Team,

Not long after our districts were redrawn, I was told that the St. Johns Mint Festival in Clinton County was a can’t-miss summer event. And after attending, it certainly did not disappoint. 

The parade was packed (one of the best I’ve ever been in) and the crowd was energetic – it’s definitely a staple in mid-Michigan’s summer tradition of local festivals. There was a parade, a mascot, and I even learned the right way for Mint Festival Princesses to Wave (see here). But there was one specific interaction from that day that I wanted to share with you, that reflects my belief that politics doesn't need to be personal. 

During a tour of the downtown, I popped into a local coffee shop (a necessity on the campaign trail). In true mid-Michigan fashion, it was located in a refurbished industrial property that used to be home to a grist saw mill.

I happened to be there at the same time as a former Republican elected official in the area. He walked up to me, introduced himself, and asked if he could shake my hand. We got to chatting and he told me that while he’d never vote for me, he respected me and my work, and that we need to get back to a place where people of different parties can work together on real issues. He then introduced me to his family, all of which shared his political views. They were all incredibly kind, and we talked for quite awhile. Later, his family staffed the booth next to ours at the festival, and while we certainly didn't agree on the issues, everyone was respectful neighbors.

It was an interaction that happens more than you’d think in my district. And it’s how it was forever in Michigan politics. Even growing up, our arguments were almost always about things like sports, not politics. In that moment our very different beliefs didn’t matter – we were all just people at a community event, grabbing coffee from a great local business.

I keep these kinds of stories in mind whenever I get frustrated by the political fights in D.C. It’s nice to know that when I come home, this kind of civility is waiting for me. I refuse to believe that we can’t be civil to each other even when we disagree. And while national politics seems very far from normal right now, I will never accept it as normal. I don’t believe in that, and neither do the people of mid-Michigan.