Michigan State Senate District 13 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Michigan, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Michigan State Senate District 13 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 State Senate District 13

Incumbent Rosemary Bayer defeated Jason Rhines in the general election for Michigan State Senate District 13 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rosemary Bayer (D)	57.2	78,098
		Jason Rhines (R)	42.8	58,513

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 136,611
= 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?

Rosemary Bayer (D)

We must have reproductive freedom in Michigan. I have spoken on the Senate floor about the abortion that saved my life when I had an ectopic pregnancy. My heart aches for anyone who has ever had to experience a heart-wrenching decision like the one my husband and I made. The overturning of Roe v Wade is a terrible blow to women’s equality. Abortion is health care and a woman’s choice belongs between her and her doctor. Politicians have no right to decide what’s best for a woman’s life and her family. I will do everything I can to ensure that women in Michigan have reproductive freedom, including safe and legal abortion.

We must protect the right to vote. Alarmingly, the Republican Party is openly hostile to voting and wants to restrict access to the ballot in the name of completely false election fraud claims. They have proposed frightening curtailments of our voting rights including overturning any election they don’t like the outcome of and stopping vote tallying the day after an election. Democrats must secure a majority in the Michigan Senate in order to prevent this from happening. We will continue our fight for treating voting like the fundamental right it is and expanding access to the ballot box. The people of Michigan have already made it clear that voters, not politicians, should decide elections and we must keep it that way.

We must address climate change. It is real and ignoring it is reckless. We are seeing more and more severe weather events in Michigan and across the country that are pushing our current infrastructure to the limit. In Michigan many people are all too familiar with water and sewage in their basements and freeways that flood during rain storms. As a Senator, I have a plan for climate resilient infrastructure so that we can adapt to these very real and very serious problems. Investing in infrastructure now can potentially save the state billions of dollars in the long term. I campaigned on and continue to fight for access to clean water for everyone and improving our infrastructure is necessary to make that a reality.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Rosemary Bayer (D)

Gun violence prevention - I have personal experience losing people close to me to suicide. Key to suicide prevention is not only increased access to mental health care, but also addressing the easy availability of guns. I have proposed common sense gun safety measures such as safe storage and red flag laws, but Republicans have refused to vote on these issues. I have worked to increase access to mental health care in our schools to help our young people who are under a tremendous amount of stress, especially in Oxford, which I currently represent. Our kids deserve to feel and be safe at school.

Reproductive freedom - The overturning of Roe v Wade is a terrible blow to women’s equality. Abortion is health care and a woman’s choice belongs between her and her doctor. Politicians have no right to decide what’s best for a woman’s life and her family. I will do everything I can to ensure that women in Michigan have reproductive freedom, including safe and legal abortion.

Public education funding - Michigan’s public schools need to be fully and equitably funded so that all students can receive the quality education they deserve.

Environmental protection - I am a lifelong environmentalist. The very first bill I wrote as Senator addressed the human right to water. Michigan’s fresh water is our most precious resource and we must protect it because we literally can’t live without it.

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

Rosemary Bayer (D)

Integrity. If you do not care about and are not working for the people you represent, you do not belong in office. I am proud to be transparent about my work and accessible to my constituents.

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

Rosemary Bayer (D)

As an engineer, I am focused on problem solving. I am able to identify a problem, craft a solution, calculate how much money will be needed to implement that solution, and identify who will do the work. This ability has made me very successful working across the aisle on multiple appropriations committees.

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

Rosemary Bayer (D)

Stevie Wonder’s “You are the Sunshine of my Life.” My husband and I danced to this song when we participated in a dance competition. A very happy memory.

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

Rosemary Bayer (D)

We are in the middle of multiple crises right now: the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe, increasing severe weather events due to climate change, a continuing pandemic, gun violence and more. But fundamentally, the biggest issue is voting rights in Michigan. The Republican Party is openly hostile to voting and wants to restrict access to the ballot in the name of completely false election fraud claims. Currently there is a petition circulating that would impose severe restrictions on democracy in Michigan and essentially says that the majority party, which is currently the Republicans, can overturn any election that they don't like the outcome of. There is a loophole in Michigan's constitution that allows the legislature to adopt petitions that meet a threshold of signatures into law rather than putting the issue on the ballot for voters to decide. This means a very small minority of Michigan voters can enshrine their extreme positions into law. Not only that, but such a law would be veto-proof. Democrats must secure a majority in the Michigan Senate in order to prevent this from happening. We will close this loophole and continue our fight for treating voting like the fundamental right it is and expanding access to the ballot box. Unless voting rights are secured, the critical issues facing Michigan will continue to be ignored by the Republican majority.

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

Rosemary Bayer (D)

No. I had no experience in this area when I ran in 2018. However, I have found that being an engineer has been an invaluable asset when it comes to my work as a legislator. I am good at examining complex problems and finding practical and effective ways to address those problems. Part of that is having an analytical mind, but it also requires the ability to listen and the willingness to learn. More important than prior experience is integrity, however. It should be a fundamental requirement for anyone in public service. All of us should care about our fellow citizens, but those who hold public office have a bigger obligation to truly serve the people, not their own hidden self-interests. I am very honest and transparent about my work for the people I represent.

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

Rosemary Bayer (D)

Yes. I am currently in the minority party. As a Democrat sitting on multiple appropriation committees, I have to work with my Republican colleagues in order to get anything done. I have been very successful in working across the aisle during my time in office.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Rosemary Bayer (D)

In 2018, voters overwhelmingly chose to have an Independent Redistricting Committee draw new district lines. The result, while not perfect, is the most fairly drawn map in decades.

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

Rosemary Bayer (D)

Yes, absolutely. And in order for that to happen, the involved parties need to come to the table in good faith and be able to put politics aside in order to make policy that truly addresses the problems and needs of Michigan and our people. I have been fortunate as I am very involved in appropriations where political grandstanding is less common as there is a clear end product that must be completed: a budget. As a member of several appropriation committees, I have helped secure funding for crucial issues like public school funding, mental health care access for students, and infrastructure upgrades.

See also

More about these elections:

• Michigan State Senate elections, 2022

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