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Tim Meyer (Michigan)

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Tim Meyer
Image of Tim Meyer

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

The College of Wooster, 1978

Personal
Birthplace
Ohio
Religion
Presbyterian
Profession
Small business owner
Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Tim Meyer (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 88. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Meyer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Tim Meyer was born in Ohio. He earned a bachelor's degree from the College of Wooster in 1978. His career experience includes working as a small business owner.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 88

Incumbent Greg VanWoerkom defeated Tim Meyer in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 88 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Greg VanWoerkom
Greg VanWoerkom (R)
 
57.0
 
33,591
Image of Tim Meyer
Tim Meyer (D) Candidate Connection
 
43.0
 
25,367

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 58,958
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 88

Tim Meyer advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 88 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tim Meyer
Tim Meyer Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
5,490

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

Total votes: 5,490
Candidate Connection = 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 88

Incumbent Greg VanWoerkom advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 88 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Greg VanWoerkom
Greg VanWoerkom
 
100.0
 
14,695

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 14,695
Candidate Connection = 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 finance

Endorsements

Meyer received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Meyer's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here.

  • Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Tim Meyer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Meyer's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a semi-retired small business founder/owner, currently assisting my son, who now owns the bicycle sales and service business. I earned a BA in 1978 from the College of Wooster (Ohio) in Economics, Political Science, Urban Studies and Econometrics. I have been involved in political campaigns, including having been a field director for the Obama campaign. My wife, Patty, and I share a blended family and a love for politics. I have worked on many community projects, have completed our local Chamber of Commerce Leadership program, have done some substitute teaching, and coached Science Olympiad and Odyssey of the Mind Teams. I ran for State Representative in 2016, and for the local Board of Education. I was Vice Chair of the Ottawa County Democratic Party; I am a Trustee in my church, and I served two terms on the Grand Haven Central Business District Development Authority.
  • We must continue to develop dignified, well-paying jobs and affordable housing in Michigan, enabling families to get ahead.
  • We must protect our democratic rights, including expanded voting rights, women's rights to make their own reproductive health decisions, and freedom from discrimination for all citizens.
  • Michigan must ensure its students have a world class education from exceptional teachers, from universal Pre-K, up through community college/technical training.
Creating jobs, affordable housing, Pre-K-14 education, reproductive health/pro-family policies, support for small businesses.
I look up to Barak Obama. I was able to get up close a few times while working on his campaign and was inspired by his seemingly innate understanding of people. I have made it my mission to develop this aptitude, and to exude hope and change, and speak plainly and from the heart on issues facing residents of my area of the world.
I would suggest The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, by Barak Obama, 2006
Compromise is essential to democracy. In Michigan, we have diverse views and perspectives, and that is what makes us great. Reaching across the aisle to find common ground is required to get work done for the people we represent. And, understanding when you must take a stand is also essential. I will remain steadfast if a policy moves our state backward, abridges democratic rights, is detrimental to public safety or the common good, or denies science.
First of all, a legislator must listen to all constituents and respond promptly to their questions and concerns. He/she must take into consideration constituents needs and concerns when crafting, sponsoring, or co-sponsoring legislation, and when voting. Reaching across the aisle for compromise and knowing when not to compromise is essential. Finally, once decisions are made or legislation passed, articulating same to constituents in a transparent/truthful manner.
The best relationship would be one where legislators listen to constituents and the Governor listens to legislators while proposing budgets and policy plans, and where the legislature seriously returns the favor by creating legislation that responds to constituents and supports the common good.
It will be a challenge to meet the Clean Energy Standards Michigan just set, but there is no turning back, no Planet B. We will be making big decisions about energy, and worker transitioning, and clean energy justice for communities.
Another challenge will be creating the jobs of the future and training the workforce for those jobs: dignified jobs with a livable wage.
State legislators can benefit from previous experience working on community projects and Boards, just as well as previous experience in politics/government. Situations where there are varying perspectives, nuances, and viewpoints towards projects that must be completed for the good of the community abridge the learning curve for new legislators.
Absolutely I do. Building relationships means building trust, which is essential for working in a diverse environment with multiple perspectives and a job to do. Legislators share their talents and expertise when there is mutual respect.
It would be Elissa Slotkin, for her ability to articulate issues and develop consensus.
Being a State Legislator is what interests me.
While canvassing, I was greeted at a door with "I'm a Trump man". We talked quite a while: business, church, people we know in common, and community involvement. Finally, he asked where I stood on abortion, looking for an opening on agreement. Late in life he and his wife, were faced with an unplanned pregnancy, well after rearing a number of children, had agreed on the difficult decision of an abortion. We saw eye to eye on a number of issues it turned out. A Choose MEYER sign is now in front of his house.
The legislature should grant the use of emergency powers. When they are needed, there can be no delay while deliberating and it is pretty clear there can be no compromise. We must continue to hire competent staff and entrust them to use data, science, and common sense.
I would introduce a bill that bolsters government transparency involving the Open Meetings Act/Sunshine Laws. Michigan doesn’t have a great national reputation when it comes to this issue. We experienced the misuse of Open Meetings in Ottawa County when an extremist group took over the county commission and had obviously met and discussed policy prior to any open public meetings. There are loopholes in our laws pertaining to Open Meetings.
Michigan Education Association; Michigan AFL/CIO, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 174, the Progressive Democratic Women's Caucus, the Ottawa County Democratic Party, The Michigan League of Conservation Voters, the Michigan Rural PAC, and a number of past and present officeholders and community leaders. Our list will grow, as we have submitted endorsement applications to 10 additional organizations.
I am most interested in Economic Development and Small Business, Natural Resources/Environment, and Education. I founded and owned a small sales and service business which I sold to my son, so I have first-hand knowledge of small businesses. I have a background in conserving natural resources, and my interest in education comes from working with school teams of Odyssey of the Mind and Science Olympiad.
The trust of the public must be earned. Financial transparency while campaigning tells the story of whether you may be swayed by a special outside interest or an interest of your own. Communicating the costs and benefits of legislation to the public is important to gain trust. And, operating in open meetings and with input via hearings is essential.
In recent years, Michigan voters passed historic ballot initiatives regarding citizen commission re-districting, reproductive rights, and expanded voting rights. The Center for American Progress lauded Michigan for their success in "direct democracy". But behind the scenes, factions worked to quash this process by intimidating the Board of Canvassers, bringing lawsuits against the petition committees, passing watered-down legislation in lame duck sessions, and creating new laws for gathering signatures, etc. Legislation that streamlines the ballot process and guards against other intrusions would be helpful, because ballot initiatives are pure democracy.

