Democrat Mike Smith Declares Candidacy
Mike Smith
With three Republicans already in the race, Lambertville Democrat Mike Smith has announced he’s seeking the Democratic nomination for the 55th District seat in the state House of Representatives – a district that includes Pittsfield, Saline and York townships in Washtenaw County, along with parts of Monroe County.
A member of the Bedford Public Schools Board of Education, the 36-year-old Smith had been considering a run for the seat now held by state Rep. Kathy Angerer, D-Dundee, for some time.
Already elected to three two-year terms, Angerer is unable to run under the state’s term limits law. Smith announced his decision Friday.
Employed as the AFL-CIO community services liaison to the United Way of Monroe County, Smith is so far the only Democrat seeking to represent the district.
Saline Township resident Rick Olson, former Monroe County commissioner Mary Kay Thayer, and York Township supervisor Joe Zurawski are competing to be the Republican nominee.
Republicans held the seat until Angerer first won election in 2004.
A Michigan native, Smith and his wife, Kristi, have a daughter who attends Bedford Public Schools. Smith says his campaign will emphasize education as the key to success, not only for future generations, but also for workers displaced by the current economic downturn. [Link to campaign website]
He is a long-time member of the United Steelworkers Local 2511 District 2 AFL-CIO and has served as chief steward, trustee and president of the local. He now represents Local 2511 as a delegate to the Monroe/Lenawee County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council.
For additional Chronicle coverage of the 2010 state races, see “State Races in Districts 54, 55 Take Shape” and “More Candidates Vie for State House, Senate.”
About the writer: Judy McGovern lives in Ann Arbor. She has worked as a journalist here, and in Ohio, New York and several other states.
Judy, do you know if he is pro-Choice?
Like current 55th District state Rep. Kathy Angerer, Mr. Smith is an anti-abortion Democrat. (He uses the term pro-life. I continue to bow to the Associated Press Stylebook, which recommends “anti-abortion” and “abortion rights” to describe the respective positions.)
Joan,
I emailed the candidate yesterday and got this reply, which I didn’t read until this morning:
“Alan,
Thank you for your interest in my campaign. To answer your question, I am pro-life. I hope this does not change you interest in being involved.
Mike Smith”
Term limits is a failed experiment and a disaster for Michigan. It’s always amateur hour in Lansing. No wonder we can’t reform tax policy, find a way to fund schools, and tackle the dozens of other critical issues threatening this state. It’s time to term limit term limits.