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Graham Diedrich
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Graham Diedrich (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 75. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on August 2, 2022.
Diedrich completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Graham Diedrich was born in Lansing, Michigan. He attended Haslett Public Schools. He earned an undergraduate degree in international relations from Michigan State University in 2021. Diedrich's career experience includes working as a field representative with the U.S. Census Bureau, as a community organizer and campaigner in climate and environmental policy research, and as a researcher with Michigan State University as a graduate student.[1][2]
Elections
2022
See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 75
Penelope Tsernoglou defeated Chris Stewart in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 75 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Penelope Tsernoglou (D) | 60.0 | 26,106 |
 | Chris Stewart (R) | 40.0 | 17,406 | |
| Total votes: 43,512 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 75
Penelope Tsernoglou defeated Emily Stivers and Don Keskey in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 75 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Penelope Tsernoglou | 53.9 | 6,965 |
| Emily Stivers | 39.4 | 5,093 | ||
| Don Keskey | 6.7 | 870 | ||
| Total votes: 12,928 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Graham Diedrich (D)
- Ivan Diaz (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 75
Chris Stewart advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 75 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Stewart | 100.0 | 6,696 |
| Total votes: 6,696 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Diedrich's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2022
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released May 17, 2021 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Graham Diedrich completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Diedrich's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My name is Graham Diedrich. I am a graduate student at Michigan State University studying Public Policy. I'm running to represent Michigan's 69th District because I believe that we deserve someone who represents us in Lansing. Someone who understands the crises we face, and someone who proposes bold solutions to address them. Without change, nothing changes. With change, a better world is possible.
- Neither party does a good job at representing the people. I am here to change that.
- Medicare For All, a Green New Deal, and police reform are necessary to build a future that works for everyone.
- The youth can offer new perspectives to old problems.
I am particularly passionate about class inequality, climate change, and racism. It is essential that we solve the divide between the workers and the bosses, that we protect our planet and future generations, and tackle the hatred and bigotry associated with racism.
I look up to the trailblazers of the left and progressive movement in this country. Shirley Chisholm, the first black-female presidential candidate, reminds me that playing it safe is not an option. Not if you want true change. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's victory tells me that people are more powerful than money. And Bernie Sanders break into the mainstream highlights the direction I hope this country is moving in. If I could follow the example of any of these leaders, I would have done my duty as an elected official.
An elected official must be honest, willing to challenge the status quo and someone who relates to working people. They must also consider the worst-off in their district while crafting policy, instead of focusing on special interests and corporations.
I am a thoughtful person: even if I have not experienced something I am understanding of those who have. I am also someone who is very steadfast and proud of their beliefs, qualities I believe will give me a unique opportunity to serve the people of this state in a way not seen before. Finally, I am heavily organized and effective, meaning I can make the most out of my term to serve working families.
The core responsibility is to listen to constituents. Do what you were elected to do: be bold, and do not back down to either party.
I would like people to remember less about me and more about the movement and generation I represent. One of hope, equality, and justice for all. The greatest honor of my career would be to demonstrate that a better world is possible: that real change does not need to take a hundred years. Change can happen now, change must happen now.
I really do define my generation by our acceptance of others. I think a large part of that has to do with the election of former President Barack Obama back in 2008. I remember, when I was in the 2nd grade, we all went to the gym to "vote" for the next president. Although most of us barely knew what the president did, I remember how important it felt. I chose to cast my vote for our future president.
My first job was as a front-end bagger at my local Krogers. I started the job right before I turned 17, in order to save up some money before starting college. I had the job until after I turned 18, as I left to pursue my education for the first semester of my college experience.
A fantastic book I read recently was Ratf*cked by David Daley, which describes how American democracy has been chipped away by partisan gerrymandering. This book tells the astonishing story of how little our votes really matter. It is an important read if you are someone who is interested in any sort of substantial political and societal change because without our votes we are voiceless.
"Saturday" by TwentyOnePilots! Listen to it, their new album is great.
The main benefit is that the system is more efficient and democratic, as deadlock between chambers is impossible if there is only one. However, the drawback is that some unicameral state legislatures can lead to more polarization and radicalization of the parties, particularly the right-wing of the Republican Party.
I do believe that it is important for state legislators to have an understanding of the policies they advocate for. It is also important for them to understand the institutions they serve. However, I do not think previous experience in government should be a requirement to become a state legislator. What you really need are perspectives that will improve the lives of working families. Political opportunists have not solved society's greatest problems: they have exacerbated them. We need fresh voices in government, and that means people without government or political experience in the traditional understanding.
I believe it is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators if it serves the people. If it is simply about backroom dealing and political opportunism, the time spent building a relationship is time not spent solving our state's issues.
I favor an independent redistricting commisison. Anything else is unethical, undemocratic, and simply wrong. And that goes for both parties, Democratic and Republican.
