GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As Election Day approaches, the race in Michigan's Third Congressional District pits incumbent Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten against Republican challenger Terri DeBoer.
I sat down with DeBoer — a former meteorologist at FOX 17 News and a former coworker of mine — to discuss her positions on affordability, immigration and the role of the federal government.
WATCH: Terri Deboer talks with FOX 17 on her run for Congress
DeBoer is a newcomer to the political scene, and considers it a strength, rather than a weakness.
"During my senior year of high school, I was privileged to serve as an honor guard for President Reagan, and I just remember the seed being planted that day," she said. "It all came together for me when I just started looking around and thinking, 'I really need to step forward and serve.'"
"I really think I can use all of my experiences and every blessing I've been given to give back to my country."
As a Republican, DeBoer talks of limited government and local control as a pair of pathways to affordability.
I asked her about how the Trump administration's military action in the Middle East has affected everyday prices in Michigan.
"When we look at being in a conflict, especially in the Middle East, we know there's a tremendous cost," said DeBoer, referencing losses of life and stress on the global economy.
"What we really need to do is make sure that we are encouraging an end to this conflict as soon as possible, and getting our men and women back home," she said.
We also discussed how the federal government has enforced immigration law in our state and across the country.
DeBoer has campaigned on "secure borders" and "safe communities."
"We want to feel safe in our communities," she said. "We need to make sure that we're bringing everybody to the table when it comes to having comprehensive, common sense — and probably most importantly — compassionate enforcement."
I brought up the death of Mario Coronado, a Guatemalan man who died in a car crash in Grand Rapids after fleeing from a traffic stop conducted by ICE. DeBoer called it the "definition of heartbreak."
"We need to make sure people are never in fear of law enforcement," she said. "It is a very complicated issue."
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While working at FOX 17 News, DeBoer says she saw data centers become a contentious topic in West Michigan, and believes decisions about them should be left up to local government.
"I think we could fill up the Van Andel Arena if there were a panel of experts that came to talk about data centers," she said. "What we really need to do is make sure that people are guaranteed that the federal government will not come in and say, 'Your community is going to be the home of a data center.'"
"That decision needs to be made by the people who are on the township boards, and on the city commissions and on the county commissions."
As DeBoer gears up for Election Day, she says she's learned that "all politics is local" and has grappled with the reality that "people are struggling." She says she wants to listen to them while on the campaign trail and, ideally, as a congresswoman.
"The most important thing that I do is spend my time meeting with as many people and talking to as many people as possible," she said.
