Mark Ludwig

Mark Ludwig (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 43. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

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

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Ludwig earned a bachelor's degree in environmental issues from Michigan State University in 1992. His professional experience includes working in agriculture. He has served on the Allegan Conservation District BOD.^[1]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 43

Rachelle M. Smit defeated Mark Ludwig in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 43 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Rachelle M. Smit (R)	70.8	30,920
	Mark Ludwig (D)	29.2	12,771

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 43,691
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 43

Mark Ludwig advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 43 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Ludwig	100.0	4,134

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,134
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 43

Rachelle M. Smit defeated Lindsay Kronemeyer, Phillip Joseph, and Nevin Cooper-Keel in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 43 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rachelle M. Smit	49.9	8,854
	Submit photo	Lindsay Kronemeyer	32.2	5,702
	Submit photo	Phillip Joseph	14.9	2,646
	Submit photo	Nevin Cooper-Keel	3.0	529

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,731
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign finance

2018

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

Incumbent Mary Whiteford defeated Mark Ludwig in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on November 6, 2018.

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 80

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mary Whiteford (R)	63.7	25,000
	Mark Ludwig (D)	36.3	14,275

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 39,275 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Mark Ludwig defeated Erik Almquist in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Ludwig	71.5	4,716
	Submit photo	Erik Almquist	28.5	1,884

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,600
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Incumbent Mary Whiteford advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on August 7, 2018.

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Whiteford	100.0	11,557

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,557
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I've lived on a small Allegan County farm for 17 years with my wife and daughter. I've been a school board and planning commission member. I currently serve on the Allegan Conservation District Board of Directors.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will work to restore faith in our elections.
Climate change must be addressed to maintain our economy and agriculture. Time is short!
Our public institutions like schools and health departments need less lying and more trying from our legislature

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Environmental adaptation and restoration. Preparing agriculture for new climate realities. Supporting our schools in the new digital environment of wonder and distraction.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

An open mind and large need to be amusing. I can usually put people at ease and talk with anyone.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Adapting to the rapid changes coming from climate change

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. A broad background of service makes better informed and skilled members

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes. It's a big, diverse country. Our best programs serve all citizens well and require broad support.

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.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

Mark Ludwig completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ludwig's responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Rebuild roads and other infrastructure to climate change ready standards Reform the insurance system including auto and a single payer health care system at the state level Open government up! The Freedom Of Information Act should apply to Legislature and Governor's office

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have worked in agriculture for decades and have the most to add to policy development in that field. Environmental issues are also a passion and an area of expertise.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Admire a lot of leaders from both parties. Gov. Bill Milliken always impressed me for his ability to get Michigan's business done by building broad support.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Three parts progressive policy with a heavy dose of libertarian thought.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Be willing to look at the data. Don't let the perfect get in the way of the possible. Be friendly.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am friendly and positive even with folks I disagree with. I have a passion for dealing with the rapidly building climate emergency and I know it will take broad and enthusiastic participation from our citizens to address this problem.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Know the real needs of the district and find ways to meet those needs. This includes both legislation and service to individual citizens needing a voice in Lansing. It is also critical to build relationships with fellow legislators and other officials to get the hard things done.

What legacy would you like to leave?

High rates of no till farming across Michigan. Transparent government. Climate change adaptation

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Watergate. 4 years old

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked for my father as a field assistant for his environmental service company, over 10 years.

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

Thanksgiving. All eating, no presents.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Titan (and sequels) by John Varley. Most imaginative SIFI ever

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Yoda

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

Does my farm workshop count? It should! I love building stuff out there.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"We Got the Beat" GoGos

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Knowing when to try and be funny, and not.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

Senate districts are larger of course. Beyond that they seem pretty similar in MI

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. Knowing the basics helps you get started promptly

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Get ready for climate change

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

Friendly skepticism. The branches are separated for good reason. The legislature should bring the view from their small patch of MI, the executive needs to look out for all.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. As a raging centrist I need to actively make friends. As a rural Democrat, I've had to be friendly with Republicans to be social. Some conservative Democrats like me would help to build the relationships we need to make real progress.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I support proposal 2. I'd suggest an agreement to maintain political units together (town/city, township, county, watershed?) would solve a bunch of the issues.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Agriculture, DEQ budget, natural resources

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

Yes. Ambassador to right wing folks. Lorax for the soil.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

My opponent does a great job of constituent service, if I win I want her contacts. I've got great respect for Sen. Stabenow who has served agriculture spectacularly well as a Democrat while maintaining good cred with the team. Also like Sen. Robert "Fighting Bob" LaFollet OG GOP progressive and Sen. Russ Fiengold - WI. Many More #politicalnerd

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Yes.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

The stories from the cancer cluster in Otsego have personalized the damage of our environmental contamination history.

