Three Republicans are vying for the right to meet incumbent state Rep. Betsy Coffia in November.
Tripp Garcia, Katie Kniss and Lisa Trombley are seeking the GOP nomination to face first-term representative Coffia.
Neither Garcia nor Kniss responded to the Enterprise questionnaire.
Trombley is an accomplished business executive with U of M bachelor’s degree and master’s from American University. She is a proud mom and active in many community organizations, including county Republican parties.
The winner will have a place on the General Election ballot.
Here are the questions and responses from Trombley:
1.) Last month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an order establishing a gun violence task force. In 2023, the state Legislature passed gun legislation that requires universal background checks for all firearm purchases and established storage requirements and an extreme risk protection, or “red flag” law, which allows people to petition for someone’s firearm to be confiscated if the person poses a threat to themselves or others. How will the success of this task force and the legislative measures be defined?
TROMBLEY: Gretchen Whitmer’s Gun Violence Task Force should be more focused on encouraging our state’s prosecutors not to turn a blind eye when it comes to violent crimes. Time and again, when a violent crime is committed, we later find out that the person was previously convicted of a violent crime which should have resulted in a lengthy prison sentence. Our County Prosecutors must enforce the laws on the books to keep our neighborhoods safe.
2.) Much has been made of recent changes to election law to allow for early, on demand voting and other measures aimed at making voting easier. Some have alleged voter fraud. Are you confident in the election process and the county clerks’ ability administer the changes and ensure all valid ballots are counted accurately?
TROMBLEY: Safe, secure elections are vital to our Republic. My confidence is shaken in the Secretary of State, not our local clerks, who follow SOS’ policies. An impactful way to ensure voter integrity is to attend your township’s Voting Machine Accuracy test, held before each election. There are opportunities to improve election security, but until there are different policies, this is the system in place. Every qualified voter should vote on August 6th--your vote matters!
3.) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last fall signed bill package aimed at transitioning Michigan to 100% clean energy by 2040. Lawmakers changed the way large-scale wind, solar and battery-storage arrays are approved in Michigan, putting permitting authority in the state’s hands after it had rested with local governments.
What do you think about the clean energy measures? Too much or not enough?
TROMBLEY: Turning energy policy over to the Michigan Public Service Commission puts our serene northern Michigan landscape at risk. Like many, I am concerned about windmills in our lakes and the bays destroying our pristine views and solar farms where cherry trees once stood. I firmly believe we need comprehensive energy resources to thrive; however, in northern Michigan, our voices need to be heard and take precedence over the decisions of unelected Lansing bureaucrats.
