made victory possible.

“This is all about the team,” he said. “They came up with the ideas, the approach, and the team made us successful. They pushed me, kept me focused and were the backbone to this.”

After months of campaigning and spending much time away from home, Ferguson said he is going to take a few days to celebrate with his family before moving on to campaigning for November.

“My wife really wants to see me,” he said. “My family has been extremely patient and supportive of me through this and I’m looking forward to spending time with them and letting this soak in.”

Ferguson also had complimentary things to say about O’Dell, a 61-year-old administrator at a Charlevoix church, with whom Ferguson said he intends to stay in touch.

“She was a great candidate and she really pushed me hard,” Ferguson said. “I’m looking forward to talking to her and working with her in the future.”

Bergman, a retired U.S. Marine Corps general from Watersmeet, was first elected to the U.S. House in 2016.