I love home. I love Macomb County. It’s where I grew up and where I’m raising my own kids. It’s where you can hear the sounds of freedom from Selfridge, and the rhythms of family and faith take shape around you in the ordinary moments that end up being the most treasured ones you look back on the older you get.
That’s why, when I was asked to submit a piece of art for the Democratic Celebrity Art Fundraiser, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.
Shaped like Macomb County and cradled by Lake Saint Clair, this mosaic tells the story of where we come from and what we are fighting for. I titled the piece “Faith. Family. Freedom. Fishflies.”
But because I am deeply rooted here, I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility.
When you love something deeply, there are moments when staying comfortable isn’t enough. There are moments when you have to step out of what’s familiar and go fight for it.
Being rooted doesn’t mean standing still.
The things that ground us—our faith, our families, our community—they aren’t just there to keep us comfortable. They are there to strengthen us and prepare us. They are what we draw from when it’s time to go.
For my fellow nerds out there, you are probably hearing my love for Tolkien coming out. For everyone else: please go read Lord of the Rings! I’m about to get into it and you might catch me writing a whole Substack just about it!
There does come a time when we are called to leave what’s easy and carry something heavier. To step into hard spaces. To speak when it would be easier to stay quiet. To fight battles that came our way in order to protect our people and our home.
I believe we’re in one of those moments right now.
What’s happening in Washington isn’t abstract. The division, the chaos, the disregard for human life and everyday people in our country. It all has a way of seeping into our communities and pulling at the very things that hold us together. It hurts working people as we try to provide for our families. It strains our relationships. It challenges our values. It creates storms that shake us.
And the truth is, you can’t weather storms like these without roots.
Without deep roots holding you steady, it’s easy to get swept up in it all—the anger, the fear, the temptation to see other people not as neighbors, but as enemies.
That’s why I keep coming back to home. To the things that strengthen my soul: my faith, my family, this community.
Being rooted here is what allows me to step into storms with clarity and purpose—to withstand and persist. This was true as a prosecutor handling child pornography and human trafficking cases, and it will be true when I go to D.C. to fight against corruption and to fight for better lives for working families.
I will not become part of the noise, but instead fight for the things that make places like Macomb County worth calling home in the first place.
This is why I’m running. Not leaving home behind, but carrying it with me.
So when I think about the road ahead—the challenges, the pressure, the weight of future generations counting on us—I don’t feel untethered or overwhelmed.
I feel grounded.
Rooted.
And ready.
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Let’s get to work.
This is lovely and is one of your best posts yet. It reflects your spirit and tells us what values you hold. I have no doubts that you will bring those values to Congress, and that many, many people will benefit from that, not just your constituents.
When I look at the chaos in the news lately and think about the many economic strains faced by ordinary people (price gouging, worse less insurance, corporate scams, not standing behind products, and more) I ask myself “What has happened to our values?” “When did greed and cruelty come to rule over every other consideration?” And “How do we get back to a society that values fairness, honesty, and integrity?”
Your posts show me that you will help to lead us back to a decent society with REAL American values, one in which anyone who is willing to act with integrity, work hard, and be a valuable member of their community will thrive. Thank you for giving me hope for the future!