This tri-community area is covered by three districts for State Representatives. These are the ones on the Aug. 4 primary ballot for this area.
Joe Bellino for state rep.
17th District – R
Joe Bellino, Jr., 62, of 1285 Hollywood, Monroe, is running for reelection in the 17th District, which covers Sumpter Township.
He is married to Peggy and they have three children, Mary, Anne, and Meg. He has lived in this district for 60 years.
Bellino has been the owner of Broadway Market since 1997. He was appointed to the Monroe County Community College Board in 2001 and ran three more times for reelection and won.
His hobbies are golf, church choir, and staying sober.
Bellino said he is running for office because “serving my people has been a pleasure the last four years.”
Goals, once reelected, are to see car insurance reforms through, make changes in mandatory minimum sentencing, and reform on seniors paying property tax.
Christopher Slat for state rep.
17th district – D
Christopher Slat, 31, of 33 E. Front St., Monroe, is seeking election as state representative in the 17th district. He has lived in that district all his life and this is his first run for public office.
Slat is an Instructional Technology Specialist at the Monroe County Intermediate School District.
In 2011 he earned a B.A.A. in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts at Central Michigan University. He also earned an associate’s degree at Monroe County Community College.
He is a member of Monroe County Action Network, Monroe Public Access Cable Television (president of the board of directors), Monroe County Democratic Party, Monroe Jiu Jitsu, and enjoys scuba diving, filmmaking, and is a horror movie enthusiast.
“Working in education, I’ve seen how working families are struggling and depending more and more on schools and other public services to meet basic needs,” Slat said. “But also how those public services are being stressed by government policies written by corporate-funded politicians to benefit corporate profits at the expense of ordinary people. I’m running to push back on the corporate control of our state government and fight for workers’ rights, stronger wages and healthcare, and strong public services we can rely on.”
As to goals, once elected: “The next legislature will inherit huge budget problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Slat said. “My goal is to keep cuts away from our schools and our most vulnerable working-class households. Additionally, I want to increase transparency in government and in campaign finance and introduce bold legislation to bring Michigan policy in line with the scientific timeline on fighting climate change.”
Scott Cramton for state rep.
17th district – D
Scott Cramton, 20130 Metzger St., Rockwood, did not return his candidate questionnaire.
Ethan Petzold for state rep.
21st district – D
Ethan Petzold, 22, of 45415 Brunswick Dr., Canton, is running for state representative in the 21st district to fill the vacancy left by term-limited Kristy Pagan.
He has lived in the district for 10 years.
He is a nonprofit professional and community organizer. He graduated from Salem High School and earned a bachelor of science degree in public and nonprofit administration and political science, with a minor in leadership. He belongs to the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and has a Certified Nonprofit Professional credential. He served as an elected precinct delegate for Canton Precinct 11.
“As a two-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award under President Obama, I’m passionate about spending my time volunteering and giving back to our local community,” Petzold said. “Furthermore, the community organizations that I am involved in and/or have held leadership roles in include the Canton Kiwanis Club, Friendship Church, Southwestern Wayne Democratic Club, Canton Democratic Club, Michigan Democratic Club, Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Sexual Education Advisory Committee, and Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Blue Ribbon Panel.
“I’m running for State Representative to fight for the underdog: the people who are knocked down, counted out, and too often, are left behind in Lansing by those with more money and power. My family story is one of underdogs: refugees coming to America to escape the Armenian Genocide on my dad’s side and immigrants who found economic opportunity in Michigan’s booming auto plants. Unlike so many people that run for office, I come from a family of working people – autoworkers, teachers, nurses, service workers, and a UPS driver – people that get up and work every day to provide for their families but face tough odds,” he said.
“My family didn’t pass down a lot of money, powerful connections, or political influence but they taught me what hard work looked like,” Petzold said. “My parents both worked full-time, went to school at night, and raised my brothers and me in a small, 900-square-foot house – living paycheck to paycheck, but determined to give us a chance to be successful.
“As a child, I struggled in school and it was unlikely that I would even graduate high school, let alone go to college. I was fortunate to have attended strong public schools with dedicated school staff that helped me beat the odds, achieve academically, and make the improbable possible in my life. The way those teachers and school staff members changed the course of my life inspired me to want to live a life that champions the cause of anyone who has been knocked down, just like they championed my cause when I was the underdog.
