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James Diez

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James Diez
Image of James Diez

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Lawrence Technological University

Graduate

University of Missouri, 1991

Other

University of Virginia, 2015

Personal
Birthplace
Detroit, Mich.
Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

James Diez (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 36. He lost in the special general election on May 3, 2022.

Diez also ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 59. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Diez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

James Diez was born in Detroit, Michigan. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Lawrence Technological University in 1987. He earned a graduate degree in engineering management & statistics from the University of Missouri in 1991. He graduated from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business Executive Leadership program in 2015.[1]

Elections

2022

Regular election

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 59

Douglas Wozniak defeated James Diez in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 59 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Douglas Wozniak
Douglas Wozniak (R)
 
65.2
 
28,255
Image of James Diez
James Diez (D)
 
34.8
 
15,083

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 43,338
Candidate Connection = 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 59

James Diez advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 59 on August 2, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of James Diez
James Diez
 
100.0
 
6,156

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 6,156
Candidate Connection = 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 59

Douglas Wozniak defeated incumbent Terence Mekoski and Frank Cusumano in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 59 on August 2, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Douglas Wozniak
Douglas Wozniak
 
52.1
 
6,810
Image of Terence Mekoski
Terence Mekoski
 
34.3
 
4,491
Image of Frank Cusumano
Frank Cusumano
 
13.6
 
1,781

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 13,082
Candidate Connection = 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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Campaign finance

Special election

See also: Michigan state legislative special elections, 2022

General election

Special general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 36

Terence Mekoski defeated James Diez in the special general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 36 on May 3, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Terence Mekoski
Terence Mekoski (R)
 
59.6
 
7,834
Image of James Diez
James Diez (D) Candidate Connection
 
40.4
 
5,316

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 13,150
Candidate Connection = 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.

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 36

James Diez advanced from the special Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 36 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of James Diez
James Diez Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
3,766

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 3,766
Candidate Connection = 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.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 36

Terence Mekoski defeated Sylvia Grot, William Thompson, and Grant Golasa in the special Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 36 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Terence Mekoski
Terence Mekoski
 
39.5
 
3,443
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Sylvia Grot
 
35.7
 
3,115
Image of William Thompson
William Thompson Candidate Connection
 
20.3
 
1,768
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Grant Golasa
 
4.6
 
399

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 8,725
Candidate Connection = 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


Campaign themes

2022

Regular election

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

James Diez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Special election

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

James Diez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Diez's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I was born, raised, and have lived in Macomb County for 50+ years. I enjoyed growing up in Warren and playing sports for Warren High School. I began college with two years at Macomb Community College and went on to Lawrence Tech U to receive a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (’87). I moved to St. Louis, while working for Emerson Electric, I received a master’s degree in Engineering Management and Statistics from the U of Missouri (‘91). I recently retired but I’ve worked in a variety of areas in the automotive, aerospace, defense, and the global supply chain/logistics industries. I’ve held positions in management and executive management. I understand what businesses need to succeed and what workers need to be financially secure and lead a fulfilling work lives.

I've lived in Shelby Township with my wife of 33 years since 2011 and together we have an adult daughter. In retirement, I enjoy leading volunteer projects that help families with children with special needs.

