Summary
Curtis Hertel Jr. is an American politician who served as a state senator from 2015 to 2023, for the 23rd district in Michigan, representing the Greater Lansing Area. Hertel is a member of the Democratic Party.
Born: 1978 (age 46 years), Detroit, MI
Party: Democratic Party
Candidate for: Lost the race for US House elections
Previous office: Member of the Michigan Senate (2015–2023)
OnAir Post: Curtis Hertel Jr.
News
THE ‘CONVERSATIONS’ CANDIDATE
A Democrat locked in one of the swingiest House races in Michigan isn’t afraid to appear with the president, even as President Joe Biden faces tough approval numbers in the state.
“If the president comes to my district, just like if any president came to my district and invited me, I’ll be there. I think that’s important,” former Michigan state Sen. Curtis Hertel told Inside Congress Wednesday. “And I want to talk to him about the values and what’s important to our district. Obviously I would be happy to.”
Hertel is running to succeed Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in a district that Biden narrowly won in 2020, but with Slotkin’s decision to run for Senate, Republicans see the Lansing-area district as one of their top pickup opportunities this year. Hertel said he is confident he can keep the seat blue, acknowledging voter frustration with both parties but pledging to be “somebody who will listen to them.”
About
Overview
Curtis Hertel is a relentless advocate for Mid-Michigan who believes that the only way to accomplish our shared goals is to listen and work with others to find solutions that help everyone.
As Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Director of Legislative Affairs, Hertel led the state through passing bipartisan legislation that cut taxes for seniors and working families, expanded workers’ rights, and won additional new investments in advanced manufacturing that will bring good-paying jobs to Mid-Michigan and across the state. He was also instrumental in passing legislation that repealed the archaic 1931 law that banned abortion in Michigan, even in cases of rape and incest.
Curtis’s son is a student at MSU and was on campus the night of the horrific mass shooting that killed three students, injured five more, and terrified all Michiganders. In the wake of that tragedy, Curtis led the team that passed common sense gun safety legislation, including red flag and safe storage laws and extreme risk protection orders.
“My heart sank when my son called me the night of the shooting, asking me what to barricade the door with. Like any parent, my immediate concern was my family, but in the days and weeks after that horrible night we all knew that we had to act. A national problem became a personal tragedy. I’m a proud Spartan myself, and I’m proud of how we came together to finally pass meaningful laws to help protect Michigan kids.”
Source: Candidate Website
Web Links
Politics
Political career
Source: Wikipedia
Hertel was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 2014, where he served as the Minority Whip and Chairperson for the Democratic Caucus Campaign Committee. He served as senator for the 23rd district in Michigan, which represented the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, as well as the townships of Alaiedon Township, Michigan, Aurelius, Bunker Hill, Delhi, Ingham, Lansing, Leslie, Meridian, Onondaga, Vevay, Stockbridge, and White Oak.
He introduced bills to offer tax credits to Michigan college graduates who elected to remain residents of the state after graduation.[11] He also introduced legislation to require discussions on affirmative consent in high school sex education classes.[12] In March 2016, he introduced a bill to put $3 million into the First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund, which would give money to firefighters who develop cancer due to chemical exposure on the job.[13]
In November 2018, Hertel was re-elected to the 23rd district in the Michigan State Senate, where he served four more years.[14] Hertel served as the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Due to term limits, Hertel was ineligible for re-election in 2022. He joined the gubernatorial administration of Gretchen Whitmer as Whitmer’s top lobbyist in the role of director of legislative affairs. He announced his resignation from the Whitmer administration on June 30, 2023. Less than a week after resigning from the Whitmer administration, where he had negotiated the state’s $82 billion budget, Hertel took a role at the nonprofit Greater Flint Health Coalition, which was expected to benefit from the state budget in the form of a $1.5 million grant. Hertel denied that his involvement in the state budget included knowledge of the $1.5 million budget appropriation earmarked for the Greater Flint Health Coalition. According to The Detroit News, the arrangement “puts a spotlight on the close, behind-the-scenes relationships between groups seeking assistance from state government and officials in positions to provide it.”
On July 10, 2023, Hertel announced his candidacy for Michigan’s 7th congressional district, currently held by Elissa Slotkin, who had already announced her candidacy for the US Senate.
