Production funding for Media Meet is provided by the Ray and Peg Hirvonen Foundation.

Stay tuned to WNU as we continue our series of candidate forums.

This time with a focus on the Michigan House of 110th district, which includes Keweenaw, Houghton, Ontonagon, Gogebic, Iron and portions of Dickinson counties counties.

We will hear from Democratic challenger Brian Irizarry and Republican incumbent Greg Markkanen.

The Michigan 110th House District Candidate Forum is next on Media Meet.

[music] [music] [music] [music] Hello everyone.

I'm Mike Settles.

Welcome to WNMU's media meet.

Today we turn our attention to the Western UP and the race for the 110th House District.

In just a moment, we will talk with Republican incumbent Greg Markin.

But first, I would like to welcome the Democratic challenger Brian Irizarry.

Brian, welcome to Media Meet.

Thank you, Mike.

It's good to be here.

Well, thanks for coming and telling us more about yourself and some of your your thoughts as it relates to being a state rep.

Let's just start kind of with some background.

Um, why is it you're interested in going to Lancing and representing the 110th district?

Sure.

Great, great question.

So, my name is Brian Irizarry and I'm on the city council in the city of H Hotton.

I've been on the city council for six years now and I was the mayor for two years and uh so it's sort of a natural stepping stone.

People were asking me since Kim Corkran ran um are you interested in running if she doesn't run?

I asked Kim if she wanted to run.

she wasn't interested cuz I didn't want to, you know, primary her or I wanted to support her 100%.

So, that just came about because um people were looking for an option and I was, you know, putting my name in the hat and that's sort of how I got into it.

Um I could tell you a little bit about myself.

Yeah.

Give us give us a little bit more about your background, your life experiences and and why some of that would make you wellqualified as a representative.

Sure.

Well, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia.

I graduated from the University of Georgia.

After the University of Georgia, I decided to join the Marine Corps where our country was at war and I thought that it would be really important for me to help out with that cause.

Uh and then I was able to deploy to the uh to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

And for my actions in Afghanistan, I was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

And while I was overseas stationed in Iwauni, Japan, I met my wife and we had three boys.

And after a while, we decided to raise our three boys in the UP.

So, we moved back to the UP.

And um that's where we're we live now.

We're really proud to be here in H Hotton.

I'm in Marquette today, but we're in the UP.

And it's a great place for three brothers to grow up.

And I'm just trying to be a good public servant.

And I think that I'm uniquely I'm uniquely qualified for this because I have experience with how the state deals with local municipalities and I'm just trying to be helpful and um that's why I'm running.

Well, uh you are you've served time on H Hotton City Council.

You've been mayor of H Hotton a time or two.

How has work working at that municipal level?

How has that prepared you for the complexities of state policym the municipal level is really important because that's where a lot of our local jobs and our local economy happen.

So Act 51 money is an example of that with the profit sharing with the state and its local municipalities.

we have a good understanding of how that affects our communities and it's very nonpartisan at that level.

And so that's where my mindset is.

I'm trying to accomplish things that are nonpartisan at that local level and I think that's how it really helps one to become prepared for that state representative level.

And uh so yeah, that's basically it.

Well, um I'm gonna ask this of both of you.

give me your overall assessment of the state of Michigan in the upper peninsula in terms of uh its people, the economy, and just the state where we are right now.

Sure.

Our district, the 110th district, is in the Western UP.

It's pretty far from Detroit, and we rely on tourism a lot.

a lot of our largest employers are our universities with Michigan Tech, our tourism economy, our hospitals, and it's really important for us to make sure that the Upper Peninsula is keeping up with the lower peninsula economically.

And that's important for whoever's representing us is to be a strong and a loud voice for the Upper Peninsula economic values.

And that's what I intend to be.

Uh so that's probably you ask how's the state of affairs basically I think that we need to be careful that the lower peninsula doesn't separate from the upper peninsula economically and it's important for us to grow in a way that is balanced for our state and when people in Detroit and Lancing aren't paying attention to the UP it affects them because when they come to Isle Royal National Park or the Porkis our state park or other beautiful destinations in the summer and winter It's important to have those so that our state is healthy.

