Michigan State Senate District 37 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Michigan, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Michigan State Senate District 37 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Michigan State Senate District 37

John Damoose defeated Barbara Conley and Zachary Dean in the general election for Michigan State Senate District 37 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Damoose (R)	55.5	79,125
		Barbara Conley (D)	42.8	61,069
	Submit photo	Zachary Dean (L)	1.7	2,468

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 142,662
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

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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?

Barbara Conley (D)

Good paying year round jobs: We must attract new business and support current businesses that provide year round, good-paying jobs. This required investment in broadband for all areas, and good education to prepare workers for those jobs

Affordable housing: In our beautiful area many existing homes have been acquired by well off retirees or those investing in rental to tourists and homes and rentals are now priced out of reach for our workers. This impacts our ability to attract workers, including teachers, emergency medical personnel and others. We need to invest as a state in helping build affordable homes and keep them affordable for future generations

Accessible healthcare: too many of our residents cannot even afford health insurance on the marketplace; and, even if they did, we have too few primary care and even specialist providers. This is most acutely felt in the mental health care field currently. We must recruit and retain health care providers in this area if we are to envision a secure future and good quality of life

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Barbara Conley (D)

Empowering people to attain their best selves: programs that assist with education costs, health costs and housing costs

Promoting creative business: policies that help businesses get started and thrive Promoting technology to solve current problems: such as clean energy, transportation, disruptive advances in healthcare

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

Barbara Conley (D)

My late mother. She was a nurse, and a get-it-done kind of person, who also managed to be kind and caring while raising 5 children

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Barbara Conley (D)

Getting to Yes: Roger Fisher and William Ury

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Barbara Conley (D)

Honesty and integrity

Actual care for people's issues Ability to listen Ability to work with others Ability to make a point clearly, without being disagreeable Willing to learn , know where to get help Being on time Ability to work hard

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Barbara Conley (D)

I believe I have the determination to understand and find ways to make life better for the residents of northern Michigan. I do work well with others, and seek to understand the reasons behind problems. I enjoy problem-solving. I enjoy having discussions with people about their issues.

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

Barbara Conley (D)

Listen to constituents; elicit constituents opinions

Represent those opinions by proposing legislation and opposing legislation

Be honest and transparent

What legacy would you like to leave?

Barbara Conley (D)

I would like to leave a legacy of working with others to empower Michiganders to be their best, to encourage Michiganders to think of societal progress, and to promote Michigan as a great place to live and to start and grow a business.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Barbara Conley (D)

The assassination of President Kennedy. I was 10 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Barbara Conley (D)

My first job was babysitting. This happened on and off during high school and college to earn money for extra expenses

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Barbara Conley (D)

My life has been very blessed in general. However, I did struggle early in my career to prove myself as a person, a woman, who can excel in medicine and science, and raise a child. I do understand this dilemma well. I am pleased to see a little progress being made here, but am keenly aware that parents, both fathers and mothers, feel the need to be best both at their jobs and at raising the next generation. I feel that society benefits when children get what they need to succeed, but that parents are not the only ones who need to be concerned about that.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Barbara Conley (D)

I believe the ideal relationship is one of respect, but also checks and balances. The job of legislator and governor are different, and both are important.

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

Barbara Conley (D)

I think we have several challenges. The greatest is to invest in our people so that the entire state can thrive. We will also need to fix and develop quite a bit of infrastructure to support the economy of the future. For example, roads and bridges and locks do need to be maintained, But we also need infrastructure for electric economy, high speed internet universally; we need clean water and to be sure wastewater and septic tanks do not contaminate the environment.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Barbara Conley (D)

Benefits: This body can work on legislation and the work is done is the most obvious. It is probably more efficient and less expensive. There may not be as much rivalry between legislators Drawbacks: there may not be enough legislators for good representation. There is a risk of all thinking alike, less debate on bills.

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

Barbara Conley (D)

I think it may be beneficial. However, there is room for those without previous political or legislative experience; such legislators may bring personal experience lacking in those who focus only on government and politics .

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

Barbara Conley (D)

I definitely believe it is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators. Getting to know other legislators will inform as to how their opinions may be formed and what they think is important as life guides. Relationships will assist those with differing views to work together better in crafting new legislation, without allowing differences to become something that leads to acrimony.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Barbara Conley (D)

I favor an independent body for redistricting, that includes some partisan members but a majority of non-partisan members if possible

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Barbara Conley (D)

The committees on Education and Career Readiness, Economic and Small Business Development, and Health Policy and Human Services as well as Appropriations are committees I hope to be a member of.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Barbara Conley (D)

Several national legislators are models of working together "across the aisle" to get meaningful legislation passed. I would hope to be one of those

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Barbara Conley (D)

Unknown at this time

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Barbara Conley (D)

Recently I saw a patient with a newly diagnosed lung cancer who was being evicted. She had lost her job due to the pandemic; the job was barely enough for her to survive. She had no reliable transportation and no family who could help her. Several stories of people with medical diagnoses have had to start GO FUND ME campaigns to address their care. Many young people here tell me they cannot make a living that would allow them to afford their own rental.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Barbara Conley (D)

I do think there are times when emergency powers are needed - which is why they are called emergency powers - the need is fast action before there is time for deliberation. Those types. of powers need to be discussed in the legislature before there is a need for them and to be sure that emergency powers are necessary.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Barbara Conley (D)

Compromise is definitely necessary and desirable for policymaking. However, it does not have to be winner and loser type of compromise. The pie can be made bigger. One must assume good intentions and understand the viewpoint of those who don't agree with you to understand how both parties can be satisfied with a single solution

See also

More about these elections:

• Michigan State Senate elections, 2022

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