The General Motors Corp. assembly line worker, who has never held a public office, said his blue-collar background allows him to identify with voters better than his opponent, incumbent Rep. Mark Meadows.

“When people meet somebody who actually works for a living, they can relate to them,” he said. “It allows them to know that if I’m affected by something working at GM, then I know that they have to be.”

Chris Mendoza, a friend of Lambert’s for the past 20 years who doubles as his campaign manager, said Lambert isn’t running for the House as a career move. He’s running, she said, because he wants to change a political system that he believes is overtaxing and overspending.

“He’s a house owner, and when your taxes are rising and nobody’s doing anything about it, then your statement on your house comes back and you’ve lost $30,000 (of property value) … he’d had enough,” she said.

A dedicated worker who has only missed one day of work at GM, Lambert is one of the most dependable people she knows, Mendoza said.

“He’s Johnny-on-the-spot,” she said. “Friendship means a lot to him. A handshake means a lot to him. Your word means a lot.”

Lambert said if he is elected, he will cut government costs and reform the state’s welfare program to keep it from being abused.

“Welfare should only be for those who cannot do, not for those who will not do,” he said.

Lambert said he is committed to a balanced budget and would fight what he believes is unnecessary spending on programs such as the Cool Cities Initiative, which offers grants for downtown development. Lansing and East Lansing have both participated in the program.

“You can’t spend more than you make, and yet our government does it every year,” he said.

Rather than increasing state spending to fund higher education, Lambert would do away with frivolous expenses so more money could be used in areas that matter. He also would like to reform the state’s K-12 educational standards to create a standardized curriculum.

Although Lambert is running in a traditionally Democratic-voting area against a politician with a history of winning elections, Mendoza said she doesn’t think voters will hesitate to vote for him.

“Being a Democrat doesn’t mean much anymore,” she said. “More people are going independent, I think. They’re voting for who they believe will help them the most.”

But Lambert might have to work to convince MSU students he is that person. Many of them have grown to associate Meadows’ name with local politics.

“There’s too many facets for you to go in there and not understand the full capacity of your job,” no-preference sophomore Ashley Chaichang said. “It’s going to be a huge disadvantage.”

Other students, such as jazz studies senior Glenn Persello, said they would like to hear more of the candidates’ views before making a decision based solely on experience and party affiliation.

“People who don’t really want to dig deep down into the issues are going to be deterred by (Lambert’s inexperience), but … you can have a pretty terrible candidate who’s been in office for 50 years,” he said.

Voters will have the chance to listen to the candidates’ views during a taped debate, which will air 9:30 p.m. Oct. 17 on WKAR-TV, East Lansing’s public access channel.