Rocky Raczkowski

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Rocky Raczkowski

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 7, 2018

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Rocky Raczkowski (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Michigan's 11th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on August 7, 2018.

Raczkowski was a 2014 Republican candidate for District 13 of the Michigan State Senate.

Biography

He served in the United States Army and was deployed to Iraq in the early 2000s. His professional experience includes owning Imperium Logistics. He received his bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan University, his master's degree from Central Michigan University, and his J.D. from Michigan State University.

Elections

2018

See also: Michigan's 11th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

Haley Stevens defeated Lena Epstein, Leonard Schwartz, and Cooper Nye in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 11 on November 6, 2018.

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 11

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Haley Stevens (D)	51.8	181,912
		Lena Epstein (R)	45.2	158,463
		Leonard Schwartz (L)	1.7	5,799
		Cooper Nye (Independent)	1.3	4,727

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 350,901 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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

Haley Stevens defeated Tim Greimel, Suneel Gupta, Fayrouz Saad, and Nancy Skinner in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 11 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 11

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Haley Stevens	27.0	24,309
		Tim Greimel	21.8	19,673
		Suneel Gupta	21.4	19,250
		Fayrouz Saad	19.4	17,499
		Nancy Skinner	10.4	9,407

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 90,138
= 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

• Dan Haberman (D)

Republican primary election

Lena Epstein defeated Rocky Raczkowski, Mike Kowall, Klint Kesto, and Kerry Bentivolio in the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 11 on August 7, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 11

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lena Epstein	30.9	26,925
		Rocky Raczkowski	25.5	22,216
		Mike Kowall	18.4	16,011
		Klint Kesto	14.0	12,213
		Kerry Bentivolio	11.3	9,831

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 87,196
= 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

• Kurt Heise (R)
• Kristine Bonds (R)

2014

See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Michigan State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 22, 2014. Cyndi Peltonen defeated Ryan Fishman in the Democratic primary. Five candidates faced off in the Republican primary; Marty Knollenberg won, with Rocky Raczkowski finishing second. Knollenberg defeated Peltonen in the general election.

Michigan State Senate, District 13 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Marty Knollenberg	58.1%	59,570
	Democratic	Cyndi Peltonen	41.9%	42,892
Total Votes				102,462

Michigan State Senate, District 13 Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Cyndi Peltonen	54.9%	7,620
Ryan Fishman	45.1%	6,252
Total Votes		13,872

Michigan State Senate, District 13 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Marty Knollenberg	36.2%	8,788
Rocky Raczkowski	35.9%	8,716
Chuck Moss	20.3%	4,929
Ethan Baker	6.4%	1,546
Al Gui	1.1%	276
Total Votes		24,255

Endorsements

In 2014, Raczkowski's endorsements included:

• Right to Life of Michigan

Campaign themes

2018

Raczkowski’s campaign website stated the following:

