Michigan House of Representatives District 81 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Michigan, 2022

---

On the ballot:  • U.S. House • Governor • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls

This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Michigan House of Representatives District 81 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 81

Incumbent Rachel Hood defeated Lynn Afendoulis in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 81 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rachel Hood (D)	55.7	26,169
		Lynn Afendoulis (R)	44.3	20,835

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 47,004
= 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.

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

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

Expand all | Collapse all

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?

Lynn Afendoulis (R)

Families can't afford daily life and that must change. Government spending in Michigan and the United States is out of control and we're feeling it in our pocketbooks and in a growing sense of concern and despair. Our middle class is suffering. Retirees are rethinking their plans. And we’re putting the burden of our spending on our children, who will be left to pay the bill. We must reduce costs where we can--and in state government, there is plenty of opportunity. It's time government was a solution in soaring costs and inflation; not the problem.

Families must be safe in our communities and businesses must be able to thrive in safety and security. It's part of the beauty—and promise—of this nation. And I'm the candidate who cares about and will prioritize that. I will provide law enforcement and community safety programs the support and long-term funding they need so they can plan for years of security and I will offer them the respect they earn so that our children will learn to do the same. Our families deserve to live in peace in their homes and neighborhoods – no matter where they live – and our businesses need to thrive in an environment known for its safety and hospitality.

Education in Michigan is failing our youth & deadening their hopes, is more responsive to ideology than to parents, and needs revolutionary, long-term change. We must hire the best teachers & respect & support them in a manner that makes Michigan’s schools THE place to teach. We must give parents a say in what their children learn, especially in sensitive topics like sex. We must make up for the vast learning loss that happened under Gov. Whitmer and state Democrats’ shutdowns. Our focus should be on literacy, STEM, on the trades, and other critical areas that will give our children knowledge, power, jobs, and hope. And we must provide choice not just to those who can afford it, but to everyone who wants options.

Rachel Hood (D)

Supercharge Michigan’s Economy- It is time to make smart economic development investments that will incentivize companies to do business in our great state.

World Class Public Education- We must ensure Michigan’s students, parents, and teachers have the resources they need to succeed. This includes investments in early childhood & affordable childcare, career & tech education, and teacher attraction & retention

Protect choice– Enshrine the right to chose, which has stood and been reaffirmed many times over the last 50 years, in Michigan's laws.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Lynn Afendoulis (R)

I am passionate about a healthy Michigan -- economies, communities, families, environmental ecosystems, and all the things that I want to improve for our children. So, I am passionate about the policy at hand that will allow us to do those things. That said:

Health policy is critical because we need to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all. There are things we can do at the state level to help do that. Economic policy is critical because without jobs or opportunity, our systems & communities collapse. We need to create jobs and opportunity faster than we are, and without entitlements that don't come with transparency, metrics, and assurances. My daughter is a teacher; my mother was a teacher (a Michigan Teacher of the Year!), so I have lived with the trials and exuberance of dedicated educators. And I chaired the foundation for Grand Rapids Public Schools for years, which was both a great honor and instruction on our public education systems and needs. We must fix what's broken--funding, delivery systems, facilities, remote learning, etc., and that will require significant redesign and collaboration among those who don't normally sit together at the table to solve problems. But that must change, too—because we need to give our children the hope that comes from the knowledge, skills, and awareness that only a good education can provide.

Rachel Hood (D)

Michigan needs tweaks to maximize our competitive edge in the 21st Century. In order to accomplish this, our communities must be attractive places to raise families, live, work and play. Preparing our state for its future as a refuge from climate change impact is my core focus. In order to achieve that vision, Michigan must have great schools, a dynamic workforce, and vibrant local economies; Accessible, affordable healthcare and environmental justice; Clean energy, and protected watersheds. I am humbled to have a career that is a direct reflection of my longtime passions and commitment to vibrant communities and abundant natural resources.

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

Lynn Afendoulis (R)

There is a Greek concept called “philotimo” that has no true translation in English. Sometimes it's described as a love of honor, but it includes so much more than that. It is about hospitality and warmth—especially to a stranger or an enemy. It is service without expectation. It is integrity and charity. It is a virtue and a way of life and explains a decent, admirable human being who lives selflessly. My father had philotimo and I got to see how that manifested at home and at work--I worked in his restaurant starting at the age of 14--and to aspire to it in my own life. So I look up to my father and I aspire to be a person of philotimo, like he was.

