Next up on #FlipThisHouse2020: Brenda Carter, who is serving her first term as representative of District 29, which includes Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake Village, and Sylvan Lake.
The first thing you should know about Brenda Carter is that she the most delightful person. She’s sunny, optimistic, and enthusiastic in just the best way. When Brenda tells you about how her work can make the lives of her constituents better, you not only believe her, you start to get as excited about it as she is. That’s a rare quality, and one the Michigan Legislature is lucky to have.
Fun fact: Brenda is the only person to ever be president of both the Pontiac School District of Education and the Michigan Association of School Boards. She served on the former for 8 years, during a period when the state was trying to dissolve the Pontiac school district altogether. Brenda stopped that, and made sure that Pontiac students got the attention from the state they needed.
Inequality in educational opportunities actually inspired her run for state representative. While she was working on making Pontiac schools better, she couldn’t help but notice how many other school districts around the state were suffering from neglect. She realized she had the perspective, motivation, and experience to fight educational inequality on a statewide level.
Education remains her top priority. Right now, she’s excited about her bill HB 4483, which would create a new program for teaching cursive – a skill many schools have given up on -- to children. To Brenda, it’s about making sure that history remains accessible to everyone. She thinks all children should be able to read American historical documents in their original format.
Brenda is also proud of her bill to stop one source of human trafficking by requiring fingerprinting in order to become a state guardian. It passed the House last year without a single no vote.
The 29th District is diverse, but Brenda is struck by how many things bring all the parts of her district together, like the need for better healthcare. In particular, she wants to get better healthcare for seniors in her district, who are not getting the help they need in even the wealthiest parts of the 29th.
When I asked Brenda what she would do with a Democratic majority in the House, she answered with no hesitation. “I want to make peoples’ lives better – on both sides of the aisle.” That’s exactly why she’s a great public servant, and exactly why we need to keep her in Lansing.
Also, her husband Randy accompanies her to work most days, and that’s kind of the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, so we need to keep that going.
Please donate and vote for Brenda Carter, an exceptional woman and an exceptional leader who fights for our kids, and our values, every day.
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/committee-to-elect-brenda-carter-1
Indivisible Michigan will be featuring an essay on EVERY SINGLE Democratic nominee for the Michigan State House in 2020. We’re taking this majority, and we’re taking it this year. Please follow our Twitter at twitter.com/…