ON YOUR MARK

The race to succeed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Oakland County) for the 11th congressional district is officially on. First to the starting blocks is state Senator Jeremy Moss (D- Southfield, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Auburn Hills, Lake Angelus, Lathrup Village, Pontiac, parts of Detroit, Waterford and Southfield Township), who currently serves as Michigan Senate President Pro Tempore and has spent his tenure in the state legislature tackling the biggest issues facing Michiganders, and noted that in 2023, when the Democrats controlled the state House, Senate and governor, he had the most bills signed in the Senate. He said he has successfully fought to protect reproductive freedom, pass Michigan’s first gun safety laws in a generation, repeal taxes on seniors, expand the Working Families Tax Credit and expand the Elliott-Larsen Cvil Rights Act to include the LGBTQ+ community. He’s also been the legislature’s leading champion to safeguard voting rights and make state government more transparent. Moss, 39, was Southfield’s youngest city council member before he moved to the state House of Representatives and state Senate, where he made history as the first openly-gay state Senator. He said he is running because he is frequently hearing voters’ “frustration and anxiety about the economy and about democracy.” Moss said he doesn’t believe he fits into a “category,” such as progressive or moderate. “I consider myself effective,” he said. “I’m rising to the challenge brought on by the times.” Technically, Moss lives just outside the district in Southfield but members of congress are not required to live in the district and it did not stop Moss from raising $200,000 in the 24 hours after announcing, or from picking up the endorsement of several Oakland state reps and Attorney General Dana Nessel. While several names are being bandied about, from Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, who word is is not considering running, to former Congressman Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township), Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chair Dave Woodward (D-Royal Oak, Birmingham) said he is seriously considering running. “I plan to make a decision in the next couple of weeks,” he said, and he is working to put a team together. The former state representative noted he has 20 years of public service experience, and is consulting with his family – notably his wife of 20 years.

Jeremy Moss