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Phil Skaggs
Phil Skaggs (Democratic Party) is a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing District 80. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Skaggs (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 80. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Skaggs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Phil Skaggs was born in Bowling Green, Ohio. He graduated from Bowling Green High School.[1] Skaggs earned a bachelor's degree and graduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1990 and 1993, respectively.[2] His career experience includes working as a history professor with Goucher College, Grand Valley State University, and Aquinas College and a legislative director for former Michigan State Representatives Brandon Dillon and David LaGrand. Skaggs served on the Kent County Commission and the East Grand Rapids City Commission.[3]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Skaggs was assigned to the following committees:
Elections
2024
See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 80
Incumbent Phil Skaggs defeated Bill Sage in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Phil Skaggs (D)  | 57.1 | 29,560 |
 | Bill Sage (R) | 42.9 | 22,172 | |
| Total votes: 51,732 | |||
| = 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 80
Incumbent Phil Skaggs advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on August 6, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Skaggs | 100.0 | 9,588 |
| Total votes: 9,588 | |||
| = 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 80
Bill Sage advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on August 6, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Sage | 100.0 | 6,977 |
| Total votes: 6,977 | |||
| = 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
Endorsements
Skaggs received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Skaggs's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here.
2022
See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 80
Phil Skaggs defeated Jeffrey Johnson in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Skaggs (D) | 56.3 | 23,764 |
 | Jeffrey Johnson (R) | 43.7 | 18,442 | |
| Total votes: 42,206 | |||
| = 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
Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80
Phil Skaggs defeated Lily Cheng-Schulting in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Skaggs | 52.9 | 5,202 |
 | Lily Cheng-Schulting | 47.1 | 4,627 | |
| Total votes: 9,829 | |||
| = 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 80
Jeffrey Johnson advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 80 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeffrey Johnson | 100.0 | 9,740 |
| Total votes: 9,740 | |||
| = 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
- Dean Brandt (R)
- Nevin Cooper-Keel (R)
- Rachelle M. Smit (R)
Campaign finance
Endorsements
To view Skaggs' endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Phil Skaggs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Skaggs' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Paid Family and Medical Leave: The months after birth o r adoption are an essential time for the development of babies and families of all kinds. Everyone should have paid time off from work to care for a new child, a seriously ill loved one, or their own health issue.
- Pre-K Education for All Michiganders Every four-year-old in Michigan should have access to free, high-quality, local pre-K so they have a solid academic foundation and arrive at kindergarten prepared to learn.
- Retain our Talented Graduates In my first term, we were able to finally implement the Achievement Scholarship program -- $5500 for Michigan high school graduates to go to college. Now, we have to make sure our talented graduates stay here in Michigan, because everyone wants family to be happy, healthy, and nearby. That's why I have a plan to ease college affordability and encourage graduates to stay here in Michigan by developing a Make It In Michigan tuition loan reimbursement grant for our college and career training graduates who decide to live and work here in our state. The program will match dollar-for-dollar tuition loan payments for up to ten years.
To expand on books, my favorite book is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. On the surface level, it’s a gripping crime thriller and detective story with many plot twists and turns. But, it’s really an in-depth psychological study of the human condition, morality, spirituality, repentance, and love with a good deal of European philosophy and debates about the future of Russia thrown in as well. For non-fiction, I recommend A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong.
In addition, an elected official must care about other people. They should believe that every person is important and vital to their community, regardless of identity, background, ability, beliefs, party, or income. They should be passionate and dedicated to their office and above all, they should respect the people they serve. During my time as a professor and in public service, I’ve always focused on finding ways to make people’s lives better. From early childhood education, to cleaning up pollution, to funding more housing, to funding free breakfasts and lunches at schools, to protecting women’s and civil rights, it's been my life’s work to help others because I firmly believe in public virtue – being active in the community because one cares for everyone in the community.
• Introducing, improving and voting on legislation that helps the people of the State of Michigan.
• Crafting budgets that invest in our people, grow the economy, and build the infrastructure necessary for people, businesses and nonprofits to thrive.
I want to leave a legacy of a Michigan we can believe in. I want to do my part to leave my corner of the world a little better than I found it. I want everyone to have a real, fair opportunity at achieving their American dream for themselves and their loved ones. We’ve come a long way in the last two years, but I know we can do better. Let’s believe in Michigan.
