Caption: State rep Knezek was joined by community members at Crestwood High School where he announced his bid for State Senate last month. PHOTO: Sean Murphy

DEARBORN HEIGHTS — There is no doubt that David Knezek is a rising star in Michigan’s political landscape. As the youngest Democratic state representative in a Republican-dominated house, he had a noteworthy year, becoming one of the few in his party to successfully pass a bill. 

Currently serving the House’s 11th district, the 27-year-old state rep is now ready to aim higher. Last month at Crestwood High School,  he officially announced his bid for the State Senate’s 5th district. The area covers five cities: Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Inkster, Redford Township and a section of northwest Detroit. 

Knezek tells The Arab American News that he’s running for the position because community leaders have put their faith in his dedication and abilities in Lansing. 

“A couple of months ago, I was approached by community leaders who know me and my style of service. They thought I would be a good candidate. I’m someone who would step up to the plate and get the job done,” Knezek says.

Voters may certainly have their reasons turn to Knezek’s leadership. Along with assisting in the passing of a bill that would allow local governmental bodies to save money by making administrative decisions, he has been consistently vocal for veteran, educational and pension issues that continue to be of concern for Michigan residents.

Those are issues that he says he wants to continue tackling even as he aims to transition from the House to the Senate. He says another current concern for residents is municipal water rates. Some residents in cities like Inkster are receiving bills as high as $7,000 due to retroactive billing, and they aren’t able to make those payments. 

“In the economic climate we have today, people can’t be opening up their bills to see that amount and make that payment. It’s a broken system that we are trying to fix right now. We need a more fair system that protects the residents and doesn’t place this additional burden on their shoulders,” Knezek says. 

Just last month Knezek, along with State Rep. Theresa Abed and State Senator Jim Ananich, introduced a bill titled the Smarter Michigan and Retaining Talent (SMART) Act. The bill would set up a pilot program to allow students to attend a public university or community college with the agreement that they would pay back a small percentage of future earnings into the program. The funds would then be used to ensure future students would receive the same access to higher education without financial obstacles. 

Knezek says there are always innovative ideas in the works that represent his constituents, however the job is easier said than done. With Republicans controlling the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court and the Secretary of State, often times party lines lead to road blocks.

“At the end of the day, it’s about the relationships you build.  I try to get to know my colleagues on a personal level and let them see that we are just people who were sent to Lansing to do a job,” Knezek says.  “If you let party lines get in the way, you are hurting residents. It certainly isn’t as easy to advance when you have no majority anywhere. But when you open up lines of communication, it becomes much easier.”

Knezek says communication was also key during his years of services in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he completed two tours of duty in Iraq. As a student at Crestwood High School, he became familiar with the local Arab American community at a young age. In the army, he used his knowledge to teach his fellow soldiers about Middle Eastern culture in order to curb preconceived notions. 

Earlier this year, Knezek stood by the community’s side when he demanded Governor Snyder denounce Dave Agema’s remarks toward the LGBT and Muslim-American communities. Knezek says that he is willing to be a voice for communities who often times feel they have limited representation in government.

“When you are elected in office, you have to represent all people. I’m proud that we have a strong community in Dearborn Heights and I’m proud to represent their interests in Lansing,” Knezek says.  “It’s good to open yourself up to people who look or act different because it makes us all better in the long run. When I see them being attacked from closed minded people,  all I’m really seeing is my family and friends being attacked so I stand up and say something.”

Another concerning issue to Knezek is limited resources being offered to veterans in Michigan. While the state has the largest population of veterans in the country, it is the worst when it comes to veteran benefits, even placing behind Guantanamo Bay, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. 

Last week, he introduced a bill that would allow veterans who suffer from service-related disabilities, such as post-traumatic stress, to be accompanied by service dogs in their daily lives. 

While on the campaign trail to the State Senate, Knezek says he will continue to be a dedicated state rep. He has yet to miss a meeting and plans on keeping it that way. Knezek spends three days out of the week in Lansing and the other four days reaching out to local residents. 

Knezek says he’s recognized the vastly different communities that he will be representing in the 5th district. He says in the past, he’s noticed politicians have tried to divide Detroit residents from residents in the suburbs, but at the end of the day all surrounding communities share similar concerns in public safety, pension issues and educational funding. 

The advantage he possesses as a candidate for the 5th Senate district is that he already represents three of those five cities in the House. Knezek says in the last few months he’s been able to introduce himself to Redford and Detroit residents and will continue to do so throughout the year. He plans on holding a campaign fundraiser at the Hype Athletics Community Center on March 26 in Dearborn Heights. The theme will be ‘One Community United.’

 “I think outside the box because I haven’t been ingrained in politics. I try to unite young folks with older folks and get every body pulling in the same direction. We are trying to stress the fact that it doesn’t matter if you are White, Black, Latino, or Arab.  Everybody does better when we all do better. We need to work together to try to advance the lives of  everyone instead of allowing politicians to divide us.”