Ethan Baker

According to his campaign website, Baker was raised by a single mother in California and moved to Oakland County with his wife, Bethany, about 17 years ago; they have three children.[2] He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Southern California, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law, a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy, and a certificate for senior executives in state and local government from Harvard's Kennedy School.[1][2] Baker began as an intern in the post-presidential office of Ronald and Nancy Reagan at age 20 and was then hired, serving more than four years as special assistant, according to his campaign website.[2][1] He practices law and owns a law practice in Troy focused on elder law, estate planning, business law and real estate.[2][1]

Baker ran unsuccessfully in the 2014 Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 13 (6.4% of the vote) and the 2018 Republican primary for Michigan House District 41 (44.1% to Doug Tietz's 47.7%).[1] He was elected to the Troy City Council in 2015 and mayor of Troy in 2019. His campaign website says he was re-elected unchallenged and has served as mayor for seven years.[2][3] Baker chairs the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and serves as a U.S. Commissioner; his campaign website describes work restoring U.S.-Canada cooperation on Great Lakes stewardship.[1][2] His other civic roles include vice chair of Troy's Downtown Development Authority, chair of the Global Troy Advisory Committee, service on the Local Development Finance Authority, and a seat on the U.S. Conference of Mayors advisory board.[1][2][5]

Baker won the Republican primary for Michigan's 11th District on August 4, 2026. Michigan Advance reported that he was the only Republican on the primary ballot and that he faced Democrat Jeremy Moss in the November general election.[1][6][7] During the campaign, he emphasized a message of bipartisan tone and reducing political division.[1][2][3] He received 36.8% of the vote to Jeremy Moss's 60.9%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]