Michigan’s New Leaders 2017-2018 United States House of Representatives Jack Bergman 1st Congressional District U.S. Rep.-elect Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) is a retired Lieutenant General of 40 years from the U.S. Marine Corps and a former Navy aviator. He began circulating petitions to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek in February 2016.The self- described constitutionalist and fiscal conservative oversaw a $1 billion budget and 100,000 people at one time while serving in the military. He is at 231-944-5878 or [email protected]. Paul Mitchell 10th Congressional District U.S. Rep.-elect Paul Mitchell (R-Washington) is a former CEO and chairman of Ross Education, which operated 19 post-secondary educational campuses for long-term dislocated workers. In late 2015, Mitchell gave $710,000 of his own money to his congressional campaign to succeed former U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, who won her bid for Macomb County Public Works Commissioner this election. Prior to this election Mitchell was elected to the St. Clair City Council in 2007 for a partial term before an unsuccessful campaign for the 4th Congressional seat. He successfully ran the grassroots campaign to defeat a legislatively approved road funding plan that voters soundly rejected on May 5, 2015. He is at 586-785-3150 or [email protected]. Michigan Senate Ian Conyers 4th District Sen.-elect Ian Conyers (D-Detroit) is the great-grandson of current U.S. Rep. John Conyers and is a partner at Ruth Strategies, LLC. He previously worked as regional field director for Obama for America in 2012. Conyers plans to focus his time in office on public safety and community development throughout his district. He will replace former Sen. Virgil Smith, Jr. after winning the crowded Democratic primary with 33 percent of the vote and the general election with 79 percent in a district with an 82 percent Democratic base. He will serve the final two years and six weeks of Smith’s term. He is at 313-333-6003, [email protected] or voteianconyers.com. Michigan House of Representatives Bettie Cook Scott 2nd District Rep.-elect Bettie Cook Scott (D-Detroit) is a retired sergeant for the Detroit Police Department and served as state representative from 2006-2010 before losing her campaign for the 2nd state senate seat in the Democrat primary to former Senator Bert Johnson. Prior to becoming a state representative in 2006, she was a precinct delegate for more than 10 years. In September 2016, after Scott won the Democratic primary by 21 votes, her winning vote count was changed to 17. In October 2016, a FOX-2 report disclosed that Bettie Cook Scott did not live in the district she was running to represent but, without intervention from the courts or the House, it did not stop her from winning the heavily Democratic seat. She is at 313-682-6929, [email protected] or bettiecookscott.com. Sylvia Santana 9th District Rep.-elect Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) is the wife of former Rep. Harvey Santana and works for ProsperUS Detroit, an entrepreneurial training and small business lending program for Detroit residents. Name recognition helped Santana win the Democratic primary with 49 percent of the vote despite only gaining the support of one labor union. Some of her concerns as representative include providing scholarship money for college bound women, making it easier for seniors to balance their budgets, and supporting small businesses. Prior to running for the 9th district, Santana was a member of multiple community organizations helping to address crime in the inner city, building more walkable communities around Detroit, and preventing polluted surface runoff water in the Rouge River. She is at 313-936-0802, [email protected] or votesantana.com. Jewell Jones 11th District Rep.-elect Jewel Jones (D-Inkster), 21, is the youngest state representative ever elected in Michigan. He also became the youngest Inkster City Councilmember in 2015 at the age of 20. Jones is a cadet in the U.S. Army and is scheduled to graduate from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2017. He is a member of multiple organizations in his community and, in 2014, worked as a field organizer for Sen. David Knezek. He is at [email protected] or 313-563-0249. MIRSnews.com - Michigan’s New Leaders 2017-18 Page 2 Michigan House of Representatives Cara Clemente 14th District Rep.-elect Cara Clemente (D-Lincoln Park) will be replacing her husband, Rep. Paul Clemente, who is term-limited. Clemente received endorsements from multiple labor unions and won the primary with 53 percent and the general with 59 percent of the vote. Prior to running for office, Clemente was a Catholic school teacher. She is at 313-382-0418 or [email protected] . Abdullah Hammoud 15th District Rep.