Amidst sheets of rain, Hillsdale District Court Judge candidate Neal Brady and his son constructed a large campaign sign off of M-99 on the way into Hillsdale last Saturday.
Between serving as Hillsdale’s prosecuting attorney and coaching the Hillsdale Academy high school soccer team, Brady doesn’t have spare time, so
campaigning continues — weather permitting or not.
“The campaign has been rigorous, in the sense that you have to find time to accommodate another full-time job,” Brady said.
“You have to spend all of your time doing meaningful things, and things that aren’t meaningful have to fall by the wayside.”
Despite the campaign’s challenges, Brady said he enjoys the process, largely because of the valuable relationships he’s formed.
“It has been time-consuming, but it has been rewarding in a lot of ways,” Brady said. “Primarily, meeting people that I have come to appreciate and having them come to appreciate me. Some of the people I don’t even know, or I have only met them a few times, but I am able to connect with the people that I serve.”
Brady has a passion for helping people, exemplified through his lengthy career in public service.
“People think that prosecutors are in the business of just putting people away, but often lives need mended on both sides,” Brady said. “If you’re open to this, you can help and assist people to get on with their life in a more meaningful way.”
According to Brady, the move from prosecutor to judge is a natural transition.
“Judge is the next chapter in the world of public service. This is the first time since I’ve been here that this seat has opened up and so [running] felt like the natural thing to do,” Brady said.
