Rebekah Warren for State Representative- 53rd District

Background:

I have been a Democrat my entire life. I grew up in a UAW family and learned firsthand the protections afforded by unions while on the job and after retirement.

After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science, I spent 6 years working for Democratic State Representatives Mary Schroer (D-Ann Arbor) and Hubert Price (D- Pontiac). During my years as a legislative aide for both lawmakers, I staffed the Appropriations Committee, gaining experience in the very body that is now charged with solving Michigan's current economic crisis.

I have been the Executive Director of MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan, the Michigan affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America, the state's oldest and largest grassroots pro-choice organization, since 1999. In this capacity, I oversee MARAL's legislative, educational and electoral efforts, and serve as Chair of the Michigan Pro-Choice Education Network, a statewide coalition of pro-choice organizations.

I am a lifelong Michigan resident and I have lived in Ann Arbor for 16 years. In my volunteer time, I serve as the Chair of the Community Development Executive Committee for the city Ann Arbor.

Goals:

In the 12 years I have worked in Lansing, I have come to know legislators on both sides of the aisle and have acquired invaluable experience with our legislative process. I am running for state representative first and foremost because in this age of term limits, I believe I can offer the knowledge, skills and experience to guide a long-term economic plan for our state, allowing us to invest in our children, our health, and our families.

I am also running because I feel we have a unique opportunity in the 53rd District to elect a representative who will drive forward a progressive agenda in the face of conservative pressure groups. After spending six years as a women's rights advocate, I am ready to work on the other side of the table, taking our values to Lansing and acting as a leader on issues such as health care, education, the environment, a woman's right to choose, and LGBT rights.

Issues:

Strengthening our economy and focusing on job creation.

Expanding health care coverage to all of Michigan's citizens.

Investing in our K-12 and higher education systems.

Defending and advancing our civil rights and liberties.

Grassroots Support:

As an activist, I strongly believe in the importance and power of grassroots organizing. My campaign team and I have worked throughout the last several months to build a strong foundation for our grassroots campaign, going door-to-door to gather signatures for my nominating petitions, meeting with campus and community activists, and assembling an ever-growing group of volunteers.

Over the next five months, these same strategies will remain a central tenet of our campaign plan as we continue to reach out to other community members, urge our supporters to become more involved, and most importantly to identify supportive voters and to "Get Out The Vote" on Election Day.

DFA Values:

We can no longer afford to wait to prioritize funding of policies that both help our citizens today and also ensure the fiscal health of our state into the future.

I believe that a fiscally responsible and socially progressive candidate puts people first. I believe that with effective targeting of state spending, we can do more than just help those in need today, but can also take our economy into the 21st century, preparing our families, our businesses, and our children to compete in the global market of tomorrow.

We can make Michigan the first single-payer health care state, expanding coverage to all of our citizens. We can fund our public education system equitably, investing in our children and our future. We can allocate enough money to higher education to assure that everyone has the opportunity to go to college if they so choose.