Both you and your opponent Greg Markkanen share a background in education.

Uh you're a Barraa High School teacher.

Is it math and Spanish?

That's right.

Math and Spanish.

And Greg's a former high school teacher.

How would your time in the classroom or how does your time in the classroom influence your approach to how you would legislate on education issues?

I'm talking things like school funding, getting the scores up, that kind of thing.

Great question.

Um, I am endorsed by the MEA.

They decided to endorse me over my opponent in this race.

And that's because I'm an advocate for public schools.

I'm an advocate for unions.

And those are important things to get our children's test scores up.

If you want our children's test scores up, you need to have our students fed.

That's why we have free breakfast and free lunch for all students.

That's important for kids to test well.

In addition, if we want to have the best teachers, we need to be able to recruit and retain our best teachers.

A lot of our schools are in rural places, and so when you have teachers hopping around and leaving a population of kids, it's really difficult for that relationship to happen.

And if we're able to retain teachers, perhaps incentivize it with a bonus so that they're staying there for around eight years or longer, that builds that rapport and that relationship with our students and our population.

And that helps our teachers minutesto better understand how to reach these particular students in all of our different districts.

And so I'm a I'm a proponent of making sure that we're paying our teachers well.

If you want the best teachers, you got to pay them.

That's just true in all aspects of the world.

You want to recruit recruit the best talent, you got to pay them.

That way they don't go into other fields.

For a person to go get an education degree and take on that amount of school debt right now, it's a little bit daunting.

And so the state needs to reward them.

We need to have good benefits, good retirement plans, and good working conditions.

Collective bargaining is key.

That's why I'm a big supporter of labor unions.

And all of those things combined will raise our children's scores, will help them with their literacy, and that's why, you know, that's something that I'll be able to bring to the legislature.

Well, it sounds like education is a big concern for you.

Uh yes.

What other issues or concerns are top of mind for you?

Um should you be elected?

Uh what types of legislation would you like to pursue early on?

One of my most one of my goals is to bring that emergency room back to Antonogen.

They lost their emergency room.

Rural health care is a big problem where we live.

Access to emergency rooms is a huge deal.

It's um difficult for families to visit their family members in the hospital when they live in Anton and they have to travel to Bera or they have to travel to H Hotton or Ironwood and then when you can't you know there's no birthing facilities for Ironwood and they have to go far away.

That's probably the number one issue that affects everything in our economy.

Because if we don't have hospital systems that are going to meet the needs of our existing population, then our high schoolers aren't going to be able to graduate and start families and stay here.

Our seniors aren't going to want to retire back here.

And so it it affects tourism as well.

People are going to think twice before they come up here and because they're afraid of getting injured.

So rural healthcare has to be the number one priority for whoever is elected here because it was ignored.

It was a blind spot for the state legislature.

They didn't see how our rural hospitals are struggling with the Medicare cuts with the with the amount of money they're receiving from Medicare patients.

And something has to be done.

It has to it has to be outside the box or it has to be just like hunkering down and getting it done.

So that's probably my other number one issue besides education is rural healthcare.

Tell me uh what the biggest misconception voters might have about you based solely on your political party and and who you are outside of a partisan label.

Okay, great question.

Uh who I am outside of a partisan label.

So um I'm a mar I'm a Marine Corps veteran.

I'm a patriot and I tell people that I'm not a socialist.

I'm just trying to be a moderate Democrat because that's representative of our district.

I'm trying to represent our district.

I'm not trying to be condescending.

Not that others are, but I'm trying to listen.

I'm trying to win their vote not because I know better, but because I listen better and that I'm active and I'm a communicator.

And you know, in the Marine Corps, we say you shoot, move, and communicate.

You have to be dynamic and you have to be listening and you have to run things up and down the chain.

And so with regards to h misconceptions about me being a Democrat, you know, I I'm I'm endorsed by the Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners.

