Michigan House of Representatives District 63 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Michigan, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 63

Jay DeBoyer defeated Kelly Noland in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jay DeBoyer (R)	64.3	28,050
		Kelly Noland (D)	35.7	15,598

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 43,648
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

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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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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?

Kelly Noland (D)

We have to move forward and get our government functioning again, no more high school antics.

The person who represents our district needs to be able to work across the aisle and willing to compromise because you are representing ALL constituents, not just the ones who voted for you.

Focusing on community health will be one of my top priorities besides the "regular issues" and I can think outside the box to bring real solutions to our problems.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Kelly Noland (D)

Public health! Especially our mental health services which are sorely needed in our rural areas. With addiction running rampart right now, our focus should be on treatment and recovery, not incarcerations. Our first responders have been filling in the gap for mental health services and that is really beyond their scope of practice. I am also passionate about our environment, keeping our Great Lakes and watersheds free from pollution, encouraging wetland growth, restoring areas impacted by PFAS contamination and encouraging stricter laws for run off. In am also interested in the many drainage issues we have here that has caused flooding, beach erosion and loss of shoreline land that homes sit on. Getting reliable broadband service for the district is also a top priority and looking into having mass transportation available also is.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

I take many different people as examples depending on their views and if they correlate with mine. I have admired Abe Lincoln especially because he stayed the course and did not deviate from what was needed, no matter how difficult the situation. He was a firm believer in justice and was a practical man. We need more common sense in our government nowadays.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

My political philosophy is varied and can't really be summed up in one book or film. I would say that I am a person that respects tradition and the law who would not shrink from doing my duty, so maybe Saving Private Ryan, the Tom Hanks character.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

The willingness to listen, be flexible and truly care about the district and it's people that you represent. The fine art of compromise should also be part of their repertoire.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

I took an oath when I went into the military and another one when I finished nursing school. I hold those oaths to this day and I base my conduct on them also. It may sound old fashioned but I feel when you take an oath seriously and adhere to it, that starts you on a good path to follow. I am a practical person that realizes I won't get everything that I want but I will work to get what my district needs and I will not engage in childish antics to distract from my goal of serving the public to the best of my ability.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

To work for the best interest of the district and it's constituents.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Kelly Noland (D)

I would like to be known as a fair and good legislator that serves my constituents, that I actually listen to what people tell me and that I made a difference in my community.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

The Bicentennial in 1976 and I was 8 years old.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

My first job was in the Army, working as a Labor & Delivery nurse at Bayne-Jones ACH in Fort Polk, Louisiana. I was active duty for 3 years and after discharge, I continued my education via the G.I. Bill at Macomb Community College then I worked at area hospitals.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Kelly Noland (D)

I have many that I have reread over the years. My favorite is actually a series of books by Margaret George titled "Masters of Rome" there are 6 books in the series, it's historical fiction based on the late republic years of Rome.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

Wonder Woman

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

Kelly Noland (D)

Poker Face by Lady Gaga

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

Kelly Noland (D)

Sometimes I have struggled with peoples prejudices in regards to being a woman that can be a strong and effective leader.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

The governor should be confident on being able to present ideas to the house and in the lively discussion that will ensue. Going tit for tat has been the norm for awhile now and as a result we have had degradation of our democracy which will cost us dear if we don't get things squared away.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

Switching over to clean energy will be a huge issue, with ramifications on many different levels. Such as, will there be plentiful good paying jobs? What are we going to do about lost jobs from gas vehicle production being phased out? How are we going to attract and keep talented people? How are we going to start building the infrastructure necessary for widespread EV use? These and many other things we need to really start working on if we are going to be carbon neutral in the coming years.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Kelly Noland (D)

Unicameral is a single governing body which is good for passing legislation without any deadlocks which improves efficiency in lawmaking. The drawbacks are that every segment of society may not be properly represented in a just and equitable manner.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

Not necessarily, as we all have our own life experience to draw upon and sometimes fresh eyes on something is needed to get things moving along. A person with the skills to listen, understand and then act is what's needed in legislation.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

It's essential to work together with your colleges and build working relationships with them. You may not see eye to eye on everything but that's why we have the word "compromise". I have worked in high stress situations in which I may not particularly like someone but we worked together for the best outcome and that needs to apply in legislating. I may not invite you to lunch and we agree to disagree but the commonality is that we are there for our constituents. So having strong interpersonal relationships is key for effective legislating.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Kelly Noland (D)

Michigan had an independent commission draw up our new districts and I feel that's the fairest process to prevent gerrymandering.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

Health and Human services, any environmental committee

If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?

Kelly Noland (D)

n/a

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

Kelly Noland (D)

I would like to set my own precedent by being a smart, capable and fair lawmaker.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

Yes I am. I intend to run for federal office in the future, possibly congress.

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?

Kelly Noland (D)

Yes, there was a woman I was talking to in my district and she told me about how she lost 2 children to the opioid epidemic. One was 25, the other 19 and she lost them within months of each other. I asked her if she looked for any help for her situation and she told me that she "tried to get counselling but I couldn't afford it and there was no help.". Her pain was real and I felt so bad that she couldn't access free or affordable mental health services as our rural areas don't have many resources for it. I'd like to change that.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Kelly Noland (D)

What goes 99 thump, 99 thump, 99 thump? A caterpillar with a wooden leg.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Kelly Noland (D)

Yes if necessary in emergency situations, with oversight of course.

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

Kelly Noland (D)

Indeed! It's the only way forward sometimes and people may not like each other, but when you are trying to come together for the greater good getting it done should matter and your personal feelings need to be set aside.

See also

More about these elections:

• Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2022

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