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.

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:

“

What is your political philosophy?

Look at the Data, talk to the people doing the work. Act for the good of all.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Long read below: Answers to the League of Women Voter 2018 questions
1. PRIORITIES: What are your top three state legislative priorities and how would you address them?
• Rebuild our failing infrastructure to meet 21st century needs. Our roads, bridges, sewer and water systems all need repair. We must accept that climate change is real and build to meet the massive storms of the future. Rural broadband must become a priority.
• 2.Take a serious look at the long term trends in our labor force and the jobs of the future. Automation is thinning out jobs throughout the workforce in a complex world market.
• As a long time farmer and Conservation District board member I have much to contribute to the promotion and improvement of our agriculture sector in Allegan County.

2. EDUCATION: What measures do you support/propose to achieve improved educational outcomes and accessibility for Michigan students from early childhood through post-secondary education?
Per pupil funding must be equal for all districts. It is utterly unfair that tax rates from the 90’s set funding today. The legislature needs to stop constantly meddling with education policy and bad mouthing teachers. Progress expanding early childhood education should continue. On the university level there is an obvious failure of oversight at Michigan State, it's shocking the trustees have not been fired. Funding has also been an issue as the legislature trimmed their allocations and then cynically complained about tuition rates. Continuing education programs need more attention to address economic change.

3. ECONOMY: What policies do you support to increase jobs and help Michigan residents improve their economic positions?
I would support a single payer health care system for Michigan instead of waiting for the feds to act. Much as Canada’s single payer system started in one province, we can be the leading state. This would give Michigan a unique competitive advantage and unburden both citizens and businesses. Small business and entrepreneurs in particular would be helped. The obscenely common medical bankruptcy will be a thing of the past and the citizens should live healthier lives. A proper climate adaptation program will be a massive job generator and will help prevent damage to our economy due to disasters.

4. ELECTIONS: What state policies do you support regarding campaign funding and voting rights?
Voting should be easy, efficient and secure. Our current paper based system should be retained and improved. Voter rolls should be kept up to date using modern methods, backed up by a reformed provisional balloting system which allows votes to be counted with confidence. Early and no reason absentee voting should be allowed. Long wait times need to be addressed through investments as necessary.

5. ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY: What actions or policies do you support to protect Michigan’s water, air and land for current and future generations, while meeting the state’s energy needs? Explain how those actions or policies would affect the future of Enbridge Pipeline 5.
We should be on a very rapid transition to green energy now that the cost has basically equalized with fossil fuels. Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions become totally unacceptable in this context. Concerns about reliability can be addressed with modern battery storage, power grid reform and an orderly transition. Energy efficiency programs and conversion of industry away from fossil fuels should be a priority. Line 5 should be shut down ASAP, Michigan gains very little from it. Agriculture should be encouraged to adopt no till methods in order to decrease soil erosion and nutrient run off.

