Roger Victory facing primary challenge from Brian VanDussen in 31st Senate District

OTTAWA COUNTY — Incumbent Roger Victory will face a primary challenge from Zeeland’s Brian VanDussen for the Republican nomination in Michigan’s 31st Senate District during the Aug. 2 primary election.

Victory, R-Hudsonville, currently represents the 30th Senate District, but will run in the newly drawn 31st district after Michigan’s redistricting efforts. The district includes the majority of Ottawa County, including Holland, Zeeland and Grand Haven, along with Fillmore and Laketown Townships in Allegan County.

VanDussen, 45, works in residential construction. He started a handyman business in 2000 and earned a builder’s license in 2011.

This will be his first attempt at state office, although his interest in politics began around age 15 when his grandfather introduced him to Rush Limbaugh. He has also served as a Republican precinct delegate.

He said the state’s response to COVID-19 and and a feeling of not being represented by the Republican party were factors in starting a campaign.

“I’m running to hopefully maintain the freedoms that we have, because once we lose them we don’t get them back,” he said. “COVID really sparked my interest, with the shutting down of the state.

“We feel that we’re losing our representation for people in the Republican party. That is what has sparked my interest.”

Last year, VanDussen led an effort to establish the Patriot Party in Michigan, feeling that Republicans weren’t doing enough to support Donald Trump, particularly in relation to the 2020 presidential election. A petition didn’t reach enough signatures to be on the ballot this year, but VanDussen said the effort is still “on the backburner.”

He said he’d be interested in forming a caucus in Lansing with other “grassroots, patriot-style candidates and going against the establishment’s continued status quo.”

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Victory has represented Ottawa County in the legislature for nearly a decade. He served three, two-year terms in the state House of Representatives and is wrapping up a first four-year term in the Senate.

Victory currently serves as chair of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, majority vice chair of the Agriculture committee and chair of the Appropriations subcommittee for Agriculture and Rural Development.

In his leadership role on the Judiciary and Public Safety committee, Victory said he’s worked to ensure law enforcement have the resources to do their jobs.

“We need to make sure we’re recruiting, training and retaining the best and brightest,” he said. “We’ve gone through some unique times in the last couple of years, we need to be making sure we stay focused on law enforcement, investing in law enforcement and making sure they have resources they need to do their jobs well. I feel proud of what we’ve done in that area.”

Priorities for VanDussen, should he be elected, include addressing the state’s budget and spending, education, controlling inflation and addressing the labor shortage, particularly in skilled trades.

One idea VanDussen gave for reducing the budget was moving to a part-time legislature. He says this could “easily cut the budget in half” by reducing the time in session, and therefore pay, for elected officials in the state.

VanDussen said the state needs to “get back on the straight and narrow and teach things that actually matter” like math, science and “real history.” He also wants to get rid of Common Core and allow teachers to use their creativity instead of “teaching to test scores.”

If he’s reelected, Victory said his priorities will include putting more focus on “hometown communities,” providing agricultural infrastructure and capitalizing on water resources available in the state.

“Some of my priorities would be flipping the script of how we do some things in Lansing,” he said. “Making sure our West Michigan voice is heard in Lansing and our priorities will be addressed.

“We need to be focusing more on our hometown communities. Over the last 30 years, there’s been a disinvestment in hometown communities and in the potential for our blue water economy (Michigan's water resources) and our strong agricultural industry.

“The investments, in regards to infrastructure… continue to be focused in areas like the auto industry. I will strive to bring balance to that.”

The senator said Michigan’s “safe and secure” access to water provides the opportunity to source the food supply that other states don’t have and says resources should be invested to take advantage of that.

Victory’s campaign website also highlights support for election integrity, lower taxes, giving parents access to school curricula and learning materials and anti-abortion policies.

If reelected, Victory would be term limited following the conclusion of a second four-year stint in the Senate. VanDussen sees that as a potential opportunity, even if he doesn’t earn the nomination this year.

“Even if (Victory) wins, he’ll be term limited coming up,” he said. “If I do lose, I at least get the experience of running a campaign, what it takes. Then that seat, obviously, will be open in four years, so maybe I could run again later.”

The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Kim Nagy, who is running unopposed in the primary, during November's general election. Nagy is a former chair of the Ottawa County Democratic Party.

Her campaign website highlights support for voting rights, government transparency, solving the housing crisis and protecting public education and public health systems, among other issues.

“I felt compelled to run because I’ve not felt adequately represented by my government, and I know I’m not alone,” her website states.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch. 

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Victory facing primary challenge in Michigan's 31st Senate District