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Gubernatorial candidate Democrat El-Sayed visits Grand Rapids

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Michigan’s gubernatorial election is more than a year away, but the half-dozen or more candidates are traveling the state trying to earn your support. One of the democratic candidates visited Grand Rapids over the weekend.

“This is my first run for office but I’ve spent a good amount of time in municipal government where I rebuilt the Detroit Health Department.” I spoke with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed by cell phone as he walked through downtown Grand Rapids. “I learned a lot about what it is that we ought to do around government. Bringing government back to a focus on people in a moment where I think too much of government has been focused on cutting costs and appealing to large corporations that already command a disproportionate amount of our focus.”

During the democratic gubernatorial candidate’s listening tour dubbed “Listening for Our Future", the 32-year old Rhode’s Scholar turned his focus to the people voicing their concerns.

“Issues like an economy that really hasn’t appealed to young folks. It’s more of a 20th century economy when we’re 17 years into the 21st century. Challenges like infrastructure, like public health. How we protect healthcare where two million Americans in Michigan who are threatened to lose it. How we address our challenges with protecting our Great Lakes. And those are the kinds of problems that folks are talking about wherever you go. And they manifest differently in different places but the central challenges are the same and they’re challenges that we have to address.”

Other gubernatorial candidates include democrats Gretchen Whitmer, William Cobbs and Kentiel White along with Republicans Dr. Jim Hines, Dwain Reynolds and independent candidate, Todd Schlieger.

There are those considering entering the race like democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee and Republicans Lt. Gov. Brian Calley and Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Patrick Center, WGVU News

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.
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