ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Chris
WHERE I COME FROM
I was born and raised in Kalamazoo. I've always lived on the east side of the city- I was born in Kalamazoo Township, grew up in Comstock, and I now reside in the Eastside Neighborhood of the City of Kalamazoo.
A CAREER OF SERVICE
I grew up wanting to be a police officer. After taking law enforcement classes and becoming a public safety explorer in high school, I was exposed to firefighting and emergency medical services. When I graduated high school, my goal was clear: I was going to become a public safety officer. While going to school to earn my degree in criminal justice, I earned my emergency medical technician license and became a certified firefighter. At some point in my college career, I realized that law enforcement was not quite the career for me. But I still had an interest in criminal justice, so I completed my bachelors degree and became a volunteer sheriff's reserve deputy.
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After receiving my bachelor's degree in criminal justice, I immediately enrolled in Western's Public Administration program. I knew that my future was in the public sector, so this program seemed an appropriate fit. I received my Master's in Public Administration and I currently work for the State of Michigan as a CPS Investigator.
MISSION STATEMENT
Hold Power Accountable
Most people agree: concentrated power leads to corruption. Those in power need to be held accountable to prevent this. Who has power? Well, the government for one. Those who hold public office need to be held accountable and their actions must be transparent.
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But who else has power? The extraordinarily wealthy and large corporations. Steps must be taken to ensure that they treat their workers fairly and that they do not negatively impact the communities that they operate in.
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Together, we can have a country that holds power accountable, while ensuring that its citizens have the freedom and liberty to pursue happiness as described in the Declaration of Independence.
A DEMOCRAT FOR ALL PARTIES
Fighting for Third Parties from Within
I have many grievances with the Democratic Party- specifically the party, not the people. That is why I have supported third parties in the past and have volunteered for organizations that advocate for Ranked Choice Voting.
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I have spoken with the Libertarian Party, Green Party, and even the US Taxpayers Party. Even if I disagree with them on issues, they should have just as much of a chance as the two major parties.
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However, we live in a two-party system (for now). So, I had to select which party represented my views the best. While both parties share many of the same political donors on the federal level, and vote together more often than you think, the Democratic Party still was the one that aligned with me the most. So, I chose to run as a Democrat.
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My hope for the Democratic Party is not gone- it is redeemable. But if we can't do that, at least we can give other parties a fighting chance.