In 1990, Stupak ran for state senator but lost a hotly contested primary to eventual general election winner Don Koivisto.

Stupak won the heavily contested Democratic primary, and defeated Republican Philip Ruppe, Davis' predecessor, in the general election.

[11] Stupak expressed a desire to support the 2009 health care reform bill put forth by President Obama,[12] but wanted restrictions on coverage for abortion.

The Stupak–Pitts Amendment was adopted by the House of Representatives, but a similar provision was defeated in the Senate version of the legislation (known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).

[15] The ensuing controversy made Stupak "perhaps the single most important rank-and-file House member in passing the bill.

[19] Anti-abortion advocates accused Stupak of betraying their movement,[20][21] with the Susan B. Anthony List revoking an award it had planned to give to him and instead running $150,000 worth of radio advertisements against him.

[23] In April 2010, Stupak announced his intention to retire from Congress,[24] leading conservative groups to point to the political consequences of his compromise as a possible reason for his decision.

[26] Stupak rented a room at the C Street Center, a Washington, D.C. facility of The Fellowship (also known as The Family), a Christian fraternal organization.

[29] Jeff Sharlet, author of a book about The Fellowship, said, "When I lived with The Family at Ivanwald, a house for younger men being groomed for leadership, I was told that Stupak was a regular visitor to the Cedars."

In 2008 Casperson unsuccessfully challenged Bart Stupak, the incumbent for Michigan's 1st Congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives.

Congressman Stupak testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee during a 2002 hearing on the safety of Accutane, an acne medication, which he believes contributed to his son's death.