Democrat looks to take on Kowall in 2012 House race

An article by Kirk Pinho    No Comments

Milford Democrat Tom Crawford is making a run for the state House of Representatives.

Crawford filed candidate paperwork with the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds Elections Division last week to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination to represent it in the general election for the new state House of Representatives 44th District seat, which covers the southwest portion of Waterford Township, along with all of White Lake, Highland, and Milford townships.

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the district had 92,893 residents, making it the second-largest of the new state House districts in the lakes area that were drawn following the decennial tally of the nation’s residents.

Crawford said he has previously run in primary elections for the state House of Representatives in 2008 and the state Senate in 2010.

Crawford, who described himself as “highly-functioning autistic,” said he was running on a platform of standing up for the disabled community.

“I’m trying to run to represent