Stephen Wooden

Stephen Wooden was born in Austin, Texas. Wooden's career experience includes working as a nonprofit professional. He earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in 2013. Wooden has been affiliated with the Creston Neighborhood Association.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Stephen Wooden is a product of West Michigan and has been serving our community in the nonprofit sector and as a local elected official.

Stephen was elected to the Kent County Commission in 2018. For the last six years, he's been working across the aisle to get big things done. He's working with Democrats and Republicans to build more starter homes, improve mental health services and expand broadband. Most notably, he led efforts to create Kent County's $58.3 million affordable housing revolving loan fund. He's also pushed back against attempts to let extremists takeover Kent County, defending the county's health department and public library system.

For the last decade, Stephen has been helping everyday Michiganders save on the energy and housing costs. Most notably, he spent the last seven hears working for one of the region's largest housing nonprofits - Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids. Having personally helped build or renovate nearly 1000 residences in West Michigan, he knows the pitfalls that have made it harder to build more housing that everyday people can afford and he's ready to tackle this crisis head on.

Stephen lives in the Creston neighborhood with his wife and young son.

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?

I want to bring the same problem-solving focus I've used on the Kent County Commission and serving our community in the nonprofit sector to the state house so we can tackle the high cost of housing, childcare and prescription drugs.As a parent of a young child, I am personally vested in our state's future and want to ensure it's one where everyone can succeed.

That's why I want to support creating world-class public schools, from pre-school to post-secondary education. It's why I want to protect our environment and accelerate necessary action on climate change.I'm running for state house to lower costs and build a better future. I'm also running for another simple reason: I don't like bullies. That's who the far-right are. They're a bunch of bullies who are trying to force us into their mold.

That's why I will always stand up to their attempts to deny access to reproductive healthcare like abortion, birth control and IVF. It's why I will defend the right to vote and the right to have your vote counted.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Bringing down housing costs by helping build homes everyday folks can afford and stopping Wall Street investors from driving up prices.

Expanding childcare that's reliable, high-quality and affordable.

Strengthening public schools and job training by broadening access to Pre-K, higher education and job training.

Protect our environment and climate by holding polluters accountable and shifting more towards reliable, clean energy.

Defending reproductive freedom with access to abortion care, birth control and fertility treatments like IVF.

Stop prescription drug price gouging by capping the price of insulin and working to set price limits on other critical drugs.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Elected officials must be results oriented. Too many politicians these days think the job is to get viral attention on social media or make the evening news. We need people who are more focused on making historic policies that make life better for everyday people than generating clout for themselves.

They also must be principled but not an ideologue. We have seen in places like Ottawa County what happens when ideology governs every decision. Principled leadership also understands the intricacies of governing and a curiosity to find solutions that work that may not fit perfectly within someone's more narrow political lens.

Elected officials must have a desire to help others, no matter their circumstance. The unseen work of constituent services is so crucial to helping those who elected you.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Introducing, improving and enacting legislation that will help everyday people.

Helping craft a budget that invests in crucial services and grows the economy.

Providing essential constituent services, helping people navigate state services and bureaucracy.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Like many in my generation, the first historical event happening in. my lifetime that I remember was the attack on September 11th, 2001. Like many my age, I was in school when our teachers informed us what happened. Unlike many in West Michigan, my school was just across the East River from the World Trade Center in Brooklyn.

Many memories from that day have faded, but two things remain clear. First, seeing the decisions made by those with power affect them the least and those without power the most. Second, I witnessed a city so vast and diverse come together to support one another in their time of need.

As I look back, that experience put me on this path because I believe we're strongest when we look out for one another and we deserve leaders who will help us do that.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Garbage Truck" by Blippi. My kid's obsessed.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I am highly supportive of the financial transparency requirements passed by the voters in 2022 and expanding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to include state legislators and governors.