Big money in our politics is standing in the way of progress being made on the issues that matter most to Michigan’s working families. Whether it’s skyrocketing prescription drug costs, addressing the impacts of climate change, or investing in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, our country is facing massive threats to our economic security and the future of our families. Instead of producing results, the politics and partisanship of Washington are making matters worse instead of better because too many politicians in Washington answer to the corporate interests that fund their re-election campaigns instead of the people who live in their Districts.

It’s time we fix the corrupt system in Washington and put people and community back at the center of our decisions, which is why I’m running to represent Michigan in the U.S. Congress.

As a State Representative, I have a record of fighting to enact non-partisan redistricting, improving transparency and ethics in Michigan, and reducing the amount of money in politics. In 2017, I was proud to introduce the Voters Bill of Rights in the Michigan Legislature, a similar version of which became Proposal 3 and ushered in a new era of pro-voter laws in the state. If elected to Congress, one of my first priorities will be reforming our politics to fight corruption, end dark money, and protect the right to vote.

Getting big money out of politics

Jon believes that good government responds to people – that’s why he refuses to accept corporate PAC money for his campaign. Jon supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and end the flow of unlimited corporate and dark money into our elections. Jon knows that we need greater transparency for political spending by dark money groups and Super PACS, requiring them to disclose their donors so voters know who is really behind the ads they’re seeing. Jon also supports reforming the Federal Election Commission (FEC) so it can serve in its watchdog capacity, instead of letting the current gridlock create loopholes for bad actors that violate our campaign finance laws without consequences. Jon is proud to have been endorsed by End Citizens United for his dedication to getting big money out of politics.

Ending the legislator-to-lobbyist pipeline

Former elected officials and cabinet members shouldn’t be allowed to use their special connections and influence to lobby for corporations and special interests when they leave office. That is why Jon would push for a four-year ban on lobbying by former members of Congress and cabinet members.

Ending partisan gerrymandering

In 2018, Michiganders took an historic stand against partisan gerrymandering by passing a constitutional amendment to create an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to make citizens – not career politicians or special interests – responsible for drawing our district lines. Jon had previously sponsored similar legislation in his first two terms of office as a State Representative. Jon wants what was passed in Michigan to be the gold standard for every state because for far too long communities across the country have had their voices silenced because of unfairly drawn maps manipulated by incumbent politicians to protect their power.

Protecting the right to vote

In 2018, Michiganders took steps to make our elections more accessible by passing a constitutional amendment, Proposal 3, to enshrine automatic and same-day voter registration, and no-reason absentee voting in the state constitution. Unfortunately, corrupt politicians across the country have worked to restrict access to the voting booth through voter suppression efforts. It is absolutely imperative that we the people are free to make our voices heard in the voting booth. That is why Jon believes we must reinstate protections under the Voting Rights Act, so that any state or jurisdiction with a pattern of discrimination must have changes to voting practices approved by the Justice Department. Jon also believes that, like Michigan, every state should have automatic and same-day voter registration, and make absentee voting available to everyone without requiring a reason or excuse.