State Rep. Eric Leutheuser wins re-election to second term

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State Rep. Eric Leutheuser wins re-election to second term
Eric Leutheuser poses with his wife, Laura, after voting Tuesday/Facebook
Eric Leutheuser poses with his wife, Laura, after voting Tuesday/Facebook

Republican incumbent Eric Leutheuser will represent District 58 in the Michigan House of Representatives for a second time after defeating Democratic candidate Mary Hamaty in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

“It was a quiet campaign. I ran on my record and what I hope to do,” Leutheuser said. “It’s a very Republican district. I’m grateful for the strong showing in votes and I’m grateful for the trust people place in me. It’s a humbling thing.”

His results show otherwise.

The Hillsdale native, Hillsdale College graduate, and former owner of Leutheuser Motors, Inc. commands a sweeping lead of 15,189 votes over Hamaty’s 4,240.

“We’re really pleased with the results,” said Branch County GOP Chair Dennis Armstrong. “We expected the victory because Branch is such a strong Republican county. We have one precinct in the entire county that does not generally vote Republican. That held true tonight.”

Hamaty was not available for comment.

Both candidates ran uncontested in August’s primaries, but Leutheuser still knocked on doors in Hillsdale and Branch county to familiarize voters with his principles and his name, which was already recognized by locals who knew his father.

“I probably won because my dad was a good dealer and treated people well,” Leutheuser told The Collegian this October. “People looked at the list and said ‘yeah I trust him, he’s a good businessman.’”

In addition to his Michigan heritage, Leutheuser also comes from strong political lineage. His grandfather served as postmaster in Somerset, Michigan, and his father, Paul Leutheuser, served as two-time mayor of Hillsdale in 1966 and 1967.

“Eric will represent our district well because he grew up here, his parents grew up here. He has a long standing history here,” Hillsdale resident Penny Swan said. “He has always supported everybody. He’s open to listen to everybody and see everybody’s points of view. He’s not stuck in one realm of thinking, and he’s got a lot of common sense. He listens to both sides and then makes a decision.”

To supplement his conservative label, Leutheuser points to a trinity of institutions to protect as his guiding political principles.

“Family, church, and local community support American civil life when they are successful,” Leutheuser said. “When those institutions are under attack, our society wobbles. Local communities are weakened all the time when federal and state institutions take more and more control.”

During his second term, Leutheuser said he plans to focus on legislation addressing economic concerns.

“There’s a lot of people for whom the recovery from the recession in 2008 did not go far enough or fast enough,” Leutheuser said. “We’re going to continue to look for ways to help businesses grow and expand in Michigan. That means making sure the business climate is attractive.”

Leutheuser said lowering auto insurance and funding education and pension liability will make the state more attractive to businesses looking to expand to Michigan.

“Our job is to keep working on the economy,” Leutheuser said.

Leutheuser said he plans to run for a third term representing Southern Michigan.

“There’s been a lot of backlash feeding into that rejection of Hillary Clinton from the notion that the elites and the people in Washington are out of touch with everyday concerns,” Leutheuser said. “The point I’d like to make is I do want to represent everybody, whether polls are Republican or Democrat, and I hope that the strong showing in the polls is that people trust me to do just that.”