Occupation / Current Position
Assistant PRofessor Michigan State University
Education
PHD
Qualifications and Experience
Over two decades of going to graduate school, living, working in the district area, including teaching at Michigan State University for over a decade in the School of Public Affairs.
Michigan's public schools are underfunded and unevenly resourced, with the heaviest burden falling on communities that have been historically divested. I support equitable, needs-based funding that doesn't depend on local property taxes. Teachers deserve competitive wages, autonomy in the classroom, and relief from standardized testing mandates that narrow curriculum and fail our most vulnerable students. I'd push to restore collective bargaining rights for educators, invest in early childhood education, and center community voice in school decision-making.
Working families across District 28, from East Lansing to Owosso, are stretched thin. I support indexing Michigan's minimum wage to a true living wage, expanding childcare access and affordability, and investing in worker organizing rights. Affordability isn't only about wages. It's housing, healthcare, and the cost of being a parent. I'd prioritize legislation that puts material resources in people's hands and holds corporations accountable for wage theft and exploitative pricing. Legislation that champions free life-saving prescriptions as well as ensures all children have access to meds they need via RX children.
Michigan's water, air, and land belong to everyone, not utility shareholders. I support a just transition to clean energy that creates union jobs, reduces costs for working families, and phases out polluting industries that disproportionately harm rural, low-income, and historically marginalized communities. Energy reliability and affordability must go together. I'd hold utilities accountable through stronger regulation, oppose corporate rate hike schemes, and ensure frontline communities lead in shaping environmental policy.
Due process, free speech, and protection from unreasonable search and seizure are constitutional rights, not privileges granted by immigration status. Michigan communities should be safe spaces for all residents, and local law enforcement should not serve as an arm of federal immigration agencies. I'd support legislation prohibiting warrantless detainment, protecting the right to legal counsel, and ensuring immigrant communities can access public services without fear of surveillance or retaliation.
Occupation / Current Position
Family Business, licensed insurance and real estate agent.
Education
Master's in Public Administration, Bachelor's in Distributive Ed. (Vocational/Business)
Qualifications and Experience
Not a career politician. Small business owner, State (MDOC) experience including State budget and policy development, Adult Ed/employment training/community support and improvement through teamwork
MI is 44th in elem. reading levels, funding has increased &teacher evals indicate the vast majority are "highly effective". Our system is broken. It needs fixing, but first we need to find the "why". There are short-term solutions and long-term solutions. Focusing on 1. basic academics 2. tutors 3. family engagement 4. teacher empowerment to focus on basics & what is actually good for our kids 5. high outcomes-based standards/accountability for school leaders, school boards and ed. advocacy groups with careful, objective, thorough and fair assessment & action when standards aren't met. Kids, families & dedicated educators deserve better.
Less government regulations. This is crippling small business &the ability to grow. In response, businesses reduce hiring, move away, or close altogether. This negatively impacts our communities & the ability to make a living wage & to care for a family in safe, healthy, affordable communities. Private investment is a key to affordability. It provides job opportunities to build strong, healthy communities. Additionally, the need for skilled trades and training has left many opportunities untapped. Promoting college degrees, schools didn't advocate for these career paths. A mistake that's only starting to be remedied/more work's needed.
I probably would not rely on the Michigan Public Service Commission. As a resident, it seems like they are more pro-utilities than protecting us. Also, governmental agencies are usually not a great place to look for solutions. When feasibly, large plants should be allowed; however, they should provide their own power and sell excess to consumers. This should drive down prices according to basic economics supply/demand. Energy used by these entities should not be subsidized by the average consumer. I really need to dig into this issue more. It is complicated and significant to all of us.
The protections the Constitution & Amendments provide to us are why America is such a great country that people will risk their lives and those of their families in order to live here. Living here should be in accordance with our laws. Due process is part of that. I believe that legal immigration should be embraced and made easier to attain. The current grueling, lengthy, process actually sets us up for a reduced probability of those wanting to live in American doing it the right way. This is bad for our country, bad for our State & unfair to those who are desperately trying to do things the right way to live here. We need to fix this
Occupation / Current Position
Independent Business Owner
Education
Michigan State University- B.S., Cooley Law School - J.D.
Qualifications and Experience
Lansing Township Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Board, 20 years as Business Owner in Lansing, homeless outreach, numerous leadership positions and appointments.
Michigan schools are struggling. Overall, we rank at the bottom nationally. However, we also have some of the very best schools in the country at the same time. Focus needs to be put back into programs that see success. Teachers are facing challenging student behavior that deeply impacts our students and their performance. We need programs focused on bringing parents to the table and finding real solutions.
Much like education, my state is scraping the bottom of the barrel economically. Inflation is pounding people across the board. Groceries on credit cards and unsustainable gas prices are crippling Michigan families and businesses.
Stop with the inflated gas taxes. Start looking at the impact of property taxes. Start looking at the impact of income tax. Michigan residents are paying out of their ears already. It’s time to cut back on gouging the regular people.
Decreased tax burdens will free up capital for investments across the board. Instead of tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, how about relief for Michiganders.
I am the 3rd generation of my family to do business in the recycling industry. Everyday I work toward a better tomorrow. I offer a unique lens in that regard. The potential for business growth in Michigan is unrivaled. We have great companies and businesses doing amazing work for our planet.
This is a time to pair our economic and environmental interests. Michigan can lead the way in keeping our state beautiful, avoiding nonsense regulation, and get support from industries that already thrive within our state.
We can show the country a true path to sustainability and keep it growing business, not fighting it.
I do not support a force running around doing no knock warrants. The protections of the constitution stand for its citizens. We must encourage the path toward citizenship. We must encourage a sensible border policy.
We cannot live in fear or in a constant state of othering. This is the greatest country in the world because of all the parts of it. We need rational discussion that encourages legal citizenship.
People come here because we are free, because we have opportunity, and because we know we are better together. The desire to come to this country should not mark someone with a scarlet letter.
Occupation / Current Position
Software Engineer
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science
I support school funding based on student need and state funding for building repairs. We need to keep teachers by improving pay and working conditions, and fund enough support staff, special education services, and tutoring. While standardized tests can help us track how students are doing across subjects, teachers also need classroom assessments to identify specific problems and the staff and time to address them. Giving a kid a test does nothing if we won't pay for the help they need.
A full time job should pay enough to live on. I support a minimum wage that keeps up with costs, ending the lower wage for tipped workers, stronger wage theft penalties, and protecting the right to organize. But raises only go so far when housing and utility costs rise faster. Workers should have control over the things we depend on. Social housing, housing cooperatives, publicly owned utilities, and publicly funded child care would cut out corporations that demand rising profits. Paid family leave would let workers care for their families without losing their income.
We should not have to pay more for unreliable power while utility shareholders collect profits. Utilities should be publicly owned, like the BWL. I support grid maintenance, sustainable energy, storage, and home efficiency to keep power reliable and bills affordable. Data centers should be majority owned by their communities, the builders pay for their own infrastructure, and run on green energy. Workers and their families deserve clean air and water, not an environment polluted by billionaires. I would strengthen pollution protections and enforcement, including for PFAS, and make corporations pay for cleanup.
The rich use race and citizenship to divide the working class. We need to be able to organize, protest, and stand up to the government without fear, regardless of citizenship. I support due process, free speech, and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures for everyone in Michigan. I would fund immigration legal assistance and end state and local participation in civil immigration enforcement. I also want a statewide ban on mass surveillance systems like Flock. The government should not be allowed to have a searchable record of everywhere you go.
