Commissioner announces 2016 run for Rep. Earl Poleski's term-limited seat in Michigan House

Election night

Jackson County Commissioner Julie Alexander, right, watches election results with a friend Denise Bergstrom of Hanover.

JACKSON, MI - Jackson County Commissioner Julie Alexander recently announced she will run for the Michigan House in 2016.

The 64th District, which includes Jackson and the townships of Concord, Hanover, Napoleon, Parma, Pulaski, Sandstone, Spring Arbor and Summit, will gain a new representative since incumbent Rep. Earl Poleski (R-Spring Arbor) is term limited.

"I am running to tackle the big issues and give hardworking families a voice," Alexander said in a prepared statement. "My focus is producing results that matter to everyday people, prioritizing spending and making state government listen."

Alexander represents one of seven Republicans on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners and will run under the GOP banner in the coming election.

Alexander said her priorities include reducing the burden of government regulation to strengthen the economy, prioritizing spending to fix roads and fund vital services, improving government accountability and expanding educational and career development opportunities, a press release reads.

A Hanover resident, Alexander is wrapping up her third term as a Jackson County Commissioner for the county's 6th District. A former middle school teacher of nine years and an adult education instructor of 13 years, Alexander continues her passion for education as a founding member and past chair of the county's Cradle to Career Education Network, a press release reads.

Alexander and her husband, Jeff, own and operate a third-generation dairy farm. The couple has four children.

"In Lansing, I will set clear priorities that strengthen our quality of life and help hardworking families get ahead," the candidate said in a prepared statement.

Contact Will Forgrave at wforgrav@mlive.com or 517-262-7554. Follow him on Twitter at @WillForgrave.

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