State Rep. Andrew Fink announced this month that he will run for a second term.
Fink, a Republican, Hillsdale alumnus, and former Marine, represents the 35th House district, which includes Hillsdale and Branch counties, and the City of Hudson in Lenawee County. Fink said he is running to continue introducing conservative legislation that represents the values of his constituents.
“The kind of legislation I’ve introduced ranges from election administration, to abortion, to firearms rights, to litigation abuse,” Fink said.
Under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, the rights of the people and traditional arrangements of powers have become a significant issue for his constituents, according to Fink. Education, in particular, has become an important issue among constituents.
“There are a lot of issues relating to education, COVID-19 policies, and critical race theory, which resonate with the folks in my district,” Fink said. “They realize that in a district that’s somewhat isolated from the major economic centers of our state, getting our students as good an education as possible in a way that is supported by cooperating with parents.”
Jacob Hooper, Fink’s campaign manager in 2020 and a senior at Hillsdale College, said Fink’s legislative record is central to the campaign’s 2022 message.
“Our campaign is really refocusing to say, here’s what he’s done in his first term in office,” Hooper said. “The caveat with that is that we have a very liberal governor who will not sign a whole lot of Republican bills, and that’s alarming.”
Hooper said Fink’s legislative record shows his dedication toward conservative causes.
Fink sponsored HB 5187, which prevents the government from using emergency powers to prohibit activities with the purchase of firearms. Additionally, Fink introduced HB 4738, a bill that would ban discriminatory abortions based on race, gender, or disability.
Hooper said pro-life legislation is growing in importance depending on how the U.S. Supreme Court rules in Dobbs v. Jackson in June. The case is a significant challenge to Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortions, according to Hooper.
Additionally, Hooper said Fink’s campaign will emphasize a greater need for transparency among state agencies.
“Michigan is rated one of the worst states for government transparency,” Hooper said. “The Michigan government in Lansing is very bureaucratic.”
Hooper said Fink sponsored several bills promoting greater transparency in the government, ranging from establishing independent ethics committees in the legislature to requiring members to publicly disclose sexual harassment settlements, to protecting whistleblowers in the Michigan state department.
Hooper said Fink’s success in Lansing comes from his character.
“I know he’s a crazy good man,” Hooper said. “But also I knew he was qualified at leadership experience in the Marines, and the dude is wicked smart and it was very apparent just how he conducted himself.”
