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The following opinion editorial is paid content. Paid for by the Committee to Elect Kim Cole.
Editor’s Note: Kim Cole is the Republican candidate for the Michigan’s 32nd Senate District, which includes all of Mason, Manistee, Benzie and Oceana counties, along with portions of Muskegon County.
By Kim Cole
My family has called Mason County home for five generations. I’ve spent 41 years in law enforcement, serving people through some of the hardest moments of their lives. Those years taught me to listen first, consider all the facts and then work with others to solve problems.
I’m running for state Senate because I want my grandkids to have the chance to build their lives here along the lakeshore. I want them to find good-paying work, afford a home and raise families of their own in the same communities that raised us.
Right now, too many families are wondering whether they can afford that future. Groceries, utilities, housing and property taxes are straining their budgets. Young people who work hard can’t find homes they can afford. Seniors who would like to downsize find that moving may cost them more.
We need to make it easier to build homes, find ways to ease the property tax burden and push back against Wall Street investors driving up housing costs. The people who keep our lakeshore communities running should be able to live in them.
We also need to be honest about where Michigan is falling short. Our state ranks 44th in fourth-grade reading. I want to reinstate the accountability that was removed from Michigan’s Read by Grade Three law. We need to identify struggling kids early, give them real support and help them become confident readers before they move on to increasingly difficult work.
Parents also deserve clear information about their child’s progress. Reading is the foundation for every opportunity that follows, whether a student goes to college, learns a trade or starts a business here along the lakeshore.
Public safety has been my life’s work, and I know it takes more than responding after something goes wrong. We need to address addiction, support recovery efforts and improve access to mental health care.
My own family has experienced the loss caused by an overdose. I want to see Michigan’s opioid settlement dollars put to work in ways that help people and strengthen our communities.
Protecting our lakeshore also means protecting our water. Families deserve clear information about PFAS testing and a commitment to cleaning up contaminated sites. Our farmers, small businesses and communities depend on healthy natural resources.
They also need reliable infrastructure and a skilled workforce to grow and create good jobs here.
Sen. Jon Bumstead has done great work for Muskegon and communities along the lakeshore. I’m proud to have his support, and I want to continue his commitment to showing up, listening and working for the people of this district.
I’m also proud to have support from across the political spectrum, including Muskegon County’s Democratic sheriff. Each county has its own needs, but we share an interest in making this a place where families and businesses can thrive.
When I pick up my granddaughter from school, I think about the kind of Michigan she will inherit. That question is personal to me. It’s why I’m running to lower costs, build safer communities and make sure the next generation has every reason to call the lakeshore home.
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