MSU assistant prof hopes to win seat in Mich. Senate

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An MSU assistant law professor plans to run for Michigan Senate in 2010.

Democrat Mark Totten, a 35-year-old Kalamazoo native, hopes to win Republican state Sen. Tom George’s seat, which covers the 20th District including Kalamazoo County and Van Buren County’s Antwerp and Paw Paw townships. George was elected in 2002, and will reach term limit next fall.

Totten said he decided to run after knocking on about 3,000 doors this summer and listening to citizens’ concerns.

“Talking to people about the issues and doing a lot of listening, and what I heard again and again is, there is a loss in faith in government,” he said. “People believe that our legislators are often serving themselves.”

If elected, his priorities would include investing in jobs, reforming state government and improving education at all levels.

Although he has not held an elected office before, he said Michigan needs a new type of leader.

“We need a government people can trust and that they can have confidence that it is working for our economic recovery and not the special interest,” he said.

Totten grew up in Kalamazoo and attended Cedarville University in Ohio. After getting a masters in religion, a doctorate in ethics and a juris doctorate from Yale University and working as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Totten returned to the Kalamazoo area.

“I knew that we wanted to get back to Kalamazoo and Michigan to raise our kids here,” Totten said.

Other Democrats seeking the primary bid include Kalamazoo County Commissioner John Taylor, D-Kalamazoo, and state Rep. Robert Jones, D-Kalamazoo.

Republicans seeking the nomination include state Rep. Larry DeShazor, R-Portage, state
Rep. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, and former state Rep. Lorence Wenke, R-Comstock Township.

Steve Mitchell, president of East Lansing-based Mitchell Research and Communications Inc., said this could be a tough election for Totten because voters look for candidates with experience.

“You can move into the State House or Senate … if you have the ability to build a strong campaign and the ability to put together a strong campaign means the ability to raise money,” Mitchell said. “If he can’t get people to contribute to his campaign then he won’t be a good candidate.”

Wenke said his experience as a small business owner in Michigan allows him to understand issues that matter in the state’s private sector.

“I think key issues are jobs and the economy and after that Michigan’s business climate,” Wenke said. “It’s all tied together. When you are in the Legislature you see how tied together all these things are.”

Mark Grebner, a political consultant with East Lansing-based Practical Political Consulting Inc., said experience or not, the 20th District seat is a difficult one to win.

“The Democratic primary is no cake walk. The Democratic primary will be hard fought, and if he wins that the primary will be hard fought too,” Grebner said. “But I’d say it’s plausible.”

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