  • The middle class is the backbone of our country. The American worker has suffered stagnate wages for decades, watched pensions disappear and pay more every year for employer provided health care with higher deductibles and co-pays. Americans have watched corporations ship their jobs to overseas because there’s no way an American worker can compete with the ultra-low wages paid in communist China. When making decisions in the legislature, my North star will be “Is it good for the middle class and working families?.” Unions built the middle class of this country and I support organized labor.
  • Green energy is our future. Investments the auto companies and state of Michigan have made in electric vehicles provide an excellent foundation on which to build an entire green energy industry that will provide jobs for the future, improve the environment and curb climate change. I will write/support legislation/tax policy that will attract companies that produce renewable energy cars and other green energy products, and companies that recycle and dispose of renewable energy products.
  • The partisan divide must be bridged. As Michiganders we have many more commonalities and differences. I will look to create common ground with all House members when drafting and passing legislation. Michigan citizens must report to work every day and accomplish concrete tasks. Michiganders don't get paid for showing up and fighting with their co-workers and neither should legislators. Fueling anger may be good for politics but it is terrible for our country and for meeting the needs of its citizens.
Since working on volunteer projects that benefit children with special needs or in wheelchairs, I have come to understand the struggles their parents face when taking them out of the home. As a legislator I would like to play a role in getting family friendly businesses to install bathroom facilities that children in wheelchairs need. It would make going out of the home much easier for kids and parents.


I would also like the state to develop a template and offer funding for a program that would train senior citizen volunteers to help children with home work and tutoring after school. Our seniors have much to offer the younger generation, and this would be helpful to working families.
I look up to leaders who do what is right even when it is unpopular. Leaders who advocate for something that does not benefit them or might even harm their career or social standing are courageous and good leaders. There are many leaders who've had to "go against the grain" to advance a cause, effect change or speak for the voiceless.
Intellect, critical thinking skills, integrity, honesty, legislating and voting with the voters interest at heart.
Being knowledgeable about legislation and its consequences, responsive to constituents and willing to work with those who have the voters best interest at heart.
My most vivid memory of an historical event was the Bi-Centennial celebration in 1976. I was 11 years old at the time. Everyone was proud to witness America's 200th Birthday.
My first job at 12 was cleaning at a tool and die shop my grandfather owned. I worked there during the summer and on weekends until college.
Working together to pass legislation must the first priority not racking up political points for your re-election or fundraising effort.
Population decline is an issue for Michigan. Protecting the great lakes. Building a diverse business base that provides well paying jobs that cannot be exported.
While the efficiency of unicameralism looks attractive on the surface, in this hyper partisan time when each party in our two-party system seem to be moving to their extremes, I do not favor a unicameral government. I feel a unicameral legislature could become a powerless appendage of the executive branch if one party is in control of both.
Of course experience in government is beneficial for legislators. However, it's just as important to know how state government works and how it interfaces with federal and local governments. The Founding Fathers did not intend for political service to be an entire career. In that vein I think it is beneficial to elect outsiders who different perspectives and skills to government.
Building relationships, especially across the aisle is especially important. It is the only way to pass lasting legislation. As aforementioned, legislation that is passed with only one party’s support will only last until the party in power loses the majority. We see this happening with executive orders and it happens with legislation as well.
I think a non-partisan commission drawing as many 50:50 as possible is favorable to a partisan legislative body drawing districts. Partisan legislatures draw the maximum number of districts that favor their party. This is one element that has led to the hyper partisanship in our country. When districts are very safe for one party, the only challenge to an incumbent is a primary challenge from another member of the same party. Because voter turn out is lower in primaries, and primary voters are often the most partisan, they tend to elect candidates that represent the ideological extremes of their parties. Because that candidate is in a safe district, they win the general election. This results in legislatures filled with people who are further to the left or right than the average voter, and who have an exceedingly difficult time compromising because their voter base does not allow compromise.
I think my knowledge, skills and experience would be will suited to the Appropriations Committee, The Workforce, Trades and Talent Committee and the Energy Committee.
I would like to model myself after Harry Truman who had a sign on his desk that said, "The Buck Stops Here".
In a perfect world, it would be advantageous for the legislature to oversee or play a role in emergency measures. But, by its very nature, an emergency requires fast action. I suppose I am willing to risk a governor's overreach in return for fast action in an emergency situation.
Compromise is the only thing that will produce legislation that lasts. Legislation that is only supported by one party is changed when the party in power changes.

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.

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External links

Candidate

Michigan House of Representatives District 59
  • Website
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 28, 2022


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