Janet Metsa

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Janet Metsa

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1980

Graduate

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1980

Personal

Birthplace

Hancock, Mich.

Religion

ELCA Lutheran

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Janet Metsa (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 110. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Metsa completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Janet Metsa was born in Hancock, Michigan. She earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from MIT in 1980. Metsa’s career experience includes working as the owner of two businesses: Vesitech, Inc., which specializes in water treatment technology development, and JCM Environmental LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in air and water quality policy issues. She has also served as the treasurer and chair of the Houghton County Democratic Party.

Elections

2020

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 110

Incumbent Gregory Markkanen defeated Janet Metsa and Rick Sauermilch in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 110 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gregory Markkanen (R)	57.6	25,802
		Janet Metsa (D)	41.2	18,457
		Rick Sauermilch (G)	1.2	543

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 44,802
= 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 House of Representatives District 110

Janet Metsa defeated Lawrence Dale and Casey VerBerkmoes in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 110 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Janet Metsa	72.7	6,897
		Lawrence Dale	17.1	1,623
		Casey VerBerkmoes	10.2	963

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,483
= 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 110

Incumbent Gregory Markkanen advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 110 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gregory Markkanen	100.0	8,990

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,990
= 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 110

Rick Sauermilch advanced from the Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 110 on June 20, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Rick Sauermilch (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.

Endorsements

To view Metsa's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released June 22, 2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Janet Metsa completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Metsa's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Janet was born and was raised in Houghton County on the farm her grandparents established during the Finnish migration in the early 1900s. She graduated from Chassell Township Schools and then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she received a B.S and M.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1980. She was employed at Eastman Kodak as a Development Engineer for 3 years and then at EPA as an Environmental Engineer in Durham NC until 1988. She returned to the Copper Country when her husband, Michael Mullins, accepted a faculty position at Michigan Technological University.

Once settled in the Copper Country, she established a private consulting practice specializing in air and water environmental issues. In 2005, she established Vesitech, Inc to explore the development and commercialization of water treatment technologies. She has been the recipient of several Phase I and Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants. Janet's community service includes time as Treasurer of the Houghton County Democratic Party, Chair of the Houghton County Democratic Party, Portage Township Zoning Board of Appeals, Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance Board member and Chair, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Council and Lutheran Campus Ministry Board and Chair. She is a 2002 alumni of the MSU/ISSPR Michigan Political Leadership program. Janet resides in Portage Township, Houghton County. She is married with 3 adult children and one grandchild.

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?

• The Western UP deserves better State support for our teachers and students.
• The Western UP deserves better paying jobs, business and healthcare
• The Western UP deserves better energy prices and reliable sustainable energy sources

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education has always been a priority for me. An educated workforce is necessary for a strong economy. Most districts are projecting a $700 per student cut in State support this fiscal cycle with an additional possible $600 per student cost to prepare for safe return to in person instruction. (Detroit News 6-19-2020). The schools in the 110th district already have lean budgets. I will fight to protect State funding for our district.

I have made a career in environmental research and have worked with both industry and government. Environmental policy must be based in sound science and use accurate data in assessments. Sustainable use of our natural resources is essential for our district's economy but we must protect the natural beauty and ecology that attracts so many people to live and vacation here.

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

The film "Its a Wonderful Life". With economic inequality on the rise, it is time to restrict the influence of the modern day Mr. Potters.

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

I do my homework to be prepared on issues. I work to create consensus. I listen to people and I am used to having people listen to me.

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

I remember being sent home from school when President Kennedy was shot. I was 6 years old and in first grade.

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

My very first job, besides working on the farm, was as a mother's helper in Chicago the summer I turned 14. I looked up classified ads, hand wrote a resume and was hired sight unseen. I boarded the Greyhound bus to the big city in June after the school year and started my first adventure away from home. The family I worked for lived in a high rise apartment on North Lake Shore Drive overlooking Lake Michigan which could not be farther removed from the small farm house I grew up in. They were Jewish, which was my first immersion to a different culture and religion. I worked for them for 2 summers and the second summer we visited New York City. The family sent me to a Wednesday matinee on Broadway as a special experience. The play was "A Little Night Music" For a first job, I learned and experienced so much. I haven't shied away from taking risks since.

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

Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra. This was one of the songs that we used to calm my infant granddaughter. I was almost banned from being Grandma when I asked Alexa to play "Baby Shark."

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

Yes, It is beneficial to have had experience decisions in the public policy. Understanding the need to balance public input, legal structure and scientific constraints, where appropriate, is necessary for good legislation and policy.

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

In the near term, the State will be struggling to recover from the economic effects from the Covid-19 pandemic. In the long term, the State is facing demographic changes with fewer K-12 students and a loss of college graduates who take jobs out of the State. Population growth is mainly the result of immigration. Many of our rural areas are losing population which affects local government's ability maintain services and to fund schools.

