By Alethia Kasben
Managing Editor
Posted: November 7, 2022 10:33 AM

House Republicans are attempting to seize an opportunity in the open seat in the Upper Peninsula that Democrats have held since the 1950s with nearly $1 million spent so far between the two caucuses.

Republicans are attacking Marquette City Commissioner Jenn Hill as too liberal for the seat. Meanwhile, the GOP candidate – Melody Wagner of Gwinn – has run and lost multiple times.

But the GOP is pulling out all the stops to complete a sweep of all four House seats with U.P. territory. An ad that started running late last week boosts her profile with an endorsement from Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan). The House Republican Campaign Committee has spent upwards of $620,000 on the race so far.

Ms. Hill appears a somewhat stronger candidate in a head-to-head matchup with the ability to raise more funds and a background organizing charities and as a city commissioner. Between her own spending and that of the Michigan House Democratic Fund, there has been $462,000 spent on her behalf.

Surely outside groups are spending as well.

While Republicans think they have this seat in the bag, Democrats push back on that, saying the race will likely be close. But Ms. Hill is a good candidate who has been working, is smart and a good fit in the district.

The presence of Northern Michigan University and the largest city in the U.P., with a solid organized labor presence, has long helped Democrats ward off the Republican takeover of the U.P., but population loss meant this district had to grow in size and thus take in more conservative territory.

In an interview this week, Ms. Hill said she is hearing support from all areas of the district.

"I am hearing an enormous amount of support on the doors," Ms. Hill said. "The question of reproductive rights is top of mind. … People are also concerned about truthfulness and taking your seat when you say the election was fraudulent. We need to protect voter rights (and focus on) real economic issues."

She criticized what she called "manufactured divisiveness" on issues that don't directly impact our region.

"People are tired of the attack ads," Ms. Hill added.

One thing Republicans are knocking Ms. Hill for is opposing Line 5.

Ms. Hill said there is nothing she can do about the tunnel, and it will be built or stopped by a court. On the oil pipeline itself, as a member of the U.P. Energy Task Force, she said Enbridge itself has said the pipeline won't last long and the state needs to look to the future.

She pointed to things like replacing water lines in homes in the region and making homes more energy efficient.

Energy costs are a big issue, she said. Ms. Hill said she is also hearing from voters about reproductive rights and housing.

Ms. Hill said there is not enough housing in the district for a variety of reasons. She said the area can't fill jobs because there often isn't suitable housing for those who would be willing to move there to work.

She has heard of people sleeping in barns, she said.

"I am bringing decades of experience and at this state of my career what I am most interested is going in and making an impact," she said. "Solving problems is really important to me. It takes time, it takes collaboration. And I have again the experience and the patience to help make these things happen."

Ms. Wagner did not return a request for an interview.

In a segment with WNMU-TV at Northern Michigan University, Ms. Wagner described her upbringing on a dairy farm before moving to Michigan. She then worked as a law enforcement officer in a few different capacities and is now working as a substitute teacher and security guard after giving up a federal law enforcement job to run for the House.

Ms. Wagner said she wants to try again after running in 2016 and not making it out of the primary then again in 2018, 2020 and now.

"Serving the public as a law enforcement officer, you are enforcing the laws," she said when asked what brought her back for another try. "I couldn't believe folks who don't know Legislature is about writing laws, getting some off the books, fixing laws. That knowledge I have gained the last five years in dedicating to this run, that itself I have learned more than most people who have been here."

She said she has broad knowledge on elections as well as the knowledge from the industries where she has worked.

A top priority for Ms. Wagner is opening up records from the Legislature and governor's office.

"We have got to work on bringing sunshine laws in our state that work," she said.

Ms. Wagner was also critical of the state's pandemic response, concerned about health care – particularly for mental health – and filling jobs in the region.

"We have got to get people back to work. We have to get the mentality out there that it is OK to work. You can have difficulties with something with your body or something with your mind, but you can work," she said. "We have to engage people. We need to engage all of departments to work together with our mental health crisis."

As to why she is the best candidate, Ms. Wagner said she is not a politician and is a real person. She said she has been knocking on doors non-stop since her first run.

Similarly, Ms. Hill said knocking doors has been the biggest gift.

"I am excited about what is coming," she said. "That folks want to get together and have constructive conversations about how to fix issues."