Jett Newton

Jett Newton earned a high school diploma from St. Joseph High School. Newton's career experience includes working in transportation.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m Jett Newton, a 21-year-old merchant mariner, organizer, and candidate from St. Joseph, Michigan.

I grew up watching my parents work hard and still struggle to provide the basics. After the recession took our home, we lived in basements and trailers while my parents fought to keep us afloat. Since then, I’ve worked behind grills, on deck, and door to door to carve out a rented home in St. Joseph. I’ve learned that hard work gets you ordinary results--if you’re lucky. My goal is simple: the people who do the work should reap all of the reward.

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?

Politics belongs to ordinary people.

Not "should belong to ordinary people." It does. I used to work for my opponent, Rep. Andrews. I watched him take thousands from Comcast even though he had an army of working people behind him. You deserve a representative who has faith in your power as a worker. Work governs, not money. That’s why I haven’t, and will not accept more than $20 a month from any donor in this race.The people who do the work should reap the reward

Work alone, not luck should bring success. I will cut or eliminate the state income tax for 83% of Michiganders through my Full Paycheck Rebate and provide free minimum auto insurance coverage, paid for by raising taxes on the top 17% of earners.No more half-measures.

My opponent passed a $15 minimum wage, mandatory sick leave, and an end to right-to-work. Yet Michigan’s workers fall further and further behind. I will not celebrate the bare minimum. Workers should own their workplaces. Tenants should run their housing. No soul who works forty hours a week should go without healthcare, housing, food, or free time.

I will bring socialism to Michigan.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about economic democracy: giving ordinary people control over the institutions that govern their lives.

That begins with labor. Workers should have the power to organize, bargain, and ultimately own their workplaces. It extends to housing, where tenants should govern their apartment buildings cooperatively and every building should offer a path to ownership through rent-to-own. It also means guaranteeing the essentials--healthcare, housing, transportation, food, and free time.

We must rebuild our government to protect work first and money second.