TC Clements

TC Clements

Republican Party

Prior offices

Michigan House of Representatives District 56

Successor: Sharon MacDonell

Predecessor: Jason Sheppard

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Elections and appointments

Last election

August 2, 2022

Education

Associate

Polk State College, 1990

Bachelor's

Flagler College, 2007

Personal

Birthplace

Bartow, Fla.

Religion

Lutheran

Profession

Small business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

TC Clements (Republican Party) was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing District 56. He assumed office on January 1, 2021. He left office on January 1, 2023.

Clements (Republican Party) ran for election to the Michigan State Senate to represent District 16. He lost in the Republican primary on August 2, 2022.

Clements completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

TC Clements was born in Bartow, Florida. He earned an associate degree from Polk State College in 1990. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Flagler College in 2007. Clements’ career experience includes working as the owner of a travel agency, the chief operations officer of a manufacturing firm, and the deputy chief of police.

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.

2021-2022

Clements was assigned to the following committees:

• Insurance Committee
• Judiciary Committee
• House Regulatory Reform Committee
• Rules and Competitiveness Committee, Majority vice-chair

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.

Elections

2022

See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Michigan State Senate District 16

Joseph Bellino defeated Katybeth Davis in the general election for Michigan State Senate District 16 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Bellino (R)	65.0	73,403
		Katybeth Davis (D)	35.0	39,503

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 112,906
= 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 State Senate District 16

Katybeth Davis advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 16 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Katybeth Davis	100.0	13,958

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,958
= 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 State Senate District 16

Joseph Bellino defeated TC Clements in the Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 16 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Bellino	52.7	19,018
		TC Clements	47.3	17,103

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,121
= 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.

2020

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 56

TC Clements defeated Keith Kitchens and Jeffrey Rubley II in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 56 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		TC Clements (R)	64.2	31,325
	Submit photo	Keith Kitchens (D)	33.8	16,478
		Jeffrey Rubley II (G)	2.0	993

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 48,796
= 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 56

Keith Kitchens defeated Ernie Whiteside in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 56 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Keith Kitchens	51.6	3,505
		Ernie Whiteside	48.4	3,291

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,796
= 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 56

TC Clements defeated Austin Blaine in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 56 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		TC Clements	72.8	7,927
	Submit photo	Austin Blaine	27.2	2,962

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,889
= 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.

Green convention

Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 56

Jeffrey Rubley II advanced from the Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 56 on June 20, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Jeffrey Rubley II (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= 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.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

TC Clements completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Clements' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Christian, husband, and father of three. I believe in WE THE PEOPLE as our foundation of government. We must return character to politics and focus on better, not bigger government.

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?

• People must come before politics. We cannot lead if we do not have the buy in of our neighbors.
• Better, not bigger government. We must be better stewards of our finances.
• Character must be the focus when selecting leaders. We must elect leaders to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I firmly believe that you do not attract business to your community, have great schools, and home values do not rise if a community is not safe and secure. Crime is rising in our state and nation. We must stop conversations about bail reform, early release, and many areas of decriminalization as our focus should be on support for our emergency services and victims, not the criminals who desire to break the law. Additionally, we have to get the government out of the way of business. Most business owners do not violate the law with intent. Rather, there are so many regulations it is almost impossible to keep up. When we open up the marketplace business thrives. Lastly, the size of bureaucracy is killing our state. We must streamline services so we can halt additional taxes. In doing this we leave more money in the hands of our neighbors and make Michigan attractive to both new business development and new residents.

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

I have always admired my own father. He taught me many key lessons in life that I feel define who I am. These in turn, make me better at working for my neighbors both in previous jobs like law enforcement and now as an elected representative for my neighbors. Of these lessons, he focused heavily on the concept that everything in life can be stripped from me but my integrity. He said, "you choose to give that away." I am 53 years of age and while I am a lot of things, my integrity remains completely intact. My father would also constantly remind me that in a world where I can be anything, desire to be kind. Not weak, just kind. Love thy neighbor and respect others around. Appreciate your differences. Respect others' views even when you know you disagree. Lastly, he taught me that we have two choices when faced with situations we do not like. Be quiet, or do something about it. This concept lead me to be a police officer where I championed the needs of victims and those that were bullied. As a Deputy Chief of Police, I used these same principles in building a department. As an elected representative for my neighbors, I use these same core concepts to be a bold advocate.