“	SERVICE IN CONGRESS I am a patriot and not a typical politician. I will work to make sure that Congress lives under the same laws as we do as private citizens. I strongly believe that we should have a vote on term limits to replace career politicians and stop the sweetheart retirement deals many in office receive. AGRICULTURE Every consumer should have confidence in the safety of all our domestically grown and imported food products. Protecting our food sources is a Governmental responsibility, and the US food protection system must remain the best in the world. We must allow our future generations of farmers to grow crops free from government regulations that do nothing to support the safety of our food products. In addition, farmers need to be secure in the knowledge that they will not be taxed so drastically that their farm ownership is in jeopardy. BUDGET & FEDERAL SPENDING Federal income is not the problem, Federal spending is! I, like many of you, am disappointed in the fact that paying interest on the debt will continue to take up more and more of our annual budget. For this reason, we MUST get control of our spending NOW! As a Federal representative, I will support the Balanced Budget/Tax Limitation Amendment as well as the 'Line-Item Veto'. These actions will help to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress. This will require Congress and Washington, as a whole, to live under the same budget constraints we do on a daily basis. We MUST stop the wasteful spending and reduce our nation's debt that is endangering our quality of life as Americans. This is accomplished by cutting spending, limiting the growth of government below the rate of inflation, and prosecuting wasteful spending and fraud. Balancing our nation's budget is the first step in tackling our out of control National Debt! Currently, there is nothing balanced in the spending of Washington. This reckless policy leads to more spending, massive tax increases and less freedom for the middle-class families! DEFENSE The Preamble of the U.S Constitution makes it clear that our Founding Fathers considered it a priority of the Federal Government to provide for the common defense of our nation and its people. As a former career soldier who has served in combat overseas, I have firsthand knowledge that peace can only be achieved through strength. That is why I will support the resources our troops need to accomplish their mission. Who better to understand what we need than a soldier who has been around the world and understands the conflicts that may come to our borders. As a husband and father, I will work for peaceful solutions, but when peace is unachievable, we must summon the resolve to unite and win decisively or not engage at all. A strong military is essential to keeping America free, safe and prosperous. As a whole, we need to ensure that we maintain the best trained ready force in the world, while maintaining the concept of the all-volunteer military. DODD-FRANK & FINANCIAL REGULATIONS I have many concerns about the partisan passed Dodd-Frank Act and its unintended consequences for middle class taxpayers and small businesses. Now, there is growing bi-partisan recognition that Dodd-Frank's over-regulation damages the growth of our struggling economy. We should re-examine everything from mortgage lending that will make it harder for Americans to own a home, to relieving new federal burdens on investors and job creators. More importantly, the Dodd-Frank Act failed to end “Too-Big-to-Fail”. In fact, big institutions have gotten bigger, and the small financial institutions have become fewer. The taxpayer has become poorer and access to credit has become more political. Is this really what we want? The answer is a resounding NO! We need common sense policies that will prevent future recessions and prevent Washington bureaucrats from picking winners and losers. ECONOMY I will work to create an environment which will spur job creation by eliminating regulatory red tape that is stifling innovation and job growth. It is also stifling our national GDP at growth of less than 1.5% per year on the high side. This type of slow growth destroys opportunity for those either entering, or trying to re-enter the job market. Cutting business taxes and repatriating corporate earnings that are currently being held off shore will revitalize the economy, and will bolster private sector employment. Furthermore, I will work diligently to defeat tax increases imposed on our Michigan businesses by the former Congress. EDUCATION The path to success starts with a high-quality education, but education should always be a state issue. The Federal Government should not take needed funds from tax payers to fund a bloated Federal Governmental Education Department. Instead, those funds should be sent back to the states and the classrooms. I support the bi-partisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) because it is designed to reduce the federal government's role in K-12 education, and prevent Washington bureaucrats from promoting one-size-fits-all programs like Common Core. The ESSA also empowers states to set their own academic standards. I am a strong supporter of the high standards and local control which will ensure success for our children and our nation's future! ENERGY I will work hard for a comprehensive energy plan that creates American jobs and leads us to energy independence. We will accomplish this by utilizing environmentally friendly domestic production of energy resources. I also support the use of combined hydro-power and nuclear power to support our future energy needs, but this must be done with a clear focus on safety and population dispersion. We need to build a new energy economy that creates jobs by developing energy technologies and fuels here in the United States that support manufacturing. This economy should NOT be based on higher taxes, more regulation and more government leading to suppress our growth as a nation. ENVIRONMENT As a conservationist, I support a clean and safe environment. I understand that some environmental rules and regulations are a complex maze that stifle the economic growth of our nation. For this reason, I favor allowing state exemptions when applicants come forward with free market approaches that both protect the environment and spur economic growth with job creation. This strategy worked with welfare reform in the ’90s and can work today to make sure our nation and the State of Michigan have a diverse and reliable supply of energy and a healthy economic environment. GOVERNMENTAL TRANSPARENCY I have, and always will, support a transparent government. Transparency is vital for each of us to be informed about the workings of our government and where and how our tax dollars are being spent. As your U.S. Representative, you will always be able to reach me, as well as know how I vote and where I stand on an issue. As a hunter/fisherman, it is important that we maintain our environment. Quality clean water is one of the most important gifts we can pass on to our children and future generations. RUSSIA I believe that our National Security depends on a strong, principled foreign policy that keeps America safe and protects our allies. I believe that we should work with