Leading education advocacy group makes campaign endorsements
Lansing, MI – The Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP) today announced endorsements for candidates in 70 races for the Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate in 2018. This includes 34 incumbent endorsements.
“GLEP is pleased to support these champions for students. It is not easy to run for public office and buck the status quo, but these candidates have shown that they will ensure the first priority in education is each individual Michigan student. I look forward to working with each of them in the future,” said Beth DeShone, GLEP Advocacy Director. Candidates and incumbents endorsed today by GLEP include the following:
Senate
- District #2: Adam Hollier (Detroit)
- District #7: Representative Laura Cox (Livonia)
- District #8: Representative Peter Lucido (Shelby Twp.)
- District #10: Mike MacDonald (Macomb)
- District #12: Representative Jim Tedder (Clarkston)
- District #15: Representative Jim Runestad (White Lake)
- District #16: Senator Mike Shirkey (Clarklake)
- District #19: Representative John Bizon (Battle Creek)
- District #21: Representative Kim LaSata (St. Joseph)
- District #22: Representative Lana Theis (Brighton)
- District #24: Representative Tom Barrett (Charlotte)
- District #25: Representative Dan Lauwers (Brockway)
- District #28: Senator Peter MacGregor (Rockford)
- District #29: Representative Chris Afendoulis (Grand Rapids)
- District #30: Representative Daniela Garcia (Holland)
- District #33: (Former Representative) Rick Outman (Six Lakes)
- District #34: Representative Holly Hughes (Montague)
- District #36: Senator Jim Stamas (Midland)
- District #37: Senator Wayne Schmidt (Traverse City)
- District #38: Mike Carey (Crystal Falls)
House
- District #2: Willie Bell (Detroit)
- District #3: John Cromer (Detroit)
- District #17: Representative Joe Bellino (Monroe)
- District #20: Representative Jeff Noble (Plymouth)
- District #21: Darian Moore (Canton)
- District #30: Representative Diana Farrington (Utica)
- District #32: Representative Pamela Hornberger (Chesterfield Township)
- District #36: Karen Potchynok-Lund (Shelby Twp.)
- District #38: Representative Kathy Crawford (Novi)
- District #41: Doug Tietz (Troy)
- District #42: Ann Bollin (Brighton)
- District #43: Andrea Schroeder (Clarkston)
- District #45: Representative Michael Webber (Rochester Hills)
- District #47: Representative Hank Vaupel (Fowlerville)
- District #51: Mike Mueller (Linden)
- District #52: Teri Aiuto (Chelsea)
- District #56: Representative Jason Sheppard (Lambertville)
- District #57: Representative Bronna Kahle (Adrian)
- District #58: Representative Eric Leutheuser (Hillsdale)
- District #61: Representative Brandt Iden (Kalamazoo)
- District #62: Dave Morgan (Battle Creek)
- District #64: Representative Julie Alexander (Hanover)
- District #65: Sarah Lightner (Springport)
- District #66: Representative Beth Griffin (Mattawan)
- District #67: Leon Clark (Mason)
- District #70: Representative James Lower (Cedar Lake)
- District #73: Lynn Afendoulis (Grand Rapids)
- District #74: Mark Huizenga (Walker)
- District #77: Representative Tommy Brann (Wyoming)
- District #78: Brad Paquette (Niles)
- District #80: Representative Mary Whiteford (South Haven)
- District #81: Kenneth Nicholl (Yale)
- District #85: Representative Ben Frederick (Owosso)
- District #86: Representative Thomas Albert (Lowell)
- District #87: Representative Julie Calley (Portland)
- District #89: Representative Jim Lilly (Park Township)
- District #91: Greg VanWoerkom (Norton Shores)
- District #94: Steven Gerhardt (Saginaw)
- District #97: Representative Jason Wentworth (Evart)
- District #98: Annette Glenn (Auburn)
- District #99: Representative Roger Hauck (Mt. Pleasant)
- District #100: Representative Scott VanSingel (Grant)
- District #101: Jack O’Malley (Lake Ann)
- District #102: Representative Michele Hoitenga (Manton)
- District #103: Representative Daire Rendon (Lake City)
- District #104: Representative Larry Inman (Williamsburg)
- District #105: Representative Triston Cole (Mancelona)
- District #106: Representative Sue Allor (Wolverine)
- District #107: Representative Lee Chatfield (Levering)
- District #108: Representative Beau LaFave (Iron Mountain)
“As GLEP Chairman, I have witnessed the positive impact of education policy that supports the unique learning needs of each individual student. These endorsed candidates are examples of thought leaders that will promote a continued focus on student centered educational opportunities,” said Jim Barrett, GLEP Chairman.
GLEP’s endorsement process includes past voting records, personal interviews and results from a candidate survey. Priority issues for GLEP include school choice, accountability and early literacy, while endorsed candidates may hold various positions on K-12 funding, curriculum standards, assessments, etc.
