Jen Strebs

Jen Strebs earned a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University in 2019. Strebs' career experience includes working as a mental health professional.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I refuse to stand by in this moment without standing up for our community. Working-class folks are being grifted by a group of criminal billionaires and wanna be tyrants. The time is now to remember who we are, to defend our values, and to stand boldly for Democracy. We have the collective power in our own hands to chart the future we deserve. Because a wise and wealthy nation has people who can afford food, housing, healthcare, and education. A wise and wealthy nation has Elders that live lives of dignity and has children that are safe from violence. We will have a future where healthcare is everyone's right. A future where rent is affordable and homeownership is possible for young families again. A future where civil rights and human dignity belong to everyone - NO exceptions. A future where our collective voice is so powerful that those trying to rule over us either serve us, or they get out of our way. Because when we look up and see the people trying to make us fear one another, and then we look left and right we remember we see only our neighbors standing by our side. Kalamazoo is a place that has a lot to teach the folks up in Lansing. The time to talk about solutions is over. It is time to act. This community has done it over and over - let me champion all that we are and all we have accomplished in the halls of the State Capital.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

A LIFE WORKING PEOPLE CAN AFFORD:

I’m running because working families have been left behind for far too long. I’ve spent my career fighting for people who are being squeezed by rising costs, stagnant wages, and systems designed to benefit the wealthy at everyone else’s expense. We deserve stability, dignity, and the chance to build a secure future, and I’ve proven I know how to deliver that at the local level.

Fight to raise wages, eliminate subminimum wages, and strengthen worker protections

Expand state investment in affordable housing, childcare access, RX Kids, medical debt relief, and eviction prevention programs.

Hold corporations accountable when they take public dollars without delivering public good.HEALTHCARE FOR ALL:

I believe healthcare is a human right, and I’m committed to building a system where no one is forced to choose between medical care and financial survival. I’ve already helped eliminate medical debt for thousands of Kalamazoo residents, and I’m ready to take that fight statewide. Everyone deserves care without deductibles, copays, or fear.

In the State House, I will:

Advocate for a true single-payer system.

Expand Medicaid and protect reproductive freedom, including abortion access without financial barriers.

Support nurses and healthcare workers through safe staffing rations, limits on forced overtime, and workplace-violence protections.CLIMATE ACTION:

I’ve spent years advancing climate action and environmental protection in Kalamazoo, securing our first Climate Action Plan, protecting an $18.9M EPA climate resilience grant from the Trump Administration, and expanding conservation land. I believe Michigan must lead the nation in clean energy, water protection, and environmental justice.

In the State House, I will:

Defend and strengthen the Clean Energy and Jobs Act to reach 100% clean energy by 2040.

Pass Polluter Pay laws, expand PFAS cleanup funding, and require cumulative-impact permitting

Invest in modern water infrastructure, septic replacement, and statewide lead service line removal.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Housing, Healthcare, Public Education, Civil Rights, and Climate Action.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

We have over 70 endorsements from local elected officially and community members along with organizational endorsements.