Russia in our common fight against violent Islamic extremist terrorism, although, we should also take a strong stand against the Putin regime and their meddling in our economy, military and internet transactions. I strongly support the nations that formerly comprised the Soviet Bloc. We MUST seek to strengthen the Russian border region through economic, diplomatic and military means. We should also exercise our Cyber Security Directorate within the Department of Defense to protect our web operations. This hardens the ability for Russia's regime to further attempt to bring down our nation and our economic interests SANCTUARY CITIES, COUNTIES & STATES I support enforcement along our borders and will work to stop sanctuary cities. I agree that such actions should be defunded, but I also think that any office holder that defies current law should be held legally responsible. SECOND AMENDMENT I am Pro-2nd Amendment, and believe that it guarantees the individual right to bear arms. As a gun owner, I support the rights to self-defense, sporting, conservation/hunting, as well as collecting of weapons. I agree with the administration’s steps to aid the law enforcement community by supporting our citizens’ ability to protect themselves. Furthermore, I will uphold Americans’ Second Amendment rights at every level of our judicial system. SEQUESTRATION Sequestration has caused deep financial cuts in our military, first included in the Budget Control Act under the request of President Obama. We must protect our men and women in uniform from these deep spending cuts. Overreaching large scale and arbitrary cuts to defense spending are irresponsible and put our nation at risk. I pledge to work for smart, targeted and real spending reductions, that do not harm our military personnel, our weapons systems and our overall national defense. It's time Congress does its job by cutting fat in the budget without arbitrarily hurting our armed forces or the ability to defend our nation. As a former soldier, I understand how to accomplish this and will work to keep our nation strong and free. SOCIAL SECURITY Social Security is a fund that we all pay into; therefore, it is OUR money, and not the Federal Government's to spend and use. I firmly support its preservation, and will protect, Social Security for retirees. I will work to ensure that the program remains solvent for future generations. Period. I also believe we should repeal all tax hikes on Social Security benefits, and am committed to regular cost of living adjustments (COLA) to fulfill our promise to seniors. The government must learn to live within its means without the financial theft from the taxpayer. TAXES Each year, Americans spend hundreds of billions of dollars on tax lawyers, accountants and other costs associated with tax compliance because our tax code is too long and too complex. Every special interest has a loop-hole. There is no question that our current system needs to be simplified, and instead of growing Government and the National Debt, we should be focused on growing the economy. I strongly believe that it's not that we have a national income problem. I believe we have a national spending problem. As the Representative from Michigan, I am not interested in being liked. I am more interested in being respected and standing up for individual freedom and economic growth. I agree with President Reagan when he said, “You can't be for Big Regulations, Big Taxes and Big Government, and still be for the Little Guy!” TRADE American workers can compete with anyone in the world, as long as theyare playing by the same rules. I do not support trade deals, or tax incentives that ship American jobs overseas. Federal bureaucrats should NOT be in charge of picking winners and losers when it comes to trade policy and tariffs. I support free trade, but it must be fair and not just 'free' in title only. More importantly, I will NEVER support a trade deal that poses a threat to American National Security. Business in the United States is taxed higher than in any developed nation in the world. Many in the Democratic party don't believe we have a spending problem, which has led to higher taxes on American small business and outsourced jobs to countries like China! TRANSPORTATION I support innovative and cost-effective ways to improve the nation's infrastructure. The proper utilization of our resources to provide a safe, modern and efficient transportation systems is critical to improving the quality of life of our citizens, strengthens our economy and is what the Federal Government should be doing with our tax dollars. We must work on redeveloping our infrastructure without raising taxes or increasing greater debt. VETERAN ISSUES As a Veteran with over 26.5 years of service, I have always believed in treating my brothers and sisters who served honorably with the services they deserve. I have always supported acts, such as The Choice Act, signed into law on August 7, 2014. The Choice Act provided $17 billion to improve veterans’ access to healthcare at the Department of Veterans Affairs, including a provision to expand veterans access to care and treatment outside of the VA health system. Furthermore, I was proud to be in attendance at the White House, in 2017, when the President signed the Veteran Accountability Act - making sure that our Veterans are receiving the care and respect they have earned. WAR ON TERROR Afghanistan is a crucial front in the global struggle against the al-Qaeda terrorist network and Islamic radicalism. The Taliban was a radical Islamic theocratic government that rose to power in a series of civil wars in Afghanistan, which were prompted by the withdrawal of Soviet forces from the country in 1989, after 10 years of occupation. The Taliban ultimately assumed control of the country in 1996, but their government was not generally recognized by the international community. The Taliban provided support and safe-harbor to al-Qaeda prior to the 9/11 attacks on the United States, and refused to cooperate with the United States in bringing the terrorists behind the attacks to justice. FEDERAL REGULATIONS I understand that there is a need for certain federal regulations, but some are just another over-reach of government, and those are the regulations I will work to eliminate as a US Representative. For Example, were you aware that the U.S Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reaches out to employers for current employment statistics and payroll data? This wastes company time, and prevents an efficient use of time and money. This is another duplicitous action from our government, and puts the burden on our employers. I pledge to work to cut unnecessary governmental regulations that do nothing to grow our economy, or keep our citizens safe. HEALTH CARE & AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (aka: OBAMACARE) I strongly believe that each individual understands their health care needs better than government bureaucrats. I also believe that we need to inject actual health care competition into a system that has no competition for market pricing. Patients and their doctors need more control, not less, when making decisions that are the most intimate in their lives. I stand firmly against a single payer