There has been a lot of buzz over the weekend about a negative political hit piece put out by my opponent’s campaign. The piece, which landed in people’s mailboxes on Friday, communicates a message of hate. That goes too far.

I addressed this issue at an event on Saturday, and I wanted to share that with you:

Elections are about choices, and certainly my opponent and I disagree on a number of important issues.  We should – and up until this mail piece hit, we did – have an honest and vigorous debate about our differences on issues facing the voters of the 101st District, each of us making the case why we feel we’re right.  But by using hateful homophobic language to smear a whole group of people in a desperate attempt to make a political point, this mail piece – paid for and authorized directly by my opponent – crosses the line.

That’s unacceptable.  Hate has no place in our politics.  Period.

I also want to be clear about my intentions.  I will continue to run a positive, issues-based campaign.  I will continue to make the case on why my positive message focused on Jobs, Schools, and the Great Outdoors is the right message for this district, and for this time in our state’s history.  I will continue to take this positive vision for Michigan’s future directly to voters, trying to make my case one voter at a time.  And as your next State Representative, I will continue to focus on these issues in Lansing.

We have serious challenges facing us in Michigan, and local voters deserve a State Representative focused on bringing us together around creating jobs, investing in education and skills training and protecting our Great Lakes and other natural resources.