Uh I'm the only Democrat in the entire uh Michigan House races from all 110 districts that is endorsed by the MC RGO.

And so I'm proud to be a proponent of our Second Amendment rights, our right to bear arms.

I think that's representative of our district.

And um I'm just like a middle grounds kind of candidate.

I'm not trying to be far-left.

Um and so I think that's where our our district is and I don't think anyone's looking for extremes.

I think people are looking for the middle and that's what I'm bringing to the table.

minutesWell, uh voters have a decision to make as to who represents them.

What What would you want to tell them as to what makes you a a better would make you a better representative than your opponent?

because I'm going to work harder, because I'm going to communicate better, and because I am more hungry.

Uh I with the city council, I've introduced resolutions at our council.

I'm by far the counselor with the most introduced resolutions.

I'd be very active legislatively.

Our current state representative is not very active introducing bills.

Uh and so that's something that I would be I would look at what can we introduce to the legislature that affects the upper peninsula.

how can I work with other representatives downstate to explain to them that something that's good for the Western UP is good for Detroit and good for Lancing and Grand Rapids.

And so I would just be very dynamic in that way.

I'd be very active.

I'm going to make votes.

I'm going to have great attendance.

That was a problem in the first uh term of our current state representative.

And it's just one of those things where um you just got to be really active, high energy, loud, and be a strong voice and not and another thing is I'm not going to just take what my party tells me to do.

If something for my district isn't good for my party, that doesn't rather I'm going to be representing my district over party.

And so if the Democratic party wants one thing like my support for second amendment rights, you know, that doesn't represent my district, I'm going to represent my district.

And so I'm not going to be towing the party line all the time because I'm going to be listening to my district and fighting for my district.

Well, Brian, we're down to our final minute.

Um, I want to give this time to you to kind of make that final appeal to your voters as to why they should consider putting you in office.

Sure.

Thank you.

This camera here.

Okay.

I'm Brian Irizarry.

I'm fighting to support local families.

I'm fighting to to create local jobs.

I am just a hardworking guy trying to be a loud voice for the hardworking people in the UP.

So, please vote for Brian.

I'll be a loud voice for you.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

Brian Erizzari, thanks so much for joining us.

The Democratic candidate for the 110th House District.

Again, thank you for joining us.

Now, in just a moment, we will hear from the Republican hoping to hold on to his House seat, 110th District Representative Greg Markkanen.

Stay tuned.

We will be right back.

Michigan's [music] Upper Peninsula isn't just where we broadcast.

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It's the people we meet, the communities we reach, and the families that [music] invite us into their homes.

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Welcome back to Media Meet and our Michigan 110th House District Candidate Forum.

You just heard from Democratic candidate Brian Irizarry.

Now it's time to hear from Republican candidate and current Representative Greg Markkanen.

Greg, welcome back to Media Meet.

It's good to be here.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming and answering some questions for us.

Uh the first one's going to be to again maybe if there are folks that don't know much about you, tell us more about yourself and why it is you want to return for a fifth term to the Michigan House.

Well, I Greg Markkanen and I live up in Hancock, Michigan.

I represent the 110th district now for the last four terms.

Um running for a fifth term.

Um I serve on the appropriations committee.

I'm the only the third UP representative to serve on appropriations.

I think Dominic Jake Betty was the first.

Michael Lahi, Representative Lah served for a term.

Now I'm I'm on my second term in appropriations and you know sub subcommittee chair of higher education, community colleges and my leap and it's it's been an incredible experience and an honor to serve the 110th district.

minutesLet me take you back um more than eight years ago uh to when you had a different life.

Mhm.

Tell us more about that and how your life experiences at that time have helped you as a state representative.

Well, I you know I taught political science at Gogg Community College as an adjunct instructor and I also taught civics at Berga High School and I really blame one of my former students for the fact that uh get me involved to run for office.

You know I one day he asked me you know Mr.

Markin you ever consider running for office?

And I said no.

But then I thought you know why not?

you know, I'll I'll throw it back at him.

And I thought, you know, if you help me with my campaign and, you know, ever since then, we've been the best of friends.

