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That’s the philosophy that has driven Curtis Hertel his entire life in public service. As a State Senator, Curtis became known both for his ability to deliver meaningful policy wins and deliver passionate speeches that moved Democrats and Republicans alike, and many of his colleagues would refer to Curtis as a “workhorse.”
There were only 10 other Democrats when Curtis joined the Michigan Senate. Just enough to fill an elevator. Still, Curtis got to work. He fought to protect teachers’ pensions and successfully secured funding for the First Responders Reimbursement Fund, which supports firefighters who develop cancer from exposure to hazardous materials.
Curtis knew that with a majority in the legislature so more could be done to help Michigan families. He became campaign chair for the Michigan Senate Democratic Fund and led the effort that made Michigan history in 2022 by delivering a Democratic majority in the Senate for the first time in 40 years.
With Democrats in control of all three chambers, Curtis transitioned to Legislative Director to Governor Gretchen Whitmer to orchestrate the most productive legislative period in Michigan history. Because of Democrats, Michigan finally repealed the retirement tax, became the first state in 40 years to repeal “right-to-work,” brought thousands of union manufacturing jobs back to Michigan, passed gun safety reform after the MSU and Oxford school shootings, ended the 1931 abortion ban and strengthened civil right protections for LGBTQI+ people. When Michiganders needed help the most, Curtis and Democrats got it done.
That’s why Curtis is running for MDP Chair and why he refuses to give up this fight. He knows that unless Democrats are in power, nobody is fighting for Michigan’s families. Democrats have been and always will be the party of working people, and Curtis wants to remind people of that. He has seen first hand that when we focus on the issues that matter to people, then Democrats can win anywhere in Michigan.
In his first run for office, Curtis defeated a Republican incumbent and flipped a seat on the Ingham County Commission. He knocked on every single door (three times!) in the district, convinced that he could find common ground with anyone, and that’s exactly what he did when he took office, working to pass a living wage law, lower drug prices, expand access to health care, and protect Michigan farmland. Later as Register of Deeds, Curtis uncovered one of the largest cases of foreclosure fraud in Michigan history, taking some of the biggest banks in the country to court to preserve the homes of people who had been cheated.
Before running for office, Curtis was a youth organizer and served as president of the Michigan State College Democrats. Curtis has not gone far; he and his wife Elizabeth live in Lansing with their four kids. Besides Democratic politics, Curtis is a proud Lions, Tigers, and Spartans fan. He’s also an expert meat smoker and is continuing to perfect his seafood gumbo recipe (if you have any suggestions).
