Sixty people seek shelter in a converted event barn as the storm rages outside. The room is filled with the sounds of children playing, chairs scraping. A single voice breaks the clamor, “Let’s go Brandon!” The room erupts into cheers. It’s the second meeting of the Branch County Revolutionaries, led by District 16 state Senate candidate Jonathan Lindsey.
Lindsey said there are two issues facing America today: eradicating tyranny, and election integrity.
“Regardless of what people think of 2020, if half of our people worry about the integrity of our system, it should be a non-partisan, all hands on deck issue to restore trust in the system,” he said.
A native to the Hillsdale area, Lindsey said he has a history of hard work and patriotism.
“I was raised in Bronson, which is a very rural part of the state,” he said. “It was a good childhood. I have great parents. Having the county fair and working on a farm gave me good foundational experiences.”
Lindsey earned a degree in political science from Yale University and enlisted in the military. From there he earned the title of Green Beret in the Army Special Forces.
“We need a warrior that can withstand the pressures,” he said, explaining how his military experiences affect his interest in politics.
“It’s a different arena, but I know in my heart that I’ve dealt with challenges and can achieve this,” Lindsey said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that when you’ve put your life on the line for your government that your voters know where you stand.”
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Lindsey at the end of August.
“As a Special Forces veteran, Jonathan totally supports our military, veterans, and law enforcement. He is tough on election integrity, crime, pro-life, and will always protect our Second Amendment,” Trump said in a statement. “We need a warrior like Jonathan Lindsey to uphold our America First agenda. Jonathan has my complete and total endorsement.”
Hillsdale Mayor Adam Stockford said he has “my full support.”
“There are really very few state level candidates I would be willing to put my name behind who are running in 2022,” Stockford said. “Jon Lindsey is it.”
Lindsey said the events of 2020 inspired him to run for office.
“We had major attacks on our liberty that were explained under the guise of COVID-19. They looked less at it as a problem to be solved and more an issue to be exploited.”
Lindsey said his interest in government is based on a love of country and of state.
“Our state has seen extremely favorable times in the past,” Lindsey said. “When my grandparents grew up here, they all gave stories about opportunity abounding. We’ve had some attempts made to right the ship, for example the Right to Work Act, but we need a really aggressive approach. We have to have a positive image for our future. We need to make Michigan a competitive state.”
Junior Daniel Harmon, president of the Hillsdale College Republicans, said this will be a decisive election for the state.
“The 16th Senate District is very much a red district, however, that makes the primary more important. A common critique against the state legislature is that they don’t do enough to prevent voter fraud or restrain the governor’s abuse of power,” Harmon said. “This election is the chance for those who feel this way to make their voices heard and cast their ballots accordingly.”