LANSING, Mich. — There are three Democratic candidates running in this primary election to represent District 77 in the Michigan House. Right now, we’re going to take a look at Jon Horford. He’s a local businessman, and he’s vying for your vote.
“[I'm] John Horford, candidate for the House seat in the new 77th District. I feel like I'm just a regular guy. I'm from this area. I grew up in this area. I love this area. Most of my family's still here, and I'm just always looking for ways to help out, to give back," he said.
Horford owns multiple small businesses and spends a lot of time volunteering.
“I've done free training and mentoring for over a decade," Horford said. "I've been running a program at Eastern Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. We're helping kids to develop habits, working with them on their skills, but it's also I mean, it's teaching kids how to work with each other, how to be disciplined, how to push themselves past their limits, how to set goals, how to deal with adversity. I mean, there's so much more that goes into it all.”
I sat down with Horford earlier this summer to find out more about where he stands on the issues.
What two to three issues does District 77 need to prioritize first?
“Education and opportunity for kids," Horford said. "Just giving teachers more control over how they develop their students. They understand what they need more than I do, more than the state does. So giving more power to them… I also see working with working with local businesses, working with the state in general, working with City of Lansing, finding ways to make the Greater Lansing area more attractive for businesses to come in and finding the balance… And it's not just Lansing. I mean, everywhere it needs. It's a greater Lansing area that needs it. But expanding housing options.”
Do you support abortion rights?
“Of course, of course," he said.
Do you support marriage equality?
“Of course," Horford said.
Of the three candidates running to represent District 77, Horford does have the most endorsements from local organizations and leaders like Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, the Lansing Chamber of Commerce and Moms Demand Action, alongside the Lansing mayor, five members of the City Council and eight local unions.
Horford said he's running to help improve his hometown.
“Just to help the area, to give back to, you know, to be able to advocate for people who don't always feel heard, to be able to empower people who are experts in specific areas that can be super beneficial to the state but are often overlooked," Horford said. "So, you know, coming into this position with an open mind and a lot of humility and, you know, a willingness and desire to work with other people and to build relationships. And I think that all of the support and, you know, the the overwhelming amount of endorsements we've gotten are, you know, a clear sign that, you know, we're on a good path.”
To learn more about Horford before the Aug. 2 primary,visit his webpage.
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