In 1991, I was a member of the Graduate Employees Organization (AFT, AFL-CIO), the union for graduate teaching assistants at the University of Michigan. That year, the university administration attempted to remove healthcare insurance from our benefits. Our peace of mind was shattered. I took an active role in devising the strategy we would use to respond to the administration’s aggressive attempts to break our union. After much thought, we launched a strike to defend the benefits we’d earned and ensure we’d be treated with dignity and respect. This time we had the support of the Teamsters, who refused to cross our picket lines. Our plan worked, the administration relented. The union was saved. Most importantly, we kept our health insurance benefits.
Just a few weeks later, I was hospitalized with ulcerative colitis. It was my first UC “flare-up” and I was scared. The doctors tried their best to get me into remission, but nothing worked and they began to seriously fear for my life. In the end, I had to undergo a series of intensive intestinal surgeries. I still live with the physical impacts of my surgeries, but I survived. The total bill for my stay at UofM hospital was $225,000, but I only had to pay $500 because I had union-won health insurance benefits. Without those benefits, I would have gone into bankruptcy, never been able to finish my education, and had my life forever changed.
My own health crisis helped shape my values: we all do better when we work together so we all do better.
As a former City Commissioner, former Kent County Commissioner, and former Legislative Director for two State Representatives in Lansing, and a current State Representative in my first term, I’ve spent over 12 years developing the expertise needed to be truly effective for my constituents. I have a system-wide knowledge of how government works from the local level to the state level. I know the issues: education, infrastructure, public health, economic development, early childhood development, zoning, parks, waste management, mental and behavioral health, law enforcement, criminal justice, and more. I have the community networks necessary to build coalitions that can achieve meaningful results. I’m deeply embedded in my community, so I have a strong understanding of the needs of the people of House District 80. Finally, I’ve learned a bit about the art of governing. I know when to compromise and when a deal is unacceptable to the communities I represent. I know when to work behind the scenes with staff or other elected officials and when to push back by loudly going to the public. Some situations and stakeholders require a soft touch. Others, where core principles are on the line, need bold leadership laser-focused on getting the job done.
Elected Officials: State Senator and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, State Representatives John Fitzgerald, Carol Glanville and Kristian Grant, East Grand Rapids Mayor Katie Favale and many other local elected officials (more listed on my website).
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.
2022
Phil Skaggs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Skaggs' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- 1. Defend Our Rights It’s clear from federal Supreme Court rulings that we must defend our rights as Americans here at the state level. I will work to enshrine into our Michigan Constitution our right to privacy and bodily autonomy, including the right to reproductive care and abortion services. I will also outlaw discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
- 2. Invest in Our Students and Communities We need to fully and equitably fund pre-k and k-12 education, support teachers, provide tuition-free community college and career-skills training, and incentivize college graduates to stay in Michigan with a matching tuition reimbursement program. We need our communities to be places people want to live, work, and play.
- 3. Support Families We need to support our families as they work to achieve their own American dream, with paid sick and parental leave, available and reasonably-priced childcare, universal access to affordable healthcare, and attainable housing.
2. I am passionate about education. I am the son of two public school educators and sent my daughters to public schools. We must fully and equitably fund pre-K and K-12 education, support teachers, provide tuition-free community college and career-skills training, and incentivize college graduates to stay here in Michigan with a matching tuition loan reimbursement program.
3. I am passionate about ending the crisis of gun violence. We’ve seen innocents gunned down at schools, churches, synagogues, stores, concerts, streets, and homes. It’s time to act on background checks, Extreme Risk Protection orders, large-capacity magazine prohibitions, and the return of an assault rifle ban.
4. I am passionate about our environment. We must take decisive action to counteract climate change: renewable energy, electric vehicle charging stations, and modernized recycling.
However, having all three is a rare combination, because many elected officials lack courage. Most politicians “play it safe” or “go along to get along.” They employ a strategy of extreme caution in all things in hopes of getting reelected and avoiding making anyone uneasy.
In contrast, great public servants have the courage to look past their fears, stand their ground, and take risks for their constituents. When they show bravery and leadership, politicians can make real change that improves people’s lives.