And he's an attorney now up in Grand Rapids.

Uh went through NMU and got a law school uh scholarship at MSU and, you know, from a local UP guy.

So, well, this is an interesting contest because both candidates uh have been minutesBrianari is a teacher at Baragga High School.

You are a former teacher from Barraa High School.

Fascinating that that's happened.

Um, how is it that your background in education and in the classroom has kind of informed your approach to legislating education issues?

Well, I can, you know, serving on appropriations, but before that, I served on education policy committee and, you know, education Michigan.

I think when I I started my education degree both at NMU and and Michigan Tech, I have uh certifications from both.

Um you know, Michigan was in the top five in the nation.

Uh now we slipped down to the, you know, 44th, 43rd and and 45th in the nation uh with literacy reading uh reading uh scores.

Um, you know, it really puts a different focus on when you're sitting in committing both appropriations and policy, uh, to listen to the struggle minutesacross the state on on, you know, school districts trying to meet the needs of the of the students.

And, you know, literacy is so important.

You know, it's a passion of mine.

Uh, you know, it it's hard work teaching literacy.

I I know a lot of my former co my colleagues down there just you know are tired of hearing it but you know to teach literacy and phenemic awareness uh to you know kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade you when they start learning and reading for knowledge and background I you know they need a good foundation and you know NMU's education program and when tech had their education program you know we did a great job up here uh but a lot of other a A lot of politics got involved, I think, with education, the education program in in the state of Michigan, and we need to get that out and we get get need to get back to the basics.

Let me follow up on that with you because you talked about how the test scores have continued to slip here in the state.

Uh Michigan hasn't really held up as the uh gold standard for education right now.

Um and and yet you have been in the House for eight years.

What can you do these next two years that maybe couldn't be accomplished uh in the previous eight as it relates to changing things around in terms of our education programs?

Well, I I think that really depends on where a couple of the the big races go, you know, and the philosophy behind it because I don't believe assessment after assessment after assessment is the way to go with our department of education.

I I think we need to get we have excellent educated teachers across the UP and in the lower Michigan uh that know what's required and you know we've had the luxury up in the copper country of having a lot of exchange teachers with Finland.

You know they have no standardized ed uh testing at all and they're in the top in the world on the planet when it comes to education.

Um, so it makes you wonder and question the fact where is all this assessment getting us in education.

Uh, we're going through a lot of funding, a lot of money, uh, that could be going back to rural school districts and districts across the state.

Uh, that's being burned up in Lancing and it should be going to the school districts.

Well, we talked a little bit about education.

Tell me about another issue or two that um another pieces of legislation that you championed as a representative that you're particularly proud of.

Well, the the most recent is the Kuna Heartlands project up in Kuna County.

You know, the Nature Conservancy.

There was 33 about 32 33,000 acres of land that one of the timber companies was going to has wanted to step away from and you know the DNR approached them and said you know we want to uh get the easement the ATV and the snowmobile easement up to Copper Harbor because that's lifeblood of that area up there in the tourism.

Uh this company wanted to sell it entirely at one piece.

uh the Nature Conservancy stepped up to the plate uh purchased the pro property and now you know we're starting trying to start a recreational authority.

They're going to have an election in November here to create a board to manage that property uh for the benefit of Kiwina County and and the people of the UP and Michigan.

Talk about your tenure a little bit in in the House and and why that would be an advantage if voters were to put you back in office for a fifth term.

What what gains do you get as a result of having been in Lancing for so many years?

I think the insight is important, the experience is important.

I'm very proud of the fact that I have a perfect attendance record.

You know, I travel a thousand miles to Lancing um through thick and thin.

I've seen some incredible weather across the UP and but I think the experience is very important both in policy and appropriations.

um you know and and past representatives in the UP have shown that Dominic Jacob Betty uh Tom Caspersonson they all brought experience back to Lancing and were reelected uh numerous times and the people of of Michigan and people of my district I think expect that experience to be utilized to benefit the district and the UP as a whole you know and there's some big issues that experience really counts when you're addressing them.

