GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids native and graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School is hoping to continue his political career by representing Michigan in the U.S. Senate.
Justin Amash is one of the four Republican candidates looking to ultimately fill the vacancy left behind by Debbie Stabenow, who's held that seat since 2001.
Amash, born in 1980, earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Michigan. Before launching a political career, he was an attorney.
From 2010-2020, Amash was elected to represent Michigan's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. He was a Republican in that role until 2019, when he left the party to become an independent.
Less than a year later, Amash announced he was joining the Libertarian Party and run for President — a run that lasted 18 days.
Despite running as a Republican candidate in 2024, Amash told FOX 17, ideologically, "I'm a libertarian. I've always been a libertarian."
He sat down with FOX 17 to discuss his run for the U.S. Senate and why he said he deserves your vote come August 6th.
*Below is a transcript of the interview. It has been edited for clarity. This conversation took place on July 1. The full interview can be found at the bottom of the article.*
What motivates you? What drives you to want to do something like this?
"Well, I want to make a difference. I think we have too many people in office these days who go there just to follow the congressional leader. So, they go there, and they press a button that they're told to press. We need people who are going to go to Congress, go to the United States Senate, and vote on behalf of the people that they represent, and vote according to a set of principles. I believe in limited government, economic freedom and individual liberty. I will vote according to those principles to represent my people."
You've been in politics before. How can people feel confident that isn't who you are?
"Well, I've got a record in Congress, a 10-year record. During that time, I was one of the most independent members of Congress. I was willing to challenge my party to uphold the Constitution. I have consistently voted in a way that represents the people of my district within the bounds of the Constitution."
Watch the video below for Amash's full answer:
In a very short-lived run for President with the Libertarian Party back in 2020, you ended up dropping out of the race. Why? Why is this the right move for you to be on the Republican ticket for the US Senate seat?
"At the time, there was a very polarized electorate. Now, there's still a very polarized electorate. Running as a third party candidate for President at the time was extremely challenging because, what ended up happening, you might think that when it's very polarized, people might tend toward a third party candidate or an independent candidate. But actually, they tend to go more toward their corners because they're afraid of the other guy getting elected. So, it was a very challenging environment. In this environment, I'm confident I can win this Republican primary."
What kind of Republican are you? Such a polarizing party nowadays, how would you define where you stand?
"Ideologically, I'm a Libertarian. I've always been a Libertarian since I've been in in public office. People have known that throughout my time in Congress. I never made it a secret to anyone. That means that I believe that the government should protect individual rights, should protect liberty. That's the purpose of government — to protect our rights. The government shouldn't be involved in every aspect of micromanaging our daily lives."
Watch the video below for Amash's full answer:
You live right here in Grand Rapids. You speak to the people who are going to end up casting their votes. What are the biggest issues you have heard from them, the biggest ones plaguing the state of Michigan right now?
"Everyone wants a government that functions properly. First of all, we don't really have a representative government as it's constituted. You have a system that's out of control. We have a beautiful Constitution that tells us how our system should work. People in Washington don't follow it. So, now what you have, is a few people at the top making decisions for everyone. I call it an oligarchy. It's a rotating oligarchy. It's an elected oligarchy, but it's an oligarchy nonetheless. You have the President, the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader — they basically decide everything for everyone. When you send your Senator or Representative to D.C., they often have no power. That's the unfortunate thing about the situation for people at home is that they believe that they are making a change when they vote to elect people. Often, they're not making any change because those people are just following the instructions of the people at the top. They're not challenging the system, and what I'm gonna go do is challenge the system."
What does "challenging the system" look like?
"It means standing up to people in your own party who are not following the rules, who are not allowing members of Congress to participate in the legislative process, and making sure that we put the Constitution first, that we put the people first. We can't just go there and say, 'Well, because someone in our leadership, in our party, decided that this is the way it's going to be, that's how it's going to be.' You have to stand up to them. It doesn't mean you're going to win every battle, but it does mean that, if you push on it enough, and start to build a coalition, and I certainly was doing that, as a member of the House — building that coalition to take on people in leadership — you can then make a change that will make a difference for people at home. It's going to be a gradual process, but you have to have someone there fighting for you. I'm that person who will fight for you."
You say you like to challenge traditional ideologies, especially within the Republican Party. Should Donald Trump get elected, he seems like a person who — if you're not with him, you're against him. It's gonna be interesting to see how you challenge his ideas. How realistic even is that to make that happen?
"Whoever the President is, whether it's Donald Trump, or someone else, I will support that person when they're right, and I will challenge that person when I think they're wrong. That's the role of someone in government. That's why you elect someone to office. If our job is to just go there and always align with the President of either party, then you don't really need Representatives or Senators. You can just elect one person to be dictator and decide everything for everyone. So, what we really need is someone who is going to go there, represent all the people back home, be independent minded, and follow a set of principles."
If there's a message you want to spread (ahead of the August primary), please share that message with the people of Michigan.
"I'm asking for your vote on August 6th. I will go and represent you in Congress, make sure that the Constitution is being followed, your rights are being protected and all of the concerns of the people have the opportunity to be heard in the legislative chamber, so that the people who represent you can make decisions on your behalf."
Watch the video below for Amash's full answer:
If you'd like to watch the full conversation with Amash, click the video below.
Tuesday, August 6, 2024 is primary election day in Michigan. For more information, you can check out FOX 17's complete Election Guide.
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