Incumbent Democratic state Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. of the 23rd Senate District says campaigning ahead of the midterms has been a little lonely.
“We’ve had forums that groups have put on both on-campus and off-campus, and we had a TV debate that was possible,” Hertel said. “The Lansing State Journal and WILX both sent questionnaires for both of us to fill out. I’m the only one who filled them out.”
His Republican challenger, Andrea Pollock, did not respond to the State News’ requests for an interview. She is currently the deputy political director and director of external affairs for the Michigan Republican Party.
Little public information is available on Pollock’s politics, other than her affiliation with the Republican Party. Election resources like Vote411 and VoteSmart have no positions or responses listed from Pollock, and she does not have a website listing policy preferences or goals if elected.
Hertel, who has represented the 23rd District since 2014, says he wishes there was more of a discourse leading up to the election.
“There should be both arguments, right?” Hertel said. “Maybe that makes me a little nerdy, but I firmly believe elections are about choices; you have to present two choices to people. You deserve to have that.”
Despite facing a quiet challenger, Hertel says he’s been busy reaching out to constituents and getting a feel for what the people want before the election. His priorities if re-elected would be shoring up critical infrastructure, ensuring the rights of LGBT citizens and funding higher education.
“I think making college affordable is one of the most important things we can do,” Hertel said. “You look at us, we’re one of the 10 states that spend more on prisons than we do on higher education. That shouldn’t be the case. The average student in Michigan graduates with $35,000 in debt; we can solve that by making the proper investments.”
Prior to becoming a state senator, he formerly served as Ingham County Commissioner and the Ingham County Register of Deeds. Hertel said he initially ran for the Senate seat in 2014 due to his frustrations with housing and insurance for “everyday people” in the state.
“The courts and the laws in Michigan were not on their side,” Hertel said.
The 23rd District was once held by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer, who was term-limited out of office in 2010.
Hertel said he hopes to continue the work he started four years ago — a goal he says would be much easier with like-minded officials in the state’s legislative and executive branches.
“I’m hoping and working to make sure we have a governor and a Legislature that will tackle these issues and make big changes in Michigan,” Hertel said.
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