Sean McCann: Hard work ought to get you somewhere: Why I’m running for Congress in MI-04
"You deserve a representative who won’t go along to get along, and who actually stands up to make your life better," candidate Sean McCann writes.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.
Somewhere along the way, we started asking people to expect less.
Work hard, but don’t expect to afford a house. Save for retirement, but be prepared to keep working. Pay your insurance premiums, but understand that someone you’ve never met may decide the care your doctor prescribed is too expensive.
And when you ask why, expect a politician to make excuses about how “complicated” things are.
I know it’s complicated. I’ve served in local and state government, worked through budgets, and negotiated compromises between Republicans and Democrats.
Complicated is a reason to get to work — not another excuse for out-of-touch politicians who’ve gotten rich in office to explain why life has gotten harder for everyone else.
I was born and raised in Michigan, attended Western Michigan University, and my wife and I started a family and built our lives here in Kalamazoo. I helped lead disaster relief with the Red Cross, served as a Kalamazoo City Commissioner, and served in the Michigan legislature where I’ve prioritized putting people before the powerful interests that have too big a voice in our politics.
Families in Southwest Michigan work hard, and they’re getting less and less. The American Dream is slipping further out of reach, in part because of the people in Washington who’ve gotten comfortable and forgotten who they represent.
The parent doing the grocery math. The senior stretching a Social Security check to cover prescriptions and the electric bill. The couple saving for a house while competing against corporate investors. Their hard work needs to amount to something.
That’s the reason I’m running for Congress here in Michigan’s 4th district. Because people are struggling, and our representative in Washington is making it worse.
Instead of giving more handouts to corporations and billionaires, I’ve proposed the McCann Plan: tax relief for working families, affordable health care, and a fair chance to build a life; stop politicians from trading stocks, using taxpayer funds to live lavishly, and entering the revolving door; cap insulin at $35 a month and expand Medicare’s power to negotiate drug prices; make data centers pay their own energy and water costs, not give them handouts paid for by taxpayers; and build more housing.
My opponent, Congressman Bill Huizenga, has made different choices. He voted for the One Big Bill that resulted in major cuts to Medicaid that are causing people to lose their healthcare and raising insurance premiums. He voted six times for the war with Iran that has cost lives and driven up prices at the pump. And his backing of reckless tariffs and trade wars has left hardworking Michigan families feeling the squeeze all while his wealth increased fivefold.
He’s been in Washington for 15 years and even voted against banning insider trading. One thing he hasn’t done? Hold an in-person town hall in eight years.
I believe that is wrong, and you deserve better.
You deserve a representative who won’t go along to get along, and who actually stands up to make your life better. In Congress, that is what I will do: show up, work to solve problems, and stay focused on whether the work we do actually makes your life better.
Working hard ought to get you somewhere. A home you can afford. Care when you’re sick. The ability to raise a thriving family. A retirement you can count on. Achieving the American Dream.
I won’t ask you to expect less. I’m asking for the responsibility of delivering more.
Southwest Michigan deserves nothing less.
— Sean McCann is a state senator representing Michigan's 19th Senate District. He is the Democratic candidate for Michigan's 4th Congressional District.
How to submit an opinion
Ottawa News Network accepts columns and letters to the editor from everyone. Letters should be about 300 words and columns should not exceed 1,000 words. ONN reserves the right to fact-check submissions as well as edit for length, clarity and grammar. Please send submissions to newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