health care system. This so-called Medicare for All will destroy health care innovation, and will give patients fewer options for health care emergencies. This policy will lead to the rationing of individual health care. My heart is with the patient and I will always fight for our families to have every option they seek to treat life threatening health issuses. I will also support common sense health care reform, and will fight to repeal the bureaucratic takeover of health care. I will work to restore the funding in Medicare that our Seniors depend on and were cut in the Affordable Care Act of 2009. IMMIGRATION We must stop illegal immigration. Our immigration system is broker, and we are failing to ENFORCE the laws already on the books. We must deal with the issues caused by chain migration, refugee resettlement and weak border security. These issues have all led to complete chaos and must be fixed NOW. As a son of legal immigrants to our great country, I support legal and sponsored immigration programs to our nation. This means that when you come to The United States, you are committed to making it better, and not trying to change our values and individual rights. I strongly believe that we must enforce and protect our borders, and will support efforts to do so! I am firmly against illegal immigration, and I will work to make sure that those who knowingly employ illegal workers are fined and held criminally responsible for their actions. We must enforce e-Verify Employment Checks. In addition, I support enforcement of the security of our borders and will work to stop sanctuary cities. Furthermore, I do not support the current Federal EB-5 Visa Program. This program allows individuals to jump ahead of the immigration line by paying $1 million dollars, and promising to create 10 Jobs in the US, within a year. The initial thought behind this program sounds fair, but isn’t because it places wealthy individual immigrants ahead of current U.S. and Michigan citizens for contract competition and work projects. We must support laws that treat everyone equally. IRAN, SYRIA, NORTH KOREA & OTHER ENEMIES OF THE USA The U.S. has never had formal diplomatic relations with the DPRK (North Korea), and at this rate, we may never. Our diplomatic efforts have always been rejected making our nation an international laughing stock! In dealing with Syria, Iran and other nefarious nations with global goals of evil intent, we must always exercise our diplomatic efforts, but those efforts should not include paying for peace. This action will reward and further encourages evil acts. We must use all the tools within our national tool box to enforce our diplomatic agreements, but we must also use our economic power to stop evil actors. Lastly, we must be prepared to use our military assets when our nation, and our citizens are threatened. As a student of foreign policy and international cultures, I will stand ready to support our State and Defense Departments with good counsel and legislative support. LIFE I am fervently pro-life and will work diligently to protect the lives of the unborn MEDICAID The nation's most disadvantaged, including children, should receive an efficient health care program that will continue to provide essential services. If Medicaid is left as it is, there will be no safety net for the poor in the future. The solutions that I support include going after those that use and bill Medicaid fraudulently. I also support giving States the flexibility they have requested to manage the Medicaid programs more effectively and in accordance with what is needed most. This allows for local answers instead of one-size-fits-all solutions from Washington. The needs of Medicaid enrollees in Michigan are very different from those in New Mexico. Medicaid billing fraud is also a main driver of costs and services. As a U.S. Representative, I will work to create a billing monitor program for our states and Federal Government to ensure that services are getting to the client, and that the billing is not fraudulent. MEDICARE We pay into Medicare through our employment tax deductions. I strongly support and believe that we need to preserve and protect Medicare for current and future retirees. The Affordable Care Act (aka: Obamacare) cut $716 billion from Medicare, effectively ending it as we know it. As part of its $716 billion in total cuts to Medicare, Obamacare cuts Medicare Advantage by $156 billion. Of the more than 50 million older Americans who receive coverage through Medicare, about 15 million, or one quarter, are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare Advantage is extremely popular for a reason –it is operated through the private market, seniors gain access to high-quality and coordinated care with additional benefits that they otherwise wouldn’t get. The additional benefits include vision, dental, annual physicals, nutrition, wellness programs, and prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are generally younger, lower income, minority and female. Obamacare’s cuts to Medicare Advantage will lead to fewer of these plans being available to seniors, and they could lose access to their current doctors and additional coverage options they now enjoy. Washington Democrats voted to cut Medicare. My top priority is preserving and protecting Medicare for seniors and future generations and by giving more choices for our Seniors. MINIMUM WAGE & UNEMPLOYMENT Like everyone, I wish for higher wages for all hardworking Americans. As much as some would believe that raising the minimum wage would help hardworking Americans, it actually hurts them by raising costs across the board for all products, and ends up costing jobs overall. Instead of focusing on increasing the minimum wage, we need to improve our economy by moving people out of low income jobs and into better paying, higher skilled employment. This move will provide stability and opportunity for individuals and their families. Opportunities will be increased as a result of an effective locally operated job training program. Most importantly, a recent non-partisan CBO Report confirmed that while helping a few, mandating higher wages by the government has real costs, including fewer people working and more of them losing jobs. At the end of the day, job creation and higher wages are a product of economic growth, not Washington mandates. PATRIOT ACT & USA FREEDOM ACT The 9/11 terror attacks revealed significant deficits in our intelligence organizations, subsequently resulting in enhanced surveillance programs. Such programs are vital to keep America safe, however, the citizens of the United States MUST have the legal and Constitutional protections in place so that these programs are not abused, and our individual rights are not infringed upon. I will ensure that my votes, as your Representative, are based on Constitutional principles while keeping nation safe and secure. PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS I have never supported Presidential Executive Orders, unless they were eliminating past Presidential Executive Orders. Our Constitution is clear and spells out in Article I, the specific duties of each branch, and there is no discussion of Executive Orders.	”
—Rocky Raczkowski’s campaign website (2018)

