Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
William Baker (Michigan)
William Baker (Republican Party) ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 60. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Baker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Baker graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2011 with a B.S. in mathematics. His professional experience includes working for the State of Michigan at the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital and preparing personal income taxes.[1]
Elections
2018
General election
Incumbent Jon Hoadley defeated William Baker in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 60 on November 6, 2018.
General election
General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 60
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jon Hoadley (D)  | 76.6 | 26,772 |
 | William Baker (R) | 23.4 | 8,181 | |
| Total votes: 34,953 (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
Incumbent Jon Hoadley advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 60 on August 7, 2018.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 60
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jon Hoadley | 100.0 | 11,776 |
| Total votes: 11,776 | |||
| = 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
William Baker advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 60 on August 7, 2018.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 60
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | William Baker | 100.0 | 3,037 |
| Total votes: 3,037 | |||
| = 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
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
William Baker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Baker's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
The largest priorities that I would fight for all revolve around increasing the personal and economic freedoms of Michigan's citizens. -I will push to cut the state personal income tax to three percent (3%) from where it currently sits at four and a quarter. -I will lead an effort to end all excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol products, and end the State's control of liquor distribution. -I will fight to end, or reduce, nearly all licensing requirements that Michigan places on its workers.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
For me it is all about taxes and ensuring that the money collected from Michigan's hard working citizens are spent in ways that benefit all citizens. For the last three years, I have prepared personal income taxes each winter, and after hearing the stories of individuals working two, three, or more jobs, individuals trying to raise a family, or recent college graduates that are buried under their student loans, I was spurred to action when the Michigan Legislature passed a bill allowing $1.8 billion dollars of tax revenue to developers.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Should I be elected, I would strive to follow in the footsteps of current State Representative Steve Johnson and current US Representative Justin Amash.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
First I would suggest either reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, or watching the three part movie series based on the book. For those who prefer something more face paced, pay attention to Captain America's role and lines in Marvel's CA: Civil War, individual responsibility and doing what's right over what's popular.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Honesty and sticking up for what they believe in. No one wants a leader who only holds their tongue while they are in the minority.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
A member of the state legislature has to be able to put the State before themselves and before their district. There could be a few things being debated where I would state that doing "this" or fighting "that" is more important than being reelected.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My first job was working at a local fast food restaurant that was known for its fried chicken and ice cream. I worked there most of high school.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
Like any thing, experience can be an added benefit, but it also lends to having a record that people can look at and expect what the person would likely do.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
The greatest challenge will be becoming more financially self sufficient. As our state budget is forty percent (40%) funded by the federal government, should they have a major financial issue (such as medicaid becoming insolvent), Michigan can be in trouble.
Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
Beyond State Representative Johnson and US Representative Amash, I would try to model myself after our 30th President, Calvin Coolidge.
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.
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
My ultimate goal is to scale back the size and scope of Michigan's government, allowing for greater personal and economic freedoms to take hold. By allowing individuals to shape their destinies' Michigan can be a more prosperous place to live and raise families.[2] |
” |
| —William Baker[1] | ||
See also
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Michigan House of Representatives
External links
Footnotes
