Edwin Dean didn’t set out to live in Northport. Crossing Lake Michigan by sailboat, a sudden storm forced him to shelter in Christmas Cove. He came ashore and walked ten miles into town for help — and the people of Northport took him in.
He never left. He grew a local small business, and when he watched local government try to hand off public land without an open process, he ran for Village Council — and won as a write-in, beating a sitting incumbent.
Government should answer to the people who live here year-round — not outside interests, and not Lansing.
The people who live here year-round — the ones who keep this place running through every winter — should be driving the decisions, not Lansing and not outside interests. It starts with what it costs to live here.
Everything costs too much. No new taxes — permanently lower Michigan’s income tax, cut the fees that pile up on everyday life, and keep more money in the pockets of the people who live here. If it makes life more expensive, it shouldn’t pass.
People here work hard for their money and deserve a government that respects every dollar — a full review of spending, zero-based budgeting, and real transparency so you can see where it goes. Living within its means, just like the people it serves.
Fully fund local and state police, invest in officer recruitment, and make sure EMS and first responders can reach every corner of the district when seconds count.
Keep directing fuel-tax dollars to the local roads and bridges people actually drive every day — not pet projects downstate. Up north shouldn’t come last.
Energy policy should fit Northern Michigan, not one-size-fits-all mandates from outside the region — defend local control over siting, keep utility costs down, and take a balanced, fact-driven approach to Line 5.
Cut the red tape that holds small businesses back and grow the year-round economy that keeps our towns alive — main streets, farms, the cherry and wine country, and the trades.
This seat is decided at the margins, and it comes down to the people who live here year-round. Affordability, accountability, and keeping Northern Michigan’s decisions in Northern Michigan are on the ballot. Whoever you voted for last time, Edwin would be honored to earn your vote.
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