WGVU’s Decision 2018 Election Coverage continues as we profile those seeking public office this November. Today, we profile the two candidates running in Michigan’s 89th state house district.
Incumbent and Republican Jim Lilly is a West Michigan native and commercial banker. Running for re-election as State Representative in Michigan’s 89th district, Lilly says, his track record in office has earned him another term.
“I’m running for re-election as the State Representative in the 89th District because I am proud of the work that we have done prioritizing state spending to reduce debt without raising taxes," Lilly said. "I am also proud of all of the private sector job growth that has materialized under our watch as we have worked to make Michigan a more competitive and attractive place to start and grow a business. At the end of the day, I am confident the experience in my first term in office makes me the best candidate for this job,” he said.
Democrat Jerry Sias is an 8-year-decorated Army Veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm. A former Union Foreman, Sias says the middle and working class has been left behind, and if elected, Sias says he will fight to change that in Lansing.
“My motivation to run in Michigan’s 89th is for a whole generation of millennials who believe the American dream is dead. And I understand why they would think that," Sias said. "They are either buried in college debt, or can’t find a job to pay the rent. I see my generation, Generation X, we grew up believing in the middle class and the American dream, and now we find ourselves barely holding our heads above water. I looked at the baby boomers who worked hard their whole lives and saved in what was promised would be a tax free pension, and now the state has broken that promise by implementing a retirement tax. These things need to change in Lansing, and that is why I am running.”