6. JUSTICE: What policies will you pursue to promote social and racial justice in our state?
The first step in my opinion is seeing the massiveness of this issue. It has many aspects; history, economic inequality, unconscious biases, a revived overt racism and unequal outcomes in our courts for our minority citizens compared to whites. The segregated lives many white people live leave many of them unprepared to confront this difficult issue. My adopted daughter is black and I have been attending a minority led church for some years. I have had to personally confront these issues and believe these experiences will be helpful in the legislature.
Other Issues:
Marijuana reform: Legalize and Tax it.
Guns -
The second amendment has been interpreted by the supreme court as an individual right to bear arms. They are also clear there can be reasonable limits placed on arms. The questions of where these lines ought to be drawn will continue to be a difficult decision which I will take very seriously. There are other important practical issues to consider. There are a tremendous number of guns circulating in the USA, roughly one for each person. Trying to recall any particular type of gun becomes rapidly complicated by a diversity of models and variants. The rather loose trade in firearms between individuals and a history of legally limited record keeping will make them hard to find. An already difficult political division in the country would intensify. It's easy to imagine trouble.
However there are certainly things that can be done. So called 'Red Flag' laws allowing the temporary impounding of firearms belonging to people deemed a threat to themselves or others could be very helpful. I also believe ending the background check loopholes would slow the flow of guns to those who are unqualified to have them. Simply put, all firearm transfers should flow through an entity with an FFL (aka your local gun store). Other well crafted reforms, such as age limits for certain guns should be considered. Lastly I'd suggest the dialogue on guns needs some help. There is a lot of talking past each other and angry base building. There is also an unacceptable toll in our high rates of murder and suicide by gun. As a Democrat and a gun owner I hope to help improve both those situations.
Agriculture - We live in a golden age for many types of agriculture. Crop genetics and technology continue to improve and many farms are keeping up with these developments. However, there is significant risk to the industry as climate disruption becomes more sever. Whether it’s continental drought (2012), vicious winters (2013 and 2014) or unprecedented rain during spring and fall seasons (2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018) we have seen tremendous increases in disruptive weather events. Aggressive adoption of technologies to adapt to these conditions must become a priority, beginning with politicians and public servants embracing the reality of both the change in climate and the many ways people can adapt to the situation. Michigan State and other universities should be encouraged to expand their studies of the specific adaptation strategies best suited to Michigan. We should mobilize both MDARD personnel and county partners from the Conservation Districts to engage farmers. Our existing MAEAP technicians and Extension Service personnel should also become promoters of adaptation strategies.
Specific Ideas for Ag:
Ag Economy: Efforts to adapt to climate change need to fairly compensate farmers for practices with significant public benefit. Public/private partnerships should be explored to address climate and watershed challenges. Significant transportation challenges are faced when shipping from Michigan which lowers prices. Efforts to identify workable solutions should be a priority.
Education: The MSU Extension Service and Experiment Stations should undergo a full scale revitalization, beginning with the return of the dedicated county agent to lead local efforts in our flagship ag counties. MSU should expand efforts to attract non traditional students to the agriculture professions. Satellite partnerships across the state to spread the “Land Grant” mission to other educational institutions should be encouraged. State funding for high school ag education should be implemented where viable programs can be developed. Remote sensing: LiDAR uses lasers on aircraft to survey the ground accurately at low cost. Several states have completed surveys of their entire area. These maps can be used to model watersheds more accurately, support informed planning and identifying risks. This is only one example of the modern tools available to understand our changing world. More effort to acquire and understand this data is critical for agriculture and society.
Fruit production: Fruit is sensitive to winter damage, spring freezes, hostile summer weather and new insect pests. Some of these can be adapted to, for example by adding wind machines to address spring freezes. Well proven adaptations should be priorities, financial assistance may be helpful for these. Breeding more durable strains of fruit and adopting a rapid response attitude toward invasive insect pests should be priorities. Row Crops: Complacency about soil loss must come to an end. Modern methods of no till agriculture and similar practices which can capture carbon need to be promoted and carbon credit trading should be supported and facilitated by the state.
Livestock: The livestock industry supports and feeds a great many folks in Allegan County and beyond. The issues between small and large livestock farmers need to be addressed with fairness and a clear understanding of the risks and responsibilities we share. Careful integration of manure disposal and modern cropping systems can avoid some of the historic issues faced by this industry. Special attention needs to be paid to climate adaptation for this industry to support storm management and post disaster recovery in support of animal welfare.
Diversity of crops: Michigan has legendary crop diversity. The massive expansion of the American culinary pallet in recent decades should inspire us to pay attention to our less common crops and methods of production.
Water: Michigan is blessed with great surface and ground water resources. Effort to improve the quality of both is needed.^[2]

”

—Mark Ludwig^[1]

External links

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Candidate

Michigan House of Representatives District 43

Personal

Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on October 19, 2018
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[show]

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)

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Tonya Myers Phillips (D)

District 8

Helena Scott (D)

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Joseph Tate (D)

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Veronica Paiz (D)

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Donavan McKinney (D)

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Kimberly Edwards (D)

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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

Samantha Steckloff (D)

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

Nancy Jenkins-Arno (R)

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

Alicia St. Germaine (R)

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

Penelope Tsernoglou (D)

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

Gregory Alexander (R)

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

Gregory Markkanen (R)

Republican Party (58)

Democratic Party (52)

[bio-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on October 19, 2018

[quotedisclaimer-2] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[1]

[2]

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Mark Ludwig

Biography

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 43

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 43

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 43

Campaign finance

2018

General election

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 80

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80

Republican primary election

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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