I’ve been demonstrating leadership and a willingness to make the hard decisions for well over a decade, and I’ve got the scars to show for it. It’s been worth it though, because I’ve been able to accomplish many things that help the people that need it most.
I led the defense of the county health department against brutal attacks from the far right who threatened to fire our health director during a pandemic. I led the passage of the Ready By Five early childhood health, development and education initiative after it had failed two previous times because of opposition from the right. As a Legislative Director, I helped Rep. LaGrand pass clean slate expungement to give people a second chance, even though powerful forces tried to stop us. I pushed the County to join the lawsuit against pharmaceutical corporations who had knowingly pushed addictive opioids on unsuspecting patients. I was the first Kent County Commissioner to apply for and earn the Planned Parenthood endorsement at a time when many in my own party feared being publicly pro-choice.
I won’t always be perfect, but I will show up, listen, learn, work hard, care about people and their struggles, and try to ease those struggles.
I want to leave a legacy of a Michigan we can believe in. I want to do my part to leave my corner of the world a little better than I found it. I want everyone to have a real, fair opportunity at achieving their American dream for themselves and their loved ones. I know we can do better. Let’s believe in Michigan.
For non-fiction, I recommend A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong.
I’m not kidding, I think Hadestown is the best musical theater since Mozart. "Any way the wind blows."
In 1991, I was a member of the Graduate Employees Organization (AFT, AFL-CIO), the union for graduate teaching assistants at the University of Michigan. That year, the university administration attempted to remove healthcare insurance from our benefits. Our peace of mind was shattered. I took an active role in devising the strategy we would use to respond to the administration’s aggressive attempts to break our union. After much thought, we launched a strike to defend the benefits we’d earned and ensure we’d be treated with dignity and respect. This time we had the support of the Teamsters, who refused to cross our picket lines. Our plan worked, the administration relented. The union was saved. Most importantly, we kept our health insurance benefits.
Just a few weeks later, I was hospitalized with ulcerative colitis. It was my first UC “flare-up” and I was scared. The doctors tried their best to get me into remission, but nothing worked and they began to seriously fear for my life. In the end, I had to undergo a series of intensive intestinal surgeries. I still live with the physical impacts of my surgeries, but I survived. The total bill for my stay at UofM hospital was $225,000, but I only had to pay $500 because I had union-won health insurance benefits. Without those benefits, I would have gone into bankruptcy, never been able to finish my education, and had my life forever changed.
My own health crisis helped shape my values: we all do better when we work together so we all do better.
We also have to address broader issues that too often push our best and brightest to leave. We must codify protections for women’s reproductive health and bodily autonomy and prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We also should implement family-first policies like paid parental and sick leave, affordable and available childcare, healthcare, and housing so families can have a sound foundation.
As a former City Commissioner, current Kent County Commissioner, and former Legislative Director for two State Representatives in Lansing, I’ve spent 10 years developing the expertise needed to be truly effective for my constituents. I have a system-wide knowledge of how government works from the local level to the state level. I know the issues: infrastructure, public health, economic development, early childhood development, zoning, parks, waste management, mental and behavioral health, law enforcement, criminal justice, and more. I have the community networks necessary to build coalitions that can achieve meaningful results. That’s why I have the endorsement of every elected Democrat who has weighed in on this race, including State Representatives Rachel Hood and David LaGrand. I’m deeply embedded in my community, so I have a strong understanding of the needs of the people of House District 80. Finally, I’ve learned a bit about the art of governing. I know when to compromise and when a deal is unacceptable to the communities I represent. I know when to work behind the scenes with staff or other elected officials and when to push back by loudly going to the public. For example, I worked behind the scenes to encourage the end of the Sheriff’s contract with ICE, but went to the statewide media when it meant protecting reasonable pandemic mitigation efforts and prevent the firing of the health department chief officer.
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.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Michigan scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 10 to December 23.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 11 to November 14.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 12 to December 28.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 13 to December 31.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Michigan House of Representatives District 80 |
Officeholder Michigan House of Representatives District 80 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 8, 2024
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 12, 2022
- ↑ Michigan House Democrats, "Meet Rep. Skaggs," accessed May 4, 2023
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Mary Whiteford (R) |
Michigan House of Representatives District 80 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