Issues
Priorities
Source: Campaign Site
Jobs & The Economy
Curtis is leading the fight to bring next generation auto plants to Michigan, not China. He negotiated with GM to bring electric-vehicle and advanced battery manufacturing to the Lansing and Detroit regions. And he worked with both Democrats and Republicans to pass the law to get it done. In Congress, he will work to bring supply chains home, keep manufacturing moving, and create good-paying jobs in Mid-Michigan for everyone, not just those with a college degree.
“The Michigan we grew up in led the world in auto manufacturing, but politicians sold us out and let our jobs get outsourced, and Michigan suffered. We are turning that around and bringing the factories and the jobs that are the future of auto production here – battery plants and next-gen cars. We pulled Democrats and Republicans together to get that done, and it is a generational win for Mid-Michigan”
“It’s hard to believe that some legislators were arguing against the GM deal that is bringing a critical auto supply chain to mid-Michigan. To me, it was a no-brainer, which is why we worked so hard to get it done.”
Curtis has worked with both parties to help working families keep more of their hard-earned money. Governor Whitmer tapped him to work with Democrats and Republicans in the legislature to pass tax cuts, including ending the retirement tax. He also led the successful legislative fights to expand workers’ rights to bargain for better pay, and to cut the cost of prescription drugs.
Prior to his work in the legislature, Curtis also served on the Ingham County Commission and as Ingham County’s Register of Deeds, where he helped to uncover one of the largest cases of foreclosure fraud in Michigan history. Curtis and his team took some of the biggest banks in the country to court to preserve the homes of people who had been cheated.
“I was disgusted when I saw big banks kicking families out of their homes during the foreclosure crisis – even using forged documents to pad their own profits, so I sued them. It was time someone held big banks accountable to protect Michiganders.”
Voting Rights & Protecting Democracy
Curtis knows that our democracy is in grave danger, and is running for office to protect it from those threatening it. Politicians who try to overturn election results they disagree with have no place in our government. Curtis supports passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and taking action at the national level to defend voting rights across the country.
Reproductive Rights
Curtis will protect a woman’s right to abortion, and stand up to anyone who tries to limit the health care women can access. He stood up against Republicans in Lansing trying to ban abortion and led the fight to repeal Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban. In Congress, he will always stand on the side of women and protecting abortion rights.
Gun Safety
Curtis’s son is a student at MSU and was on campus the night of the unthinkable mass shooting that killed three students, injured five more, and terrified all Michiganders. In the wake of that tragedy, Curtis led the team that passed bi-partisan common sense gun safety legislation, including red flag and safe storage laws and extreme risk protection orders.
“My heart sank when my son called me the night of the shooting, asking me what to barricade the door with. Like any parent, my immediate concern was my family, but in the days and weeks after that horrible night we all knew that we had to act. A national problem became a personal tragedy. I’m a proud Spartan myself, and I’m proud of how we came together to finally pass meaningful laws to help protect Michigan kids.”
Climate Change & The Environment
Curtis understands that climate change is already having a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of Michiganders. Taking action now means both addressing the immediate needs of communities affected by climate change and working towards a more sustainable future built with good-paying, union jobs.
With rising temperatures and stronger, more unpredictable weather events the new norm, we need to be supporting Michigan’s agricultural industry and working to support families affected by storm damage and rising insurance costs.
Like all Michiganders, Curtis knows that our lakes and waterways are special, and must be protected. He will build on efforts to remove and prevent PFAS from our waters.
Health Care
Over the course of his career, Curtis has led the fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Michigan families and seniors and expand access to affordable health care. He also fought to allow Michiganders to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable when they put their own profits over people’s lives.
Curtis will fight to protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid from Republicans who continue to try to take away care for seniors and people with pre-existing conditions, and make it more difficult for families to afford quality health care.
