The candidate: Former state Rep. Pam Byrnes, a Democrat.
The member: Rep. Tim Walberg, a Republican.
The district: Michigan’s 7th District, which favored GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, but only by 3 points.
The candidate’s team: Al Quinlan of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (polling), Martha McKenna and Jennifer Pihlaja of McKenna Pihlaja (media), Terry Walsh of The Strategy Group (mail), Karen Defilippi (campaign manager)

Former state Rep. Pam Byrnes, a Democrat, faces an uphill battle in unseating Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., in Michigan’s 7th District. But there’s at least one national Democrat that Byrnes thinks could help sway the vote her way.

“I think [Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.] would relate to the people very well,” she said in an Oct. 10 interview with CQ Roll Call. “He is a very personable guy. I’ve met him before and I believe he could connect with people and help me.”

Byrnes mentioned there would be “two or three” more national pols she would like to help her campaign. But for now, she’s confident her campaign can win on its own.

“I really believe that being a strong woman out in this district will help me win this race,” she said.

Walberg won his first House term in 2006, then lost re-election two years later to a Democrat. In 2010, he won back the seat.

Last year, Michigan Republicans redrew the district to be more favorable to the GOP. In 2012, Walberg defeated his Democratic opponent, Kurt Haskell, by nearly 11 points.

Michigan’s 7th District is rated a Republican Favored contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.