Introducing the Democratic candidates for State House 103rd District

From staff reports

Michigan’s redistricting process has created a new 103rd District, which includes Leelanau County, greater Traverse City, and a sliver of Benzie County. Leelanau previously fell in the 101st District, which included Benzie, Manistee and Mason counties running down the Lake Michigan coastline.

Two Democratic challengers are running in this year’s primary election on Tuesday, August 2, for the chance to run in the November 8 midterm general election. The Republican opponent will probably be incumbent Rep. Jack O’Malley from Lake Ann, who has served two terms in the State House — if he survives his own primary election against challenger Heather Cerone.

Those Democrats are Betsy Coffia, a Kalkaska native and Traverse City resident who has served two terms on the Grand Traverse County Commission, and Michael Brodsky, a southeast Michigan native who boomeranged to Traverse City last year.

With reproductive rights front and center in this year’s election after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, the Glen Arbor Sun asked Coffia and Brodsky why they are running for the State House, to describe a challenging life event they overcame, where they differ on policy from O’Malley, why they think Democrats can win the 103rd District, and on which issues this election hinges.

Glen Arbor Sun: What inspired you to run for State Representative?

Michael Brodsky: I’m running because there couldn’t be more on the ballot this year. From protecting reproductive choice and preventing gun violence to incentivizing the development of attainable housing. I have unique perspective as a born and raised Michigander who’s moved home to build his family. I know what it takes to draw young families and professionals back, and create an empowered community that’s more vibrant and sustainable. There’s too much on the line for us to not run thoughtful and strategic down ballot candidates — people who are focused on building broad coalitions and bringing as many of our neighbors into the fold as possible.

Betsy Coffia: A lot of it has to do with my upbringing growing up in a working-class family in Kalkaska County where we worked hard but struggled, a lot, just like so many in our region who wait our tables, pour our wine, care for our babies and elders and do so much to hold up our economy. I’m in public service because I want leaders who center expanding access to healthcare and mental health care, housing with dignity folks can afford, decent paying jobs. These make for both healthy, stable families and healthier communities, businesses, local economies.

Sun: Describe a challenging life event that shaped who you are.

Brodsky: I was one of the earliest employees at an under-resourced small business. We had little credibility and were overshadowed by our competition. Few had proven that you could turn a mission-driven company into a sustainable, profitable enterprise. But we were in it for the right reasons, had ambitious goals, and charted our course thoughtfully. I helped lead the team through a strategic pivot, taking a data-driven approach to feature prioritization and market fit. We weighed our strengths, avoided re-inventing the wheel, and closed a second round of investment just last year. We’ve since grown to over 30 employees, with clients ranging from Starbucks and Patagonia to the Democratic National Committee.

Coffia: I grew up in a hard-working family but there wasn’t money for college. So, after a six-year career as a newspaper reporter and editor I went back to school as a nontraditional student. I worked three jobs to put myself thru college. That was in 2003. I am proud of what I accomplished, but also aware that I couldn’t replicate that path in 2022 due to the rising costs of tuition, housing, healthcare etc. I am in politics because I want to be part of building a world where we see education as a public good. Where kids growing up without financial resources like I did, get to reach their full potential.

I also grew up in a family that couldn’t afford health insurance, which meant lack of proper medical care or serious economic stress when we did go to the doctor. This, too, is an ongoing issue and lived reality for too many in our region who do not have appropriate access to healthcare, much less dental, vision, mental health and addiction care.

Barriers and access to education and healthcare are themes that have profoundly shaped what’s important to me, and my focus as a public servant and elected leader.

Sun: What would you do differently in Lansing than the incumbent, Republican Jack O’Malley? What are the key policies where you differ?

Brodsky: I’d start by overturning Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban and protecting reproductive choice for everyone in our state. We should also promote safe storage, enact waiting periods, and prohibit high capacity magazines. There are so many common sense gun violence prevention measures that the vast majority of Michiganders agree on. When it comes to housing, we could extend PILOT and incentive programs so that they apply to middle income housing developments, and ensure that our Michigan State Housing Development Authority doesn’t dock rural communities points when scoring affordable housing applications. There are too many critical issues to count, and Jack O’Malley and I don’t see eye to eye on most of them.

