Sharon MacDonell

Sharon MacDonell was born in Bethpage, New York, and lives in Troy, Michigan.[1][2] MacDonell graduated from John Glenn High School in 1980.[3] She earned a B.A. in history from the University of Michigan in 1984. MacDonell's career experience includes working as an advertising and video manager with Lawrence Technological University, a freelance writer with Metro Parent Publishing, and a freelance producer.[2][3] She co-founded Troy Indivisible and served as the chair and co-chair of the Troy Democratic Club.[2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m the proud mom of two daughters, who have grown into strong young women. They inspire me to make the world a better place.

House District 56 is very special to us. My husband and I met in Royal Oak, we adopted our daughters when we lived in Clawson, and our girls grew up in Troy.

We have always enjoyed using all the wonderful resources here. But after the recession hit in 2008, something crazy almost happened. The city decided to close our public library to save money. I just couldn’t let that happen. I started a blog, ‘Keep Troy Strong’ to bring people together to save the library. And that’s exactly what we did. Since then, I’ve been committed to protecting our community from bad policies and unethical officials.

I have a degree in History from the University of Michigan. Over my career, I’ve worked as a video producer, journalist, and marketer—my job is to collect facts, uncover the truth, and tell people’s stories. And I promise you—I will bring YOUR story to Lansing.

In Lansing, I will fight to better fund public education, defend our voting rights, codify women’s reproductive freedoms, and improve our infrastructure.

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?

Public Education - Education is the foundation of everything we do in our lives, yet Michigan has been underfunding our public schools for years. Thirty years ago, Michigan was among the top 10 best states for education. Today we are down in the bottom third of the nation. I was pleased to see that the state budget for FY 2023 included more funds for mental health services in our schools. In the future, we need to fix funding for special education. There is supposed to be dedicated funding for special education in the state budget, but there never has been, meaning school districts must pay for special ed services out of the regular budget, creating a drain on resources for our students, teachers, and schools.Reproductive Freedom - I believe that women deserve the right to decide what happens with their own bodies as well as their own pregnancies. In Lansing, I will do everything in my power to protect girls’ and women’s reproductive rights. My daughters are 19 and 21. They are full citizens deserving of full rights in this state and in this country. You can BET I will fight for their freedoms.Roads & Infrastructure - Our infrastructure in Michigan has been neglected for decades. And although the budgeting has improved under Gov. Whitmer, we need to invest even more in the future to bring it up to the level of other states. We must invest in innovative technologies and longer-lasting materials that are environmentally sustainable. I work at Lawrence Tech where our Civil Engineering Dept has developed new materials for bridges that will help them last twice as long as conventionally built bridges. It’s time we commit to longer-term solutions, rather than continuing to endlessly patch our roads.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My policy priorities are public education, reproductive healthcare, and investing in infrastructure so we can leave our children with the Michigan we all deserve. Also high on my list are protecting voting rights for everyone, legislating common-sense gun safety, and helping everyone enjoy life into our retirement years.

I have been endorsed by Planned Parenthood, the AFL-CIO, the Detroit News, AFSCME Council 25, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), MI List, Downtown Newsmagazine, and LGBT Detroit Mobilization. I have also earned Moms Demand Action’s Gun Sense Distinction.