Q&A with the 38th State Senate candidates
SAULT STE. MARIE — Three candidates are competing for the 38th district State Senate seat in the upcoming Nov. 8 election.
John Braamse (Democrat), Edward McBroom (Republican) and Wade Paul Roberts (Green) are the three candidates that survived the primary election on Aug. 2.
The 38th district covers the entirety of the western half of the Upper Peninsula, including all or parts of Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft counties.
Legislative maps are available to view at www.michigan.gov/micrc.
All candidates were asked the same questions.
The Evening News reserved the right to edit responses for length, clarity and adherence to Associated Press style guidelines.
Edward McBroom (R)
Q: Tell us about yourself
A: I've been the state representative for the south central part of the U.P. for six years from 2011 through 2016. I then became the state senator for the 12 western counties of the U.P. in 2019 and now the district has expanded to cover all 15 counties and this would be my last term.
Q: Why do you want to run for public office?
A: I'd like to continue with the job because I think that I've been effective and the work I've done for promoting the Upper Peninsula and delivering the Upper Peninsula's needs and wants to my downstate colleagues. I'm the only senator who lives in the Upper Peninsula, I have a lot of projects that I've worked on for the people up some that I've seen all the way to success, and many which still need some more time to get done and I'd like to continue that work.
Q: What are your priorities if elected?
A: My priority continues to be working on issues dealing with government accountability, as has been one of my highest priorities for a number of years. I've been working to reform the way the legislature works and the way government works in response to the citizens, to be held accountable to them, to be responsive to them, to be open and transparent. These are all issues that I've worked hard on as chairman of the Oversight Committee.
I also am the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, where I tried to put a lot of emphasis on the access to our natural resources and the development of them whether they're mineral or forest or wildlife.
All of these things need to be both protected and developed and utilized in fair ways that allow our way of life to continue and promote prosperity in our region
Q: Any other issues in the community that need to be addressed?
A: Across the Upper Peninsula, we have a lot of great opportunities with economic development, but the state is often either uninterested in things in the U.P. or standing in opposition to it through some sort of regulation, whether they'd be environmental, business or taxation.
Another issue I think that's really important for our local communities is local control over schools, the curriculum, the programming. The more the state tries to dictate to the locals, the more difficult it is for the school to adapt to the individual needs of both the students and the community.
We've also got to continue to be watching the opportunities for development of various infrastructure, whether it be broadband or energy. These two issues are absolutely critical to the success of our communities and are really, in my opinion, have not been utilized well enough by the state at the local level.
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John Braamse (D)
Q: Tell us about yourself
A: My name is John Braamse, I am 55, I have been married to my wife Donna for 27 years and we have two teenage kids, ages 17 and 15.
I ran for local municipal office (Marquette Board of Light & Power) but was not elected. I am also a Marquette County Democratic precinct delegate since 2012. I have been a member of the local American Legion post for five years.
Q: Why do you want to run for public office?
A: I am running to promote quality living conditions and better economic conditions for our current next generation of citizens who live in the U.P. and elsewhere.
Q: What are your priorities if elected?
A: If elected to the 38th State Senate I will support reproductive rights including access to safe abortions. I also support universal health care by expanding Medicare paid with higher taxes on tobacco and vape products.
Q: Any other issues in the community that need to be addressed?
A: I feel like there is a lack of faith and trust in the political system to accomplish policies people believe in. There are too many lies about a “stolen election” by the past president who used terrorism when he did not win, and the belief in those lies still persist at the state and local levels among some of his supporters.
Wade Paul Roberts (G)
Q: Tell us about yourself
A: I've never been elected to public office, but this is my fourth campaign as a Green Party candidate.
I've been in a variety of industries. I started out in a plant manager making paper and plastic. I did a stint in the Air Force. (Working for the) Department of Corrections, I learned a lot about the industry and was injured in service. After rehabbing myself I became a truck driver and have been driving ever since.
Q: Why do you want to run for public office?
A: I think there's a need for it. I really think on a national level, we're making a lot of mistakes. We're investing far too much of military and not nearly enough in infrastructure.
Q: What are your priorities if elected?
A: Infrastructure and climate change are big priorities. Fossil fuels are finite and we can't continue to destroy them forever. We really have to decarbonize our economy with renewable energy resources.
Q: Any other issues in the community that need to be addressed?
A: I want to expand senior citizen access to senior citizens. The state has a general income plan, but it's not very large, I would like to see that diversified.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Q&A with the 38th State Senate candidates