So, what is it that makes you a better candidate for voters to put back in office rather than your opponent?

I think my my experience I know both of us have military experience.

Both of us have educational experience, but I've got that eight years down in Lancing already.

Uh I've got contacts in in all the state departments that I work with on a daily daily basis.

I've got a staff that is very well experienced down there.

Um, you know, I'm I don't want to say I'm settled in because that sounds like I'm I'm just trying to move minutesforward, but I think it's the experience and the contacts and knowing the process, the legislative process is so important.

Uh, because the learning curve is very, very steep.

And I don't care if, you know, if you're a farmer or a former educator, that learning curve is very steep.

And it takes time to make contacts.

It it takes time to find out who you can work with, who you can trust, and and and build that trust with with people in Lancing.

I asked this next question uh to Brian Irizarry also, and I I'd be interested in your view.

What is the the biggest misconception that uh some voters might have about you based solely on your political party?

And uh who are you outside of a partisan label?

You know, I'm a family man.

You know, I'm married to my wife for 35 years.

My I have a son and a daughter.

Uh I care about our community up in the copper country.

I care about the welfare.

You know, both my parents were in public service.

I grew up, you know, going to community events serving the public.

I and I think that's important to understand.

You know, I have a background.

I was a corman in the military for 26 years.

I have a experience in healthc care.

My mother was a nurse for 42 years in RN.

Um, my f I'm a veteran as well as my my my opponent, but I I think I've got more years of experience in the 110th district than he does.

And I think that's really important.

I know he I served on the H Hotton County Holton City Council.

Uh, I've served on the Hancock City Council.

We, you know, we both have that experience, but I think it's the years of experience in Lancing, the contacts and the experience of of knowing the process down there.

It it's really it the cur it's a steep learning curve.

I I go back to that, but it really is.

I mean, and it there's a lot of people you cannot trust in Lancing, and I hate to say that, but there's a lot of people that are just out for the for the money, uh, for the influence.

Uh that's not my case at all.

Uh you know, we're probably, you know, the state representatives and the state senators down there are probably the lowest paid in the whole city.

You know, it's not about the money.

Well, as you pointed out earlier, the 110th district is uh about as far as you can go in Michigan when compared to driving back and forth to Lancing.

It is.

Um how is it you maintain a strong presence in the district?

And and we've only got about 45 seconds for a response.

Can you think of an example where you've been able to help a constituent overcome uh an issue while you've been in Lancing?

Right now, we're tackling uh issues with Treasury.

You know, before the tax season started, Treasury's IT program crashed and now a lot of people across the district and across the state for that matter have not received their returns yet.

uh we're working diligently almost 24/7 uh and getting those returns to the people and we're very I'm very proud of that effort and my staff as well and and meeting with the folks back in the district that's still a regular thing.

Oh, absolutely.

Yeah.

All the way to Ironwood down to Iron River, uh up to Copper Harbor, you name it, I'm there.

You're ready to continue that trip back and forth?

Yes, I am.

Uh, Greg, we've got time for uh one minute uh pitch to the voters as to why they should send you back to Lancing.

Oh, thank you.

Yeah, it's it's been an honor serving the 110th district uh from Ironwood up the Copper Harbor down to Iron River over to Dickinson County and Iron Mountain.

Uh and I I I really am very grateful for the consideration and I'd like to continue with another term in office down in in Lancing.

So, thank you very much uh for your trust and your prayers.

Thank you, Greg Markkanen.

Thank you for joining us today.

I do want to thank both the 110th House District candidates for taking time to be here and to share their views.

We hope you are finding these candidate forums helpful, be it through absentee ballot, early inerson voting, or going to the polls on November 3rd.

Please be sure to do your part and vote.

I am Mike Settles.

Thank you for joining us today.

We will look for you next time on Media Meet.

The preceding program was produced by WNUTV Northern Michigan University Public Television in studios located in Elizabeth and Edgar Harden Hall.

[music] Production funding for Media Meet is provided by the Ray and Peg Hirvonen Foundation.