-elect Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) served as a volunteer in the United Nations Relief and Work Agency and, in 2014, was elected as the youngest board member for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. He is currently a professional healthcare advisor for Henry Ford Health System and Health Alliance Plan. Hammoud managed to raise $78,000 from 350 individual contributions, compared to his opponents who raised less than $19,000 each. His primary concerns as representative will be healthcare issues such as prescription drug costs and environmental problems. He is at 313-936-0318 or [email protected]. Joseph Bellino 17th District Rep.-elect Joseph Bellino (R-Monroe) defeated Democrat incumbent Rep. Bill LaVoy with 52 percent of the vote without much support from the Republican party during the election. He is the owner of Broadway Market in Monroe and trustee with the Monroe County Community College for the last 16 years, recently serving as chairman. Along with local business and education connections, Bellino is also a member of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and is a past chairman of the Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers of Michigan. He is at 734-731-4142, [email protected] or electjoebellino.net. MIRSnews.com - Michigan’s New Leaders 2017-18 Page 3 Michigan House of Representatives Kevin Hertel 18th District Rep.-elect Kevin Hertel (D-St. Claire Shores) has worked as a special assistant in the Office of the President of Blue Cross Blue Shield since 2011 and won the general election with 63 percent. He gained valuable name recognition as the son of former Speaker Curtis Hertel and the younger brother of Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. in a district with a 58 percent Democratic base. He received the endorsement of many labor organizations such as Michigan Building and Construction Trades, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, Michigan AFL-CIO, and local Pipefitters and Laborers. He is at 586-596-5411, [email protected] or hertelforhouse.com. Jeff Noble 20th District Rep.-elect Jeff Nobel (R-Plymouth) is currently a pastor at Praise Baptist Church in Canton and a Tea Party candidate. Although he came in last for contributions as a Republican candidate in his district, he won the general election with 54 percent of the vote in an area that has rejected other conservative candidates in the past. Noble was endorsed by multiple incumbents and organizations such as Sen. Patrick Colbeck, Right to Life of Michigan, Michigan Freedom Network, Great Lakes Education Project, and the Small Business Association of Michigan. He is at 734-883-7455 or [email protected]. Darrin Camilleri 23rd District Rep.-elect Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown) is a high school teacher at Consortium College Prep (CRP) in Detroit and is a Brownstown Parks and Recreation Commissioner. He also serves as chair of his department at CRP and is a freshman advisor. He won the general election in a Republican district with just 50.33 percent of the vote (320 votes) in what was considered a toss-up race. Camilleri was the only Democrat to flip a seat in the 2016 Michigan House election. Some of his endorsements include Sen. David Knezek, Planned Parenthood of Michigan, Michigan Teamsters Joint Council #43, and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. A few of his main concerns are public education opportunities, transportation funding, LGBT rights, and government transparency. He is at votecamilleri.com, 734-818-5516 or [email protected]. MIRSnews.com - Michigan’s New Leaders 2017-18 Page 4 Michigan House of Representatives Steve Marino 24th District Rep.-elect Steve Marino (R-Harrison Township) has been serving as Macomb County Commissioner since 2014 and is the president of Campaign Finance Strategies, LLC, a public affairs firm based out of Macomb. Despite a bruising campaign leveled by Democrats, Marino secured a victory. Winning by an eight-point margin (55 percent of the vote), Marino managed to overcome a series of embarrassing comments he made during a constituent coffee hour about how he covered the bar bill for a state lawmaker’s daughter’s wedding reception, among other things. Some of his main priorities while in office are attracting jobs to Michigan, keeping taxes low, increasing vocational training and directing school funding, and eliminating wasteful state spending. He is at marinoformichigan.com, [email protected] or 586-556-1616. Jim Ellison 26th District Rep.-elect Jim Ellison (D-Royal Oak) is currently the longest serving mayor of Royal Oak. He works as an estimator for Ronnisch Construction Group and is looking to focus his time in office on improving education and modernizing the state’s infrastructure. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and won the general with 59 percent of the vote to fill the seat of term-limited Rep. Jim Townsend (D-Royal Oak).