Coffia: I support expanding public investment in access to healthcare for all Michiganders, and doing more to support housing options for all incomes. I am staunchly pro-reproductive freedom. Jack has an anti-choice extremist voting record and has co-sponsored extreme anti-choice legislation. He recently voted against repealing the 1931 abortion trigger law on Michigan’s books. Unfortunately, Jack also has an extremist anti democracy track record. He was one of 15 state lawmakers who signed on to the Texas Attorney General’s lawsuit trying to throw out all Michigan’s votes and throw the election for Trump in 2020. I believe our votes should be respected, regardless of who we vote for. I also support expanding voting rights where my opponent supports a package of bills based on the election lies of 2020 that would make it harder for elderly, rural, disabled, Native and other voters to cast their ballot.

Sun: Break down the new 103rd District, which includes Leelanau County, greater Traverse City, and a sliver of Benzie County. Is this winnable for a Democrat? Why?

Brodsky: Democrats have a real chance of winning this seat for the first time in decades. But even with our new district map, we don’t have enough Democratic voters to push us past the finish line with Democratic votes alone. Running the numbers speaks for itself. To flip our district, we need to run a candidate who can build a broad coalition and earn the trust of independent voters. And we’re that campaign — working hard to include rather than exclude, not playing identity politics, and working with independent voters wherever we can. That’s the only way we’ll be able to win. And it couldn’t be more important that we get this right.

Coffia: Nonpartisan redistricting created the 103rd as a swing seat. When you compare the partisan voting trends precinct by precinct this becomes winnable for either party, a true swing seat. Part of this is because the portion of Grand Traverse included in the new district is Traverse City, reliably blue, and the purpling townships immediately around it. And then it also includes all of Leelanau County, which is voting Bluer each cycle — Whitmer in 2018, Biden in 2020, and down ballot Lois Bahle to give Leelanau County Commission an historic first, a Dem majority in 2022.

Sun: On which 2-3 issues do you think this election hinges?

Brodsky: I’ve personally knocked on over 5,500 doors all around our district, and reproductive choice is at the very top of people’s minds. Not only was the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade a devastating step backwards for reproductive choice, but a setback to social empowerment and a public health tragedy. All the while, gun violence has continued to plague the country, and our region’s dire need for attainable housing continues to grow by the month. So while there are other critical issues to both solve and navigate, voters are thinking about these three especially.

Coffia: Voters who are struggling economically will look for someone accountable to them and their real-world concerns — access to healthcare, mental health, housing and other basic necessities. With the extreme right finally accomplishing a 40-year campaign to overturn Roe, Reproductive Freedom is a huge issue and crosses party lines—the vast majority of Americans wanted Roe to remain law and believe in our right to privacy and autonomy for our reproductive healthcare decisions. Voters want leaders who will protect our voting rights and democracy, not tear them down, undermine our free and fair elections and use rhetoric that puts our election workers and clerks (our neighbors!) at risk.

Sun: You’ve received several notable endorsements. Which stands out or means the most to you?

Brodsky: We couldn’t be more proud to have the endorsement of organizations like AFSCME, Equality Michigan, and Run For Something. But it’s our endorsement from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan that means the most to me. I’m appalled that our children will grow up with fewer rights than my wife, Sarah, and I once had. Not only is it a person’s fundamental right to make their own reproductive decisions, but it’s never the government’s role to tell someone what they can or can’t do with their body. That’s an individual’s right alone.

It’s up to us to fix this. To support organizations like Planned Parenthood and elect Democrats who can realistically flip Republican-held seats. Advancing Planned Parenthood’s work has never been more important, and having their support means the world to me.

