Pigeon man seeks Pavlov's Senate seat

State Rep. Terry Brown (Social workers and NASW Member) announced Sunday his decision to run for the 25th District, which includes St. Clair, Sanilac and Huron counties as well as part of Macomb County.

Incumbent Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township, currently represents the district and chairs the Senate Education Committee.

Brown is eligible to represent St. Clair and Sanilac counties because of redistricting. In previous Senate elections, St. Clair County shared a district with Lapeer County.

Brown is a year into his third term as state representative in the 84th District for Huron and Tuscola counties.

He said his motivation to run for senator was similar to his initial motivation to run for representative in 2006. Brown said he was encouraged to run for representative by his daughter.

"She said, ‘Dad, either you’re part of the solution or you’re just part of the problem,’” Brown said.

"One of my goals in life is to be a good role model for my children and, if we want to make things better, we have to be involved.”

Brown was employed with the Huron Intermediate School District for 23 years. He also worked as a special education supervisor from 2010-12 for Saginaw Intermediate School District and Bay-Arenac Intermediate School District through his consulting firm, Integrity Matters LLC.

In a statement Tuesday, Pavlov said an announcement about his decision to seek re-election is forthcoming.

"For now, I remain focused on putting hardworking middle class families back to work, improving our classrooms, and fighting for the common sense government taxpayers deserve,” Pavlov said in an email. "Michigan is much better off now than three years ago, but there’s more work to do.”

Brown said he’d like to do more for the middle class and education if he wins the Senate seat.

"One of the stark differences, I think, would be in the way we support public education,” Brown said. "I have a concern about privatizing schools to the extent that we’ve gone to.”

Brown said he realizes he’s a newcomer to St. Clair and Sanilac counties, given his service in the northern Thumb. He plans to have a kickoff event in Port Huron Township Feb. 9 at the Blue Water Labor Lodge.

"I will be doing a lot of work in the southern part of this new district to hear the thoughts of people in St. Clair and Macomb counties,” Brown said.

"It will require me to do a lot of listening. That’s one of the exciting parts of it and also one of the daunting parts of it.”

Contact Beth LeBlanc at (810) 989-6259 or eleblanc@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @THBethLeBlanc.

This article was reposted from www.thetimesherald.com

http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20140128/NEWS01/301280018/Pigeon-man-seeks-Pavlov-s-Senate-seat