Curtis Hertel Jr. served as a state Senator for the 23rd district in Michigan from 2015 to 2023. His district covered the Greater Lansing area. He is running for a seat that is largely the same as his state Senate district, which is currently represented by Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D). Rep. Slotkin is running for U.S. Senate to succeed retiring Debbie Stabenow.
Hertel previously served two terms as the Ingham County Register of Deeds, and more recently served as Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Director of Legislative Affairs. He also comes from a family that has a long history of representing Michigan politically at various levels.
On the issues, Hertel markets himself as a moderate in the same vein as Rep. Slotkin. Hertel was instrumental in passing legislation that repealed the archaic 1931 law that banned abortion in Michigan, even in cases of rape and incest. On Hertel’s campaign website, he argues “climate change is already having a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of Michiganders and taking action now means both addressing the immediate needs of communities affected by climate change and working towards a more sustainable future.”
Rep. Slotkin won the seat with hard work also boosted by an abortion amendment bringing out voters and her massive fundraising ability. Rep. Slotkin spent $11.3 million in 2022 compared to her Republican opponent, former state Sen. Tom Barrett’s $2.8 million. Barrett is back in 2024 and the fundraising will be more balanced between the two candidates.