Coffia: While it’s difficult to choose one over others, I am proud to have the endorsement of the Sierra Club and Clean Water Action as a northern Michigan kid who grew up riding my bike two miles to swim at a public access on Torch Lake each summer. I am firmly committed to protecting our priceless natural resources. As a two-term county commissioner myself I know local government is ground zero for public service. So, it is very meaningful to me to have the support of several respected current and former Democratic Leelanau County Commissioners including Ty Wessell, Gwenne Allgaier and Peachy Rentenbach. As a pro-choice leader I am very proud to have the endorsement of EMILY’s List.

Sun: Is there hope for us to collectively move beyond partisanship and find common ground?

Brodsky: Absolutely. While political polarization has overwhelmed our communities, it doesn’t have to be this way. We can overcome it by investing in local print media, digital civic literacy programs, and investigative journalism. This couldn’t be more foundational if we want to tackle thorny issues — from building more attainable housing to expanding affordable child care. We know there are policies that correlate with more analytical discussion. Programs that can be accessed at schools, libraries, and help teach our communities — from the youngest to oldest amongst us — what’s reporting, what’s editorialization, and how to identify the difference. It’s up to us to lay a healthier foundation for more nuanced and thoughtful discussion.

Coffia: There is. I was the first Democratic woman elected to my county commission in over 30 years after flipping a seat from a multi-term Republican incumbent, and am one of only two Democrats currently on a seven-member board. Yet I have found common ground repeatedly. For example, in 2020 I’d made two attempts to get my board to approve hazard pay for our overwhelmed health department staff, voted down both times on strict party lines. I had to reevaluate my approach of going it alone and instead reached out to Republican Sonny Wheelock. I persuaded him to put forward the motion instead of me. It passed unanimously because I swallowed my pride, took a new approach and worked across the aisle. I’ve had multiple such experiences on my board, even co-sponsoring various actions that then passed with unanimous votes. If that is possible on my board, as contentious and polarized as it can be at times, it is possible more widely.

 

Sun: If you could accomplish one thing as state representative, what would that be?

Brodsky: It’s important we elect candidates who can hold multiple priorities at once. There isn’t just a single, all important issue that affects everybody the most. There are multiple prescient issues that impact our lives in very fundamental but different ways. We’ve already discussed protecting reproductive choice, preventing gun violence, and building more attainable housing. But the list continues to expanding ballot access, extending affordable child care, overcoming political extremism, and so much more. It’s a lawmaker’s responsibility to navigate countless issues simultaneously, combat all of the challenges that affect their community, and move the needle on multiple competing priorities.

Coffia: My constituents would have real trust in my commitment to serve them first, foremost and always — not the Devoses, not big corporate donors or powerful interest groups. The people of the 103rd would know me throughout my time in office as honest, tenacious, fair and hard working.

 

Sun: What’s your reason for optimism—politically or otherwise?

Brodsky: Have you ever seen It’s a Wonderful Life? You know that scene where Clarence says: “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” I’ve tried hard to lead my life in a way that honors the influence we all have. That recognizes the way a small act of thoughtfulness can fundamentally alter someone’s life. And I’m committed to public policy that furthers opportunity, empowerment, and inclusivity. That does justice to the impact our government, and political leaders, have on our neighbors, society, and discourse. There’s still plenty of reason for optimism.

Coffia: We are unquestionably in very fraught times. Our democracy is fragile and in need of all of us to lean into voting, being engaged to stand up for our basic rights, free and fair elections and each other as neighbors. And yet I am here to tell you, the talking heads, cable news or the social media comment sections aren’t the whole picture.

Knocking doors since spring has restored my faith that we can find our way forward as neighbors. I’ve had only a handful of negative interactions knocking doors. Even when people start out with “I won’t vote for a Democrat” I look them in the eye and say, I respect that and our country is better because we can have different political views. I tell them, ‘I’m your neighbor and even if you don’t vote for me, if I get elected my job is to do my best to serve you and your loved ones, and so I would still like to hear what is important to you so I can try to do the best job possible.

It has been profound how that has opened up connection and dialogue. Below the shouting network news there are real people, neighbors who want us to find a way forward together.