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

Education because this is one of my passions for all citizens

Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation because these issues here are important to my district

Agriculture because grew up on a farm and still own and manage farm property. I have a great respect for the land and would like be in a position to positively influence farm policy.

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.

See also

2020 Elections

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External links

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Michigan House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Matt Hall

Minority Leader:Ranjeev Puri

Representatives

District 1

Tyrone Carter (D)

District 2

Tullio Liberati (D)

District 3

Alabas Farhat (D)

District 4

Karen Whitsett (D)

District 5

Regina Weiss (D)

District 6

Natalie Price (D)

District 7

Tonya Myers Phillips (D)

District 8

Helena Scott (D)

District 9

Joseph Tate (D)

District 10

Veronica Paiz (D)

District 11

Donavan McKinney (D)

District 12

Kimberly Edwards (D)

District 13

Mai Xiong (D)

District 14

Mike McFall (D)

District 15

Erin Byrnes (D)

District 16

Stephanie Young (D)

District 17

Laurie Pohutsky (D)

District 18

Jason Hoskins (D)

District 19

Samantha Steckloff (D)

District 20

Noah Arbit (D)

District 21

Kelly Breen (D)

District 22

Matt Koleszar (D)

District 23

Jason Morgan (D)

District 24

Ranjeev Puri (D)

District 25

Peter Herzberg (D)

District 26

Dylan Wegela (D)

District 27

Rylee Linting (R)

District 28

Jamie Thompson (R)

District 29

James DeSana (R)

District 30

William Bruck (R)

District 31

Reggie Miller (D)

District 32

Jimmie Wilson (D)

District 33

Morgan Foreman (D)

District 34

Nancy Jenkins-Arno (R)

District 35

Jennifer Wortz (R)

District 36

Steve Carra (R)

District 37

Brad Paquette (R)

District 38

Joey Andrews (D)

District 39

Pauline Wendzel (R)

District 40

Matt Longjohn (D)

District 41

Julie Rogers (D)

District 42

Matt Hall (R)

District 43

Rachelle Smit (R)

District 44

Steve Frisbie (R)

District 45

Sarah Lightner (R)

District 46

Kathy Schmaltz (R)

District 47

Carrie Rheingans (D)

District 48

Jennifer Conlin (D)

District 49

Ann Bollin (R)

District 50

Jason Woolford (R)

District 51

Matt Maddock (R)

District 52

Mike Harris (R)

District 53

Brenda Carter (D)

District 54

Donni Steele (R)

District 55

Mark Tisdel (R)

District 56

Sharon MacDonell (D)

District 57

Thomas Kuhn (R)

District 58

Ron Robinson (R)

District 59

Douglas Wozniak (R)

District 60

Joseph Aragona (R)

District 61

Denise Mentzer (D)

District 62

Alicia St. Germaine (R)

District 63

Jay DeBoyer (R)

District 64

Joseph Pavlov (R)

District 65

Jaime Greene (R)

District 66

Josh Schriver (R)

District 67

Phil Green (R)

District 68

David Martin (R)

District 69

Jasper Martus (D)

District 70

Cynthia Neeley (D)

District 71

Brian BeGole (R)

District 72

Mike Mueller (R)

District 73

Julie Brixie (D)

District 74

Kara Hope (D)

District 75

Penelope Tsernoglou (D)

District 76

Angela Witwer (D)

District 77

Emily Dievendorf (D)

District 78

Gina Johnsen (R)

District 79

Angela Rigas (R)

District 80

Phil Skaggs (D)

District 81

Stephen Wooden (D)

District 82

Kristian Grant (D)

District 83

John Fitzgerald (D)

District 84

Carol Glanville (D)

District 85

Bradley Slagh (R)

District 86

Nancy De Boer (R)

District 87

William Snyder (D)

District 88

Greg VanWoerkom (R)

District 89

Luke Meerman (R)

District 90

Bryan Posthumus (R)

District 91

Pat Outman (R)

District 92

Jerry Neyer (R)

District 93

Tim Kelly (R)

District 94

Amos O'Neal (D)

District 95

Bill Schuette (R)

District 96

Timothy Beson (R)

District 97

Matthew Bierlein (R)

District 98

Gregory Alexander (R)

District 99

Mike Hoadley (R)

District 100

Tom Kunse (R)

District 101

Joseph Fox (R)

District 102

Curt VanderWall (R)

District 103

Betsy Coffia (D)

District 104

John Roth (R)

District 105

Ken Borton (R)

District 106

Cameron Cavitt (R)

District 107

Parker Fairbairn (R)

District 108

David Prestin (R)

District 109

Karl Bohnak (R)

District 110

Gregory Markkanen (R)

Republican Party (58)

Democratic Party (52)