2014

Raczkowski's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

Balancing the State's Budget

• Excerpt: "I support our State's Constitution and will support our State's effort to encourage the Federal Government to live within its means. This means that we support what government should spend our hard earned money on - priorities such as: public safety, education and our State's roads and infrastructure."

Economic Development

• Excerpt: "I believe that we must reform our State Government's spending and economic development efforts. The best way to jump start economic development is by eliminating red tape and governmental layers of bureaucracy that currently exist."

Education

• Excerpt: "I strongly believe that local control is the best control - especially when it comes to our schools. The people in our community know our needs and our community best."

Energy Independence & Exploration

• Excerpt: "I pledge to do everything possible to make our State financially strong and energy independent."

Our Environment

• Excerpt: "I support a clean and safe environment. I also am a strong supporter of conversation."

See also

• Michigan's 11th Congressional District election, 2018
• Michigan State Senate
• Michigan State Senate District 13
• Michigan State Senate elections, 2014
• Michigan State Legislature

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Michigan's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Gary Peters (D)

Elissa Slotkin (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jack Bergman (R)

District 2

John Moolenaar (R)

District 3

Hillary Scholten (D)

District 4

Bill Huizenga (R)

District 5

Tim Walberg (R)

District 6

Debbie Dingell (D)

District 7

Tom Barrett (R)

District 8

Kristen Rivet (D)

District 9

Lisa McClain (R)

District 10

John James (R)

District 11

Haley Stevens (D)

District 12

Rashida Tlaib (D)

District 13

Shri Thanedar (D)

Democratic Party (8)

Republican Party (7)