Sean McCann, our 60th District State Representative
Sean McCann, 39 is running for Michigan’s State House of Representatives for the 60th District. While he’s gratified to be part of a Democratic slate for the first time, he says he’s hearing a loud call for bipartisan cooperation as he speaks with constituents on the campaign trail.
“People want their legislators to put aside partisanship and work together to make the state great again,” he says, adding that the economy is the hottest topic of discussion on neighborhood doorsteps. “Of course people are very concerned about jobs and the economy, and I feel that my professional experience, coupled with ten years on the Kalamazoo City Commission, will help me be successful in focusing on the state's difficult budget situation.”
Fresh from the WMU candidate forum on October 5, Sean was preparing to meet with the Kalamazoo Gazette editorial board, attend the ISAAC community meeting, and participate in the KRESA candidate forum – all in addition to walking upwards of 20 hours per week with family and volunteers, a tactic that started well before the August primary, and has proven successful over the course of five previous elections.
“The election season is much longer when you’ve got a primary to win,” says Sean, who won the contest with Chris Praedel and Dustin Harback. “And the geographic area is four times larger than the city of Kalamazoo, so there’s a lot more energy needed for this, and a lot more people involved. It’s been exciting to be part of a whole movement as opposed to running for yourself.”
Sean says the activity has been heating up at party headquarters, and at the office around the corner his campaign shares with the Robert B. Jones for Senate campaign.
“You hear some people talking about the lethargy of mid-term elections, but I don’t know what they’re seeing. What I see is a strong ‘blue’ operation that’s really flying in the face of the widespread fears that we’re going to get our butts kicked. I think we’re the ones who are kicking butt,” Sean said.
Since his last election in 2008, Sean was married, to Priscilla Lambert, and the couple welcomed their son Alexander earlier this year. A 20-year resident of Kalamazoo, he lived in the historic Vine Neighborhood for 15 years and recently moved to the Milwood Neighborhood with his family. Sean graduated from WMU, where he majored in political science and minored in history, and was elected president of the Western Student Association. He was Executive Director of the Vine Neighborhood Association, and was Director of Financial Development for the American Red Cross serving Kalamazoo, Allegan, Cass & St. Joseph counties.
You can find out more at seanmccann.com, or look for Sean McCann on Facebook.
This article appears in the October issue of the KCDP Newsletter.
