Planet Detroit Candidate Survey
What are the three most pressing environmental issues facing the communities you seek to serve? Please rank them in order of priority and briefly explain why you chose each.
1. Clean Water — And environmental contamination Michigan’s lakes, rivers, and groundwater are central to our health, economy, and identity. From PFAS contamination to aging infrastructure and pollution risks, protecting clean water must remain a top priority because the cost of inaction is far greater than prevention.
2. Infrastructure — And responsible development Michigan must continue growing our economy and housing supply while ensuring development happens responsibly. We can support jobs, housing, and infrastructure projects while maintaining common-sense environmental protections that preserve our natural resources for future generations.
3. Clean Energy — Families are already struggling with rising utility costs. Michigan must continue investing in energy diversification and modernization in ways that reduce costs, improve reliability, strengthen energy independence, and protect working families.
Michigan law requires utilities to reach 100% clean energy by 2040. If elected, would you support maintaining this law, or would you support revising or repealing it? Please explain your position.
Maintain the current law and timeline
I support maintaining Michigan’s clean energy goals while ensuring implementation remains practical, affordable, and reliable for working families. We can diversify our energy portfolio through solar, wind, hydroelectric, nuclear, and emerging technologies while keeping affordability and grid reliability front and center.
More than two dozen Michigan communities are considering or have approved large-scale data center developments. These facilities can consume as much electricity as a small city and place significant demands on local water and energy infrastructure. What role should state government play in overseeing data center development, and what guardrails should the state legislature enact to protect communities where data centers are proposed?
Data centers must be highly regulated, environmentally responsible, and economically beneficial to the communities where they are proposed. Michigan should welcome innovation, but not at the expense of local infrastructure, water systems, or utility affordability. The state should require environmental impact reviews, transparent reporting on energy and water usage, protections for surrounding communities, and enforceable commitments regarding job creation and infrastructure improvements. Companies seeking taxpayer incentives should demonstrate measurable public benefit. If a project cannot operate responsibly without weakening environmental protections or shifting costs onto residents, it should not move forward.
PFAS contamination has been detected in drinking water, groundwater, and surface water across Michigan. Cleanup efforts are underway, but many affected communities are still waiting for action. What is the single most important step the officeholder in this position should take on PFAS in the next term?
The most important step is accelerating cleanup while holding polluters accountable for contamination costs. Communities should not wait years for safe drinking water, nor should taxpayers be left carrying the financial burden for corporate negligence. We need stronger enforcement, expanded testing, and long-term investment in remediation and public health protections.
Michigan residents in some communities face disproportionate exposure to air pollution, contaminated water, and industrial waste. Do you support requiring Michigan regulators to assess cumulative environmental and health impacts on overburdened communities before approving new permits for polluting facilities?
Yes
Environmental decisions should reflect the real conditions communities are already facing. A practical, evidence-based review of cumulative impacts helps ensure development remains sustainable and does not disproportionately burden communities already dealing with environmental and health challenges.
Utility rate cases directly affect what Michigan residents pay for electricity and gas. DTE and Consumers Energy have requested frequent significant rate increases in recent years. Should elected officials play a greater role in holding utility companies accountable for rate hikes and rising energy costs?
Yes. Utility affordability directly impacts working families, seniors, and small businesses. Greater oversight and accountability are necessary to ensure rate increases are justified, transparent, and tied to measurable improvements in reliability and service. Michigan residents should not continuously face higher bills without clear evidence that utilities are improving infrastructure, reliability, and affordability. We can modernize our energy system while protecting consumers from unnecessary financial burdens.
Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline runs through the Straits of Mackinac and carries crude oil and natural gas liquids between Wisconsin and Ontario. A proposed tunnel beneath the lakebed to house a replacement pipeline has faced legal and regulatory challenges for years. What is your position on the future of Line 5?
The Great Lakes are one of Michigan’s greatest resources, and any decision regarding Line 5 must prioritize environmental safety, long-term sustainability, and public accountability. At the same time, energy reliability and affordability matter for families and businesses. I support a science-driven, evidence-based review process that ensures any continued operation or replacement infrastructure meets the highest environmental and safety standards and meaningfully reduces spill risks to the Great Lakes.
Drinking water is becoming increasingly unaffordable for Michiganders in both rural and urban areas, leading to water shutoffs. Would you support legislation that caps water bills for low-income Michiganders and adds shutoff protections?
Yes. Access to clean water is a necessity, not a luxury. I support practical affordability measures and shutoff protections for low-income households while also investing in infrastructure improvements that reduce long-term costs and maintain reliable systems for communities across Michigan.
Michigan is home to more than 18,000 contaminated sites. Do you support or oppose legislation to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up these sites?
Support
Those responsible for contamination should be responsible for cleanup. Holding polluters accountable protects taxpayers, improves public health, and ensures communities are not left dealing with environmental damage for generations.