I would like to be involved with committees on the environment, government oversight, policing, and the economy.
There is no one I seek to emulate within the Michigan State House. I want to come to Lansing with my own perspective and voice, period.
I would be interested in running for a different political office in the future, but only if it was advantageous to the working people of this state. I do not like opportunism, and if I was in a role that I felt maximized my connection with the working-class I would remain in that position.
The legislature should not oversee the use of certain emergency powers, like pandemic orders.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Michigan House of Representatives District 75 |
Personal |
Footnotes
Current members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Matt Hall
Minority Leader:Ranjeev Puri
Representatives
District 1
Tyrone Carter (D)
District 2
Tullio Liberati (D)
District 3
Alabas Farhat (D)
District 4
Karen Whitsett (D)
District 5
Regina Weiss (D)
District 6
Natalie Price (D)
District 7
District 8
Helena Scott (D)
District 9
Joseph Tate (D)
District 10
Veronica Paiz (D)
District 11
Donavan McKinney (D)
District 12
Kimberly Edwards (D)
District 13
Mai Xiong (D)
District 14
Mike McFall (D)
District 15
Erin Byrnes (D)
District 16
Stephanie Young (D)
District 17
Laurie Pohutsky (D)
District 18
Jason Hoskins (D)
District 19
District 20
Noah Arbit (D)
District 21
Kelly Breen (D)
District 22
Matt Koleszar (D)
District 23
Jason Morgan (D)
District 24
Ranjeev Puri (D)
District 25
Peter Herzberg (D)
District 26
Dylan Wegela (D)
District 27
Rylee Linting (R)
District 28
Jamie Thompson (R)
District 29
James DeSana (R)
District 30
William Bruck (R)
District 31
Reggie Miller (D)
District 32
Jimmie Wilson (D)
District 33
Morgan Foreman (D)
District 34
District 35
Jennifer Wortz (R)
District 36
Steve Carra (R)
District 37
Brad Paquette (R)
District 38
Joey Andrews (D)
District 39
Pauline Wendzel (R)
District 40
Matt Longjohn (D)
District 41
Julie Rogers (D)
District 42
Matt Hall (R)
District 43
Rachelle Smit (R)
District 44
Steve Frisbie (R)
District 45
Sarah Lightner (R)
District 46
Kathy Schmaltz (R)
District 47
Carrie Rheingans (D)
District 48
Jennifer Conlin (D)
District 49
Ann Bollin (R)
District 50
Jason Woolford (R)
District 51
Matt Maddock (R)
District 52
Mike Harris (R)
District 53
Brenda Carter (D)
District 54
Donni Steele (R)
District 55
Mark Tisdel (R)
District 56
Sharon MacDonell (D)
District 57
Thomas Kuhn (R)
District 58
Ron Robinson (R)
District 59
Douglas Wozniak (R)
District 60
Joseph Aragona (R)
District 61
Denise Mentzer (D)
District 62
District 63
Jay DeBoyer (R)
District 64
Joseph Pavlov (R)
District 65
Jaime Greene (R)
District 66
Josh Schriver (R)
District 67
Phil Green (R)
District 68
David Martin (R)
District 69
Jasper Martus (D)
District 70
Cynthia Neeley (D)
District 71
Brian BeGole (R)
District 72
Mike Mueller (R)
District 73
Julie Brixie (D)
District 74
Kara Hope (D)
District 75
District 76
Angela Witwer (D)
District 77
Emily Dievendorf (D)
District 78
Gina Johnsen (R)
District 79
Angela Rigas (R)
District 80
Phil Skaggs (D)
District 81
Stephen Wooden (D)
District 82
Kristian Grant (D)
District 83
John Fitzgerald (D)
District 84
Carol Glanville (D)
District 85
Bradley Slagh (R)
District 86
Nancy De Boer (R)
District 87
William Snyder (D)
District 88
Greg VanWoerkom (R)
District 89
Luke Meerman (R)
District 90
Bryan Posthumus (R)
District 91
Pat Outman (R)
District 92
Jerry Neyer (R)
District 93
Tim Kelly (R)
District 94
Amos O'Neal (D)
District 95
Bill Schuette (R)
District 96
Timothy Beson (R)
District 97
Matthew Bierlein (R)
District 98
District 99
Mike Hoadley (R)
District 100
Tom Kunse (R)
District 101
Joseph Fox (R)
District 102
Curt VanderWall (R)
District 103
Betsy Coffia (D)
District 104
John Roth (R)
District 105
Ken Borton (R)
District 106
Cameron Cavitt (R)
District 107
Parker Fairbairn (R)
District 108
David Prestin (R)
District 109
Karl Bohnak (R)
District 110
Republican Party (58)
Democratic Party (52)