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

The most fundamental core concept for any elected official is to remember that WE THE PEOPLE, your neighbors, are who elected you and that your vote is supposed to be reflective of their needs and best interests. Being elected is not a free pass to do what you want, say what you want, and vote the way you want. Our representative government has made people feel left out or left behind. We must do everything in our power to restore faith in government and the character of those serving their neighbors.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I believe I have three titles that matter most. Christian, husband, and father. Beyond these commitments most other titles are temporary and at times fleeting. I have always said that anyone that needs a title largely does not deserve it. Titles do not make a person great. Character, integrity, and an unyielding commitment to others are what make a person special. My hope is that when I am done I will be remembered as a kind, bold, strong-willed, compassionate, and courageous leader that was not afraid to be a vocal and strong supporter of what I believed in. I have always believed in servant leadership and as such have never minded rolling up my own sleeves to do the job at hand. I also hope my children will always know how passionately I love their mother and how proud of them I am.

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

Numb by Lincoln Park

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

Government must learn to retract in size and scope. We as a society are leaning on the government far too much. This prohibits personal liberty and freedoms, inflates the control government should have, and causes people to further their reliance on the system instead of taking on their own personal responsibilities. We have a bureaucracy that is so large and bloated that the cost to sustain it is not practical. We need to reduce the size of government or we will end up taxing our neighbors to a point that we will crush the State of Michigan's economic viability and discourage new families from moving here.

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

I do. Having any time as a township/village/municipal and/or county government is critical to understanding so many elements of the process of legislating. To not have had this experience, a person in addition to working on great legislation, also has an incredible power curve to get over on process, protocols, etc. In no am I saying that it cannot be overcome. But, for most, having some experience allows them to be so much more effective for their neighbors who elected them.

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

Without question, relationships are critical to being a successful legislator. Whether you are working on or against a piece of legislation, having a personal rapport with others makes things so much easier. Relationships allow for legislators to know each other outside of the scope of their political beliefs. You learn "how" a person analyzes things and "why" they factor in some elements with greater significance than others. In knowing this, you know better how to speak "their language." This makes a legislator immensely more effective at communicating and relaying critical information. Additionally, building these relationships take time. Through this time you learn about others and their level of credibility, efficacy, and integrity.

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.

2020

Note: Clements submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on June 10, 2020. Note: Clements submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on March 24, 2020.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Michigan

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.

2022

In 2022, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 12 to December 28.

• Clean Water Action & Sierra Club

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.

• Michigan AFL-CIO

Legislators are scored on labor issues.

• Michigan Chamber

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• Michigan Farm Bureau

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture.

• Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.

• MIRS: Senate and House

Legislators are scored on a number of bills selected by the editor of MIRS, a state capitol newsletter.

• National Federation of Independent Business

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 13 to December 31. Clean Water Action & Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Michigan AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on labor issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. MIRS: Senate and House Legislators are scored on a number of bills selected by the editor of MIRS, a state capitol newsletter. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

See also

2022 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

Michigan State Senate District 16

Website

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Jason Sheppard (R)	Michigan House of Representatives District 56 2021-2023	Succeeded by Sharon MacDonell (D)

[show]

Current members of the Michigan State Senate

Senators

District 1

Erika Geiss (D)

District 2

Sylvia Santana (D)

District 3

Stephanie Chang (D)

District 4

Darrin Camilleri (D)

District 5

Dayna Polehanki (D)

District 6

Mary Cavanagh (D)

District 7

Jeremy Moss (D)

District 8

Mallory McMorrow (D)

District 9

Michael Webber (R)

District 10

Paul Wojno (D)

District 11

Veronica Klinefelt (D)

District 12

Kevin Hertel (D)

District 13

Rosemary Bayer (D)

District 14

Sue Shink (D)

District 15

Jeff Irwin (D)

District 16

Joseph Bellino (R)

District 17

Jonathan Lindsey (R)

District 18

Thomas Albert (R)

District 19

Sean McCann (D)

District 20

Aric Nesbitt (R)

District 21

Sarah Anthony (D)

District 22

Lana Theis (R)

District 23

Jim Runestad (R)

District 24

Ruth Johnson (R)

District 25

Dan Lauwers (R)

District 26

Kevin Daley (R)

District 27

John Cherry (D)

District 28

Sam Singh (D)

District 29

Winnie Brinks (D)

District 30

Mark Huizenga (R)

District 31

Roger Victory (R)

District 32

Jon Bumstead (R)

District 33

Rick Outman (R)

District 34

Roger Hauck (R)

District 35

Vacant

District 36

Michele Hoitenga (R)

District 37

John Damoose (R)

District 38

Ed McBroom (R)

Democratic Party (19)

Republican Party (18)

Vacancies (1)