jews in the d

Meet the Candidates

in State Races

T

he JN reached out to the candi-
dates in the following four races
with a questionnaire. Their
answers are below, edited for length
and clarity.

11th Senate District

The 11th Senate District includes
Farmington, Farmington Hills,
Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington
Woods, Lathrup Village, Madison
Heights, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge,
Royal Oak and Southfield. State Sen.
Vincent Gregory (D) can’t run again
for this seat due to term limits.

DEMOCRAT

NAME: Jeremy Moss
AGE: 32
CITY OF RESIDENCE:
Southfield
SYNAGOGUE/
CHURCH (if any):
Congregation Beth Ahm
Jeremy Moss
PROFESSIONAL
BACKGROUND:
Current state representative; former
Southfield city councilman; former
legislative staff in the Michigan legis-
lature.
WHAT WOULD YOU MOST
LIKE READERS TO KNOW ABOUT
YOU?
A graduate of Hillel Day School
and a board member at Congregation
Beth Ahm, I am currently the co-chair

20

October 11 • 2018

jn

of the Caucus of Jewish Legislators
in Michigan and would be the only
Jewish member of the Michigan State
Senate, if elected, after nearly a decade
of no representation in that chamber.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3
PRIORITIES IF ELECTED?
We must find ways to boost work-
ers’ wages, fix our roads and fund our
schools; but we won’t achieve those
goals while state government remains
broken. That’s why I introduced bills
to:
• Increase government transparency.
I wrote 10 bills that passed the House
to expand our open records law, so you
can shine a light on the money and
influence in politics.
• Restore integrity in our elections.
I sponsored legislation to create an
independent redistricting commission,
expand voter rights and combat the
influence of dark money in elections.
• Stop the DeVos education agenda.
I introduced legislation in the School
Fact Act to hold for-profit charter
schools accountable for the tax-dollars
they use.

REPUBLICAN

Boris Tuman
Boris Tuman did not
return a questionnaire to
the Jewish News.

Boris Tuman

District 27 House Race

Michigan’s 27th House District
includes the cities of Berkley,
Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington
Woods, Oak Park and Pleasant Ridge
as well as Royal Oak Township.
Robert Wittenberg is the incumbent.

REPUBLICAN

Janet Flessland
The JN could find no
contact information for
Janet Flessland; she was
not contacted with a
questionnaire.

Janet Flessland

DEMOCRAT

NAME: Robert
Wittenberg
AGE: 37
CITY OF RESIDENCE:
Huntington Woods
SYNAGOGUE/
CHURCH (if any): I was
Robert
raised at Temple Emanu-
Wittenberg
El and my wife was
raised at Temple Israel.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND:
Licensed life and health insurance
agent for 14 years and state representa-
tive for the last four years.

WHAT WOULD YOU MOST
LIKE READERS TO KNOW ABOUT
YOU?
I am in my second term as state rep-
resentative and running for my third
and final term. My wife and I had our
first child in June, Ada, and we were
proud to have Rabbi Bennett from
Temple Israel do our baby naming
ceremony. I am one of only two Jewish
members in the legislature and co-chair
of the Legislative Jewish Caucus. I was
the lead sponsor and worked with the
governor and colleagues on both sides
of the aisle to pass anti-BDS legislation.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3
PRIORITIES IF ELECTED?
Tax equality. I introduced legisla-
tion and I’m leading the charge to
implement a graduated income tax in
Michigan. It would cut taxes for 94
percent of taxpayers and create $1.18
billion of new revenue annually.
Gun safety. I’m founder and chair
of the Legislative Gun Violence
Prevention Caucus. I’ve introduced
legislation for universal criminal
background checks and red flag laws,
amongst others.
Investing long-term in our state:
• Making sure we are properly
funding our public schools.
• Investing in our roads,
infrastructure and public transit.
• Protecting our environment,
including the Great Lakes.

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