Alumni win state legislature elections

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Alumni win state legislature elections

Four Hillsdale College alumni running for office won their races Tuesday, taking part in a Republican wave that saw Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump defeat heavily favor Democrat Hillary Clinton.

All running as Republicans, four of the five former Hillsdale students won offices in state legislatures in Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, and Washington. Voters re-elected Tom Morrison ’97 and Tim Leonard ’83 to their respective state assemblies in Illinois and Colorado, while Hans Zeiger ’07 won his state senate race in Washington, and former Hillsdale student Steve Johnson won his race for Michigan state house. Ian Swanson ’14 lost his race for the Nebraska state legislature.

Morrison, who has served as state representative in Illinois’ 54th District since 2010, ran unopposed in the general election. He also ran unoppsed in his Republican primary.

Morrison advocates for making spending cuts to Illinois state government, is anti-abortion, and supports traditional marriage. According to his campaign website, he earned the endorsement of the Associated Builders and Contractors as well as the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald newspapers.

Before entering politics, Morrison worked in radio, taught fifth grade at Christian Liberty Academy, and partnered with his brother to purchase two Servpro franchises. Servpro is a company that specializes in disaster cleanup and restoration.

Leonard narrowly defeated Democrat Tammy Story, receiving 51 percent of the vote in Colorado’s 25th state house district early Wednesday, in a race that came down to more than 1,000 votes.

In January, a vacancy committee chose Leonard to fill the Colorado house seat being vacated by Rep. John Keyser when Keyser resigned to run for the U.S. Senate.

“We’re making a difference; we’re making enemies and defending the Constitution,” Leonard told The Collegian in February. “Our biggest framework is a constitutional, limited government.”

Leonard advocates for free market principles, is pro-second amendment, and is also anti-abortion.

Before serving in government, Leonard owned Deepwater Point Company, having spent 30 years in commercial real estate, brokerage, and consulting.

Leonard is the founding member of the American Constitution Party of Colorado and ran as the party’s candidate for the state senate in 2006. He also lost an independent bid for Colorado governor in 1998 as well as two unsuccessful runs for the state senate as a Republican in 2010 and 2014.

Swanson lost to Democrat Rick Kolowski in the state legislature race for the 31st District of Nebraska. Kolowski earned 52 percent compared to Swanson’s 48 percent early Wednesday.

“It’s a very challenging thing to run against an incumbent in any office but especially in Nebraska,” Swanson told The Collegian in January. “Incumbents usually win. It can be a challenge if you want to make it a challenge. But I love doing it because I know people are crying out for something different, and I want to provide an alternative to the status quo in politics.”

Swanson served as the Douglas County Republican Party’s executive director, before re-starting his campaign. Earlier this year, Swanson defeated Kolowski in Nebraska’s nonpartisan state primary by nearly 500 votes.

Swanson campaigned on a platform of tax reforms, local control of education, and support for the anti-abortion cause. His campaign has earned the endorsement of Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn, former Governor of Nebraska Kay Orr, and the Nebraska Firearm Owners Association.

After choosing not to run for re-election in Washington state’s 25b state house district, Zeiger ran for state senate, defeating Democrat Karl Mecklenburg. Zeiger received 58 percent early Wednesday, while Mecklenburg secured only 42 percent.

Zeiger ran for the senate seat, after Republican incumbent Bruce Dammeier didn’t seek re-election.

During his campaign, Zeiger made job growth and funding public education the main issues of his candidacy.

Zeiger was first elected to Washington’s state house in 2010. In 2012, the Washington Student Association named him Legislator of the Year for his encouraging youth civic engagement. He was then named Legislator of the Year again in 2013, this time by by the Associated General Contractors, for his work completing a Washington highway.

Zeiger is also an officer for the Washington Air National Guard.

After graduating from Hillsdale, Zeiger attended Pepperdine University to earn his Master of Science in public policy. He is a former author, editor, and senior fellow for the American Civil Rights Union.

Johnson, who attended Hillsdale for two semesters in 2014 and 2015, won his bid for Michigan’s 72nd State House seat, defeating Democrat Steve Shoemaker with 55 percent of the vote early Wednesday.

“It was a good night for the Constitution in the 72nd District,” Johnson said. “If you stand on principle, you still can win.”

Johnson said he felt called by God to enter politics and saw an opportunity when Republican Rep. Ken Yonker, R-Caledonia, had reached his term limit maximum.

Johnson is running on an anti-abortion, pro-second amendment, and reduced taxes platform. His campaign earned the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Michigan.

Before entering politics, Johnson served in the Air Force for four years, worked as a handyman in Alaska, and was a substitute teacher in the Grand Rapids area.

Looking back on his time at Hillsdale, Johnson said his Constitution course was particularly influential in his candidacy.

“The course was definitely a great opportunity to learn about the Constitution, the founding of it, and how to follow it,” he said.