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.


2016

Meyer's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[2]

Michigan legislature

  • Excerpt: "Our state has many immediate needs, from roads and bridges to education, our veterans’ healthcare, and solving current crises including Detroit Public Schools and Flint Water. Even as vital as those issues are, our legislature far too often bogs down in issues that have little if any impact on the lives of Michiganders, such as passing laws to prevent cities and townships from banning the use of plastic bags."

Roads

  • Excerpt: "It’s time to raise the per gallon tax by just twenty cents, not to increase taxes but to restore the lost revenue that is destroying our roads."

Detroit public schools

  • Excerpt: "Children in Detroit deserve a quality public education, and it’s to the benefit of all of us in Michigan that all our children grow up with the necessary skills to find work at good wages. The longer the problem is left unsolved, seven years now under emergency management, the worse the situation becomes."

Freedom of Information Act

  • Excerpt: "The Governor’s office and state legislators should not be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. They should be the leaders in transparency."


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.

Tim Meyer campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Michigan House of Representatives District 88Lost general$96,416 $0
Grand total$96,416 $0
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete


See also

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External links

Candidate

Michigan House of Representatives District 88
  • Website
  • Facebook
    		•

    Personal

  • Facebook
    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 27, 2024
    2. ↑ Vote Tim Meyer, "Issues," accessed October 18, 2016


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