MUSKEGON – “Republicans control both the state House and Senate and I know that unions and working people have been taking a beating. We need to be recognized and supported by the people who represent us.”

So said Doug Bennett, recently retired business manager of West Michigan Plumbers Fitters and Service Trades Local 174, when asked to sum up the focus of his campaign as he runs for 92nd District state representative. The primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 3; the general election is on Nov. 2.

The Business Manager of Local 174 (and its predecessor, Local 154) since 1983, Bennett retired in January with an eye on running for the state House seat, which is currently held by Rep. Julie Dennis (D), who is term-limited. Not a political rookie, Bennett has also served as a Muskegon County Board of Commissioners since 1999 and is chairman of the Muskegon County Community Development/Strategic Planning Committee. He is also a founding member of Muskegon Economic Growth Alliance.

“I’m very interested in the job of state representative,” said Bennett, 58. “I’m retired, and I have a good union pension, but I still want to be active and involved. I think I can do some good.” Doug has been married to wife Helene for 34 years and they have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Bennett said he is the leading Democrat among four challengers on the primary ballot and is endorsed by the top Democrats in the county, including Julie Dennis. The winner of the primary in the heavily democratic district will almost certainly win the general election.

“Doug has a wealth of experience as a county commissioner, in the business community, in worker training and in health care,” Dennis said. “He has been an outstanding county commissioner and he’s an outstanding person, and that’s why I’m endorsing him. I have the utmost confidence that he will do a good job.”

Embracing the traditional building trades issues like prevailing wage and worker health and safety issues is a given for him, Bennett said, “but the biggest issue is jobs. We have good workers, plenty of water, recreation and a great quality of life here, but we’ve done a poor job of promoting the positive aspects of the state to businesses,” he said.

Campaigning in factory parking lots, school auditoriums and door-to-door, Bennett is also aided by a five-person phone bank. “Campaigns don’t run by themselves, and they don’t run cheap,” he said. Bennett estimates that it will cost about $60,000 to run for state representative, an amount that would be higher in a hotly contested general election.

Contributions are welcome, and checks can be made payable to “Friends of Doug Bennett, 2339 Windy Ridge Dr., Muskegon, MI 49442. E-mail: dougbennett1@comcast.net, or call (231) 773-1239.