Benzie Co. drain commissioner seeking Democratic nomination for 101st House seat.

Ed Hoogterp

Benzie Co. drain commissioner seeking Democratic nomination for 101st House seat.

BEULAH (Benzie County) — Benzie County Drain Commissioner Edward Hoogterp recently announced his candidacy to seek the Democratic nomination for the Michigan 101st House of Representatives district, which includes Mason, Manistee Benzie, and Leelanau counties.

“I’m doing this because I want the state of Michigan to start passing laws that protect the environment and that help people lead decent lives,” Hoogterp said in a press release. “That can’t happen as long as elections are based on raising big money and pleasing a few favored interests. And it won’t happen until elected officials understand that we need to stand up for our own principles but also sit down and listen to others.”

Hoogterp said Michigan residents believe political campaigns are too expensive, too negative and too long. For this reason his primary campaign will accept no funds from political action committees (PACs), will limit individual contributions to a maximum of $100, and will hold off on the “intensive phase” of campaigning until the summer solstice.

“I’m not going to say one bad word about anyone who lives in this district,” he added. “Michigan is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. Until we learn to trust and work together we will never address tough issues like education funding, environmental protection, climate change, roads, health care, mental health services and so forth. We need to move forward on all of that if we’re ever to bring young families and good jobs back to northern Michigan.”

Hoogterp is an environmental consultant and former journalist who worked on watershed plans for the Betsie and Little Manistee rivers. He was editor of the Manistee News Advocate from 1975-78 and, for 26 years, was a writer and editor in Grand Rapids, Jackson and Lansing for the Booth Newspapers group, now MLIVE.com.

He is author of the “West Michigan Almanac” (2006, University of Michigan Press) and of the National Trust for Historic Preservation booklet “Working Assets for Sustainable Farms,” which explored the use of historic barns in organic and sustainable agricultural operations.

He and his wife, Millie, have lived in Benzonia Township, outside the village of Beulah, since 2004. They have three grown children.

He will face Kathy Wiejaczka of Empire in the Aug. 7 Primary Election.