Justin Hodge would like your vote to be the Washtenaw County Commissioner in District 5. Here is the candidate's submission to the 2018 WEMU Soapbox Summer.
Hello WEMU listeners. Thank you for joining me here on Soapbox Summer. My name is Justin Hodge. I am running for Washtenaw County Commissioner in District 5, which includes Ypsilanti
Township and Augusta Township.
In the past few years, I had the opportunity to return to Washtenaw County, to a community that
helped shape me as I pursued higher education. I married my amazing wife, and we decided to
settle down in Ypsilanti Township, where we recently purchased our first home. I want to serve
our community as your next County Commissioner because, as a social worker and an active
leader in the county Democratic Party, I have seen first-hand how decisions made at local levels
of government can provide life to the vital services and programs community members use
everyday, but I also see the damage done when the most vulnerable populations in our
communities are not made a priority, when powerful and prominent interests dominate the
conversation. I am running as an advocate - an empowering voice for residents of Eastern
Washtenaw County. Putting people first is the core of my campaign.
As a resident of Ypsilanti Township, I was elected to serve our community as both the Chair of
the Eastern Washtenaw Democratic Club and the Vice-Chair of the Legislative Programs
Committee for the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. I also serve on the Sheriff’s
Community Advisory Board for Law Enforcement where I bring a social justice perspective to
the board. In these roles, I advocate for socially and economically just policies, but to make an
even greater impact on the community I want to bring my experience to the Washtenaw County
Board of Commissioners.
I am committed to taking action on the decision our voters made to pass a millage for mental
health and public safety that will improve services and better the lives of our residents. As a
social worker, I have been dedicated to mental health services, providing therapy to children
and families, case management to individuals with developmental disabilities, and coordinating
clinics for children in crisis. My one-on-one work with people informs my perspective as an
educator. I teach graduate-level social policy classes, empowering students to engage with the
policy challenges facing our community and preparing them to be our next change makers. The biggest challenge facing our county is economic disparity, which leads to problems with
housing affordability, access to quality healthcare, and the issues facing our public education
system. Ypsilanti Township and Augusta Township deserve a representative on the County
Commission committed to ensuring that the eastern part of the county has the equitable access
to services and programs that our communities need to thrive. Decisions made on how to
distribute tax payer dollars in this county concern my family, my hardworking neighbors, and our
beautiful community. I stand for Ypsilanti Township. I stand for Augusta Township. I stand for
you.
To make my vision for a socially and economically just Washtenaw County a reality, we need
your support. Please consider supporting our campaign to put people first by donating or joining
our team. Whether it’s $5 or $500, any amount that you can contribute will have a powerful
impact on our campaign.
Thank you to WEMU’s Soapbox Summer and all of you listers out there. To learn more about
my campaign to put people first, visit my website at votejustinhodge.com. That’s vote - Justin -
H-O-D-G-E - dot com. The election is August 7th, and I am asking for your vote and support. I
love and respect our home, and I know you do too. Let’s fight for it together. Vote for me, Justin
Hodge, for Washtenaw County Commissioner!