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

Lynn Afendoulis (R)

I am a creative problem-solver who thinks out of the box and who works well with others -- with people of all thoughts and perspectives -- to get things done. I work hard; it simply is who I am. I am a people person and am as comfortable on a plant floor as in a boardroom, perhaps because I believe all people deserve respect and attention. I value truth, kindness, and integrity. I am bold and unafraid of difficult conversations on difficult issues -- partly because they help me learn about my own position and ideas. I believe in loving my neighbor without condition; it is difficult to attain, but I aspire to it. I feel a great sense of responsibility for taking a salary from the people, which manifests in a strong work ethic and a dedication to responsiveness. I am adamant about civility and statesmanship in my conversations and work--I want my constituents to be proud that I'm their representative and my children to be proud I'm their mother. And I simply love service to others.

Rachel Hood (D)

My ability to listen and translate issues to policy solutions. My experiences as a mother and as a caretaker of seniors have been very influential in forming my legislative priorities as well.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Rachel Hood (D)

Cleaner water, cleaner air, lead-free communities, top-tier schools, thriving local economies, recreational spaces, an innovative and caring agricultural economy, and a responsible, balanced budget.

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

Lynn Afendoulis (R)

Undun, by The Guess Who

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

Lynn Afendoulis (R)

The ideal relationship is civil, collaborative, and is focused on the welfare of the people and their state and not on politics. A governors needs her legislature to accomplish her goals and achieve her vision for the state. A legislature needs its governor to sign bills and instruct departments to carry out the appropriate work to create and support those bills. They are a check-and-balance, and they have great opportunity to set the tone for the state, to establish the state in the nation's arenas, and to model behavior for our youth, who are the governors and legislators of tomorrow.

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

Lynn Afendoulis (R)

Creating effective, efficient government that is accountable to the people, transparent, and costs much less than it does now. I'm concerned that the current spending will constitute the new "floor" in the minds of some, and it's just not sustainable. Fixing our education system will be a significant challenge -- getting teachers, administrators, unions, legislators, the business community and others at the table to work collaboratively will be a challenge--and it will be critical. And if we focus on the welfare of our youth and not our own self-interests, we can make it happen. Creating a funding mechanism for the sustainable upkeep of our infrastructure will be a challenge, from roads to water systems to sewers. It's not a sexy issue and often is invested in only after a crisis. We must create systems and funding to avert crises, not wait for them to happen. And civility and statesmanship will continue to be a challenge if the current rhetoric and zeitgeist endure.

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

Lynn Afendoulis (R)

Yes, and I think it shows confidence and strength of character. And it doesn't require sacrificing one's values or objectives. We need this in all areas of life these days -- a willingness to give a little to get a little, which requires an understanding of the other, respect, statesmanship, integrity, and other qualities that seem to be in rare supply these days. I value bipartisan lawmaking and can point to significant bills I passed only with the help of my Democrat colleagues that are making Michigan better today. If we truly are elected to serve the people and to move Michigan forward, we owe it to the taxpayers who are paying our salaries and expenses to get things done, and compromise is part of that.

See also

More about these elections:

• Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2022

Select a district below to read responses from candidates in those races:

District 1District 2District 3District 4District 5District 6District 7District 8District 9District 10District 11District 12District 13District 14District 15District 16District 17District 18District 19District 20District 21District 22District 23District 24District 25District 26District 27District 28District 29District 30District 31District 32District 33District 34District 35District 36District 37District 38District 39District 40District 41District 42District 43District 44District 45District 46District 47District 48District 49District 50District 51District 52District 53District 54District 55District 56District 57District 58District 59District 60District 61District 62District 63District 64District 65District 66District 67District 68District 69District 70District 71District 72District 73District 74District 75District 76District 77District 78District 79District 80District 81District 82District 83District 84District 85District 86District 87District 88District 89District 90District 91District 92District 93District 94District 95District 96District 97District 98District 99District 100District 101District 102District 103District 104District 105District 106District 107District 108District 109District 110Submit