More Information
Wikipedia
Curtis Hertel Jr. (born January 9, 1978) is an American politician who served as a state senator from 2015 to 2023, for the 23rd district in Michigan, representing the Greater Lansing Area.[1]
Hertel is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served two terms as the Ingham County Register of Deeds, and more recently served as Governor Gretchen Whitmer‘s top lobbyist.[2][3][4] He was the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 7th congressional district in the 2024 election, losing the general election to Tom Barrett.[5]
He is the son of Curtis Hertel, who was co-speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1993 to 1994. Hertel’s brother, Kevin Hertel, was elected to the Michigan State Senate in November 2022.[6]
Education and early career
Hertel holds a bachelor’s degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University, where he attended from 1996 to 2000.[7] Hertel served on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners from 2001 to 2008, representing the north half of East Lansing and Meridian Township. From 2005 to 2008, Hertel worked as a Legislative Liaison for the Department of Community Health under Governor Jennifer Granholm.[8]
Hertel was elected Ingham County Register of Deeds in 2008, and re-elected to a second term in 2012.[3] As Register of Deeds, Hertel filed a lawsuit against mortgage firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2011, seeking millions in unpaid taxes on property transfers in the county.[9] The outcome is still pending.[citation needed]
State senate
Hertel was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 2014, where he served as the Minority Whip and Chairperson for the Democratic Caucus Campaign Committee.[10] He served as senator for the 23rd district in Michigan, which represented the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, as well as the townships of Alaiedon Township, Michigan, Aurelius, Bunker Hill, Delhi, Ingham, Lansing, Leslie, Meridian, Onondaga, Vevay, Stockbridge, and White Oak.[1]
He introduced bills to offer tax credits to Michigan college graduates who elected to remain residents of the state after graduation.[11] He also introduced legislation to require discussions on affirmative consent in high school sex education classes.[12] In March 2016, he introduced a bill to put $3 million into the First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund, which would give money to firefighters who develop cancer due to chemical exposure on the job.[13]
In November 2018, Hertel was re-elected to the 23rd district in the Michigan State Senate, where he served four more years.[14] Hertel served as the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.[15]
Political career
Due to term limits, Hertel was ineligible for re-election in 2022. He joined the gubernatorial administration of Gretchen Whitmer as Whitmer’s top lobbyist in the role of director of legislative affairs.[4] He announced his resignation from the Whitmer administration on June 30, 2023.[16] Less than a week after resigning from the Whitmer administration, where he had negotiated the state’s $82 billion budget, Hertel took a role at the nonprofit Greater Flint Health Coalition, which was expected to benefit from the state budget in the form of a $1.5 million grant. Hertel denied that his involvement in the state budget included knowledge of the $1.5 million budget appropriation earmarked for the Greater Flint Health Coalition. According to The Detroit News, the arrangement “puts a spotlight on the close, behind-the-scenes relationships between groups seeking assistance from state government and officials in positions to provide it.”[2]
On July 10, 2023, Hertel announced his candidacy for Michigan’s 7th congressional district, which was held by Elissa Slotkin, who had already announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate.[17] Hertel was defeated in the general election by Tom Barrett.[5]
Personal life
His wife, Elizabeth, serves as Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services director.[8]
References
- ^ a b “Legislator Details – Curtis Hertel Jr”. Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Mauger, Craig (November 1, 2023). “Key House hopeful went from gov’s office to well-connected nonprofit”. www.detroitnews.com. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ a b Hinkley, Justin A. “Ingham County Dems cruise to Legislature”. Lansing State Journal. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ^ a b “Whitmer adds veteran Democratic lawmaker, former deputy AG to executive team”. Detroit Free Press.
- ^ a b “Michigan Seventh Congressional District Election Results”. The New York Times. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ “Klinefelt wins 11th Senate race; 12th contest close as Hertel claims victory”. The Detroit News. November 8, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ Schuster, Simon (January 26, 2014). “Curtis Hertel Jr. sees little opposition in local Senate election”. The State News. Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan).
- ^ a b “Hertel, Barrett face-off set in 7th”. City Pulse. Lansing. 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ Bell, Kay (June 23, 2011). “Banks sued for foreclosure taxes”. Bankrate. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
- ^ Walker, Deborah M. (February 8, 2015). “Curtis Hertel Jr. Takes Office as Michigan’s State Senator of District 23”. The New Citizens Press.
- ^ Feldscher, Kyle (January 29, 2015). “Michigan Democrats introduce bills to give tax credits to college graduates with student loan debt”. MLive. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
- ^ “What would “Yes Means Yes” legislation mean for Michiganders in a romantic moment?”. Michigan Radio. September 23, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
- ^ Hinkley, Justin A. (March 8, 2016). “Firefighters call on Legislature to fund cancer care”. Lansing State Journal. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
- ^ “2018 Michigan Official General Election Results – 11/06/2018”. mielections.us. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ “Michigan Senate OKs new scholarships, boosts college funding”. Associated Press. 2022-05-03. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ “Curtis Hertel Jr. resigns from Gov. Whitmer’s office”. WLNS-TV. June 30, 2023.
- ^ Vrabel, Brendan (July 10, 2023). “Curtis Hertel Jr. announces run for Congress”. WILX-TV.
External links