“This led me to become a certified nonprofit professional and community organizer where I have worked to: feed the hungry, raise financial support to help low-income students afford college, run a summer service camp for middle and high school students, elect Democratic leaders to public office, and lead a statewide organization dedicated to getting young people involved in the political process.
“The coronavirus has changed a lot about our lives but the priorities that I talked with many voters about at their doorstep this winter remain the same: fully funding our public schools, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, protecting our drinking water, fixing our roads, and building an economy that respects working people and gives every Michigander a path to a high-wage job. However, the next State Representative is going to be taking office with a weak economy, a larger budget deficit than we even experienced during the Great Recession, and divided government. My experience as a certified nonprofit professional taught me how to work with people of different backgrounds and opinions under tight budgets while still getting things done for people and meeting the mission of an organization.
“This makes me uniquely qualified to lead on day one to ensure that we rebuild from this pandemic while prioritizing healthcare, education, roads and infrastructure, and job training. We need to rebuild but we need to make sure that it’s a rebuild that works for people like us,” Petzold concluded.
Ranjeev Puri for state rep.
21st district – D
Ranjeev Puri, 35, 761 Roosevelt, Canton, is running for state representative in the 21st district. He and his wife Nidhi are the parents of two sons, Rohin and Shaan. They have lived in the district for four years.
Puri is business manager at Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles. He earned a master’s in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor of arts degree in economics. He was elected as a precinct delegate in Canton in 2018.
Puri said he enjoys woodworking, teaching his kids sports, cooking and traveling. He is a part of Moms Demand Action, non-profit board member of Arts and Humanities Partnership of Canton, Sikh Gurdwara of Canton, Canton Democratic Club, South Asians of Michigan Organizing for Serious Action, Southwestern Wayne County Democrats, and New American Leaders in Michigan 11th Congressional District.
“As a father to two small boys, the husband of a small business owner, and the son of immigrants, I want to ensure families like mine, and all families, are afforded all the opportunities Michigan has to provide that we are all doing whatever we can to enable our future generations to succeed.
“That future does not exist today. I am fighting for Michigan’s working families, because so much that used to work in Michigan is no longer a legislative priority. I want to make Michigan a place where we can raise a family again. Too many of Michigan’s working families are left behind,” he said.
“My parents came to this country nearly 50 years ago, with hopes of more opportunities. Like many immigrant stories, they came here to work hard and provide opportunities for their future children. My dad was a machinist turned engineer. My mom was a nurse. I watched as she worked tirelessly to provide for others, and that’s where my values of public service were instilled. I carried that forward to 2008 when I got my start working for President Obama; being in Chicago during the Obama years was a transcendent experience. I loved it so much that I did everything I could to land a staff position in 2012. It was the day after the election in which the President surprised us at campaign headquarters. It was a conversation that changed my life – he looked me in the eye and told me it was my turn. He challenged me to go out into my own community and be that change. I went home that night and told my wife I was going to fight for change. I wrapped up my MBA while I was in Chicago and moved back to Michigan. I got started in the automotive industry, where I work on solutions for future technologies like electric cars. As I started to see many of the needs of my own community not being addressed, and witnessed the many inequalities throughout our state, I started to understand that too many of Michigan’s families are a step behind. Things which made Michigan such a wonderful place to raise a family no longer exist. Now, as I look into the eyes of my own boys, I need to know I did everything in my power to fight for Michigan’s future.”
Puri’s goals, once elected, include ensuring an optimal response to the COVID outbreak crisis, education (endorsed by the Michigan Education Association), environment (endorsed by the Sierra Club), healthcare, economy (endorsed by the Small Business Administration of Michigan) and automotive (endorsed by the United Auto Workers).
Laurel Hess for state rep.
21st district – R
Laurel Hess, 52, of 1201 Liberty Ct., Canton, is running for state representative on the Republic ticket. She is married to Eric and they have two sons, David and Steven. She is a small business owner and has lived in the district for 20 years.
Hess earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
This is her first bid for elective office. She is a member of the Canton Chamber of Commerce.
Hess said she is running for office because of her frustration with government’s lack of knowledge of small business post-COVID and her frustration with the government bureaucracy.
“We need to open up our state, get people back to work, and help our economy recover,” she said.
Her goals, once elected, are to support small business and their employees, make Lansing more transparent and accountable, and quickly open to 100% and fund efforts to safely do so.
James Chapman for state rep.
21st district – R
James Chapman, 60, of 45122 Hull Rd., Van Buren Township, is a candidate for state representative in the 21st district on the Republican ticket.
He said he has lived in the district for 53 years and his occupation is “Sawyer/Tree Service/Saw Mill.” His education was at Eastern Michigan University and Jackson Community College.
He ran unsuccessfully for state representative in the 23rd district in 2006 and 2008 and unsuccessfully for Van Buren Township trustee in 2016.
His hobbies are historical research and engine building.
Chapman said he is running for office “to provide leadership for return to U.S. Constitutional government; to modify or remove socialist programs from law; to clean out Plan Democrats and RINOS; and establish respect for Michigan and U.S. history.”
As to goals once he is elected: “Restrict the Emergency Powers Act; judicial reform; election law reform; criminal justice reform; update and revise state dam and hydroelectric laws; and to provide law for Constitutional State Militia.”
James Nangle for state rep.
21st district – R
James Nangle of 44047 Southampton Dr., Canton, did not return his candidate questionnaire.
Jessica Sohoza for state rep.
21st district – R
Jessica Sohoza, 13722 Milton Dr., Van Buren Township, did not return her candidate questionnaire.
Harold Bullock for state rep.
21st district – R
Harold Bullock of 7716 Marlowe, Van Buren Township, did not return his candidate questionnaire.
Alex Garza for state rep.
12th district – D
Alex Garza, 26, of 25055 Crowley St., Taylor, is running for reelection as state representative in the 12th district. He is married to Amira and has lived in the district for 13 years.
Garza earned a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Michigan Dearborn. He successfully ran for Taylor City Council in 2013 and 2017 and then successfully for state representative in 2018.
He is a member of the Taylor Rotary Club, Taylor Goodfellows, and Taylor Kiwanis Club.
Garza said he is running for reelection because he wants to continue the work he has started as state representative for the people of the 12th House District.
“My work, surrounding lowering prescription drug costs, getting more Michiganders access to affordable health care, repealing the senior pension tax, and many other issues need to continue to be advocated for I am the person to continue the advocacy to see this through,” he said.
As to his goals, once elected, “I have many goals for District 12 if I am reelected to serve the people of Taylor, Romulus, and Van Buren Township,” Garza said. “As I look toward a second term, prioritizing education funding, infrastructure funding, and health care funding are top priorities. We must continue to invest in our citizens as they have invested in our state for many years.
“Aside from legislative goals, I will continue to remain accessible to my constituents. That is a promise. My office will always remain a resource for all that live in my district. My goal is to directly serve those that I serve, and I will always remember that.”
Ed Martell for state rep.
12th district – D
Ed Martell, 15689 Isabelle, Romulus, is running for state representative in the 12th district. He is a District 12 native, born and raised in Van Buren Township and now living with his family in Romulus.
He attended Van Buren Public Schools, Wayne County Community College District, and University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He holds an associate of arts, bachelor of arts degree with a major in political science, pre-law, and Spanish Language certificates and a Juris Doctor of Law.
Martell is a former legislative director at the Michigan House of Representatives, former judicial clerk at the Oakland County Circuit Court, and a current paralegal at the Perkins Law Group of Detroit, MI.
He is the current president of the Romulus Board of Education and was elected to the board in 2018.
Martell has affiliations to the Democratic Clubs of Taylor, Southwestern Wayne County and Romulus, where he was the former secretary. He also sits on the executive board of his Congressional District and is the vice-chair of the Michigan Democratic HL Caucus.
His goals, once elected, are to increase educational funding, reform police training, restore revenue sharing, provide access to affordable healthcare, and rebuild local manufacturing.
Derrick Gyorkos for state rep.
12th district – D
Derrick A. Gyorkos, 6019 John Daley, Taylor, did not return his candidate questionnaire.
Michelle Bailey for state rep.
12th district – R
Michelle Bailey, 16031 Beech Daly Rd., Lot 121, Taylor, did not return her candidate questionnaire.