In Michigan’s 102nd House District, incumbent Republican Rep. Curt VanderWall is facing a challenge from Kathy Pelleran-Mahoney, a Democrat who has worked with environmental nonprofits and members of Congress.
VanderWall is from Ludington and has represented parts of northwest Michigan in the state House and Senate since 2017.
“I hope I’m elected on Nov. 5 and we can go back to work and make sure things get done, that we can better this state,” VanderWall said.
Pelleran-Mahoney is from Montague, where she formerly served as the city clerk.
“Put me into Lansing, and I’m going to work for you, work for your values and ensure that your values are something that have attention,” Pelleran-Mahoney said.
The district stretches from Whitehall to Manistee. It contains most of Oceana and Mason Counties, along with parts of Manistee and Muskegon Counties.
Voters picked VanderWall over his 2022 Democratic opponent with 61% of the vote.
Both candidates say the cost of living is a top issue for them and would work to increase access to everyday necessities.
“What the research shows in our district is that upwards of 50% of the public are having difficulty meeting their basic needs of housing, food, transportation, healthcare, childcare and utilities,” Pelleran-Mahoney said.
VanderWall suggests investments in infrastructure and lowering tax burdens for small businesses.
VanderWall also says he would support the Legislature intervening in a planned phase-out of the state’s tipped wage early next year.
“This is not a Republican or a Democrat issue — this is a state issue that needs to be addressed,” he said. “Our governor needs to be involved in the House and the Senate, and we need to get this done when we return here this fall.”
Pelleran-Mahoney says she supports the policy in its current form, which received hundreds of thousands of signatures in 2018 and was passed and diluted by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
“The people said they wanted to boost the minimum wage and to eliminate the tipped wage, and that would give folks who are in the hospitality business an actual an actual wage that they could depend upon,” she said.
Pelleran-Mahoney says her legislative priorities would include preserving abortion access and increasing public school funding.
VanderWall also says the state should continue to prioritize support for a robust public school system.
“We need to continue to make sure that we have proper funding there,” he said. “Make sure that the the teachers feel secure that their pension and their pay is within the the realm of what it needs to be. We need to make sure that student funding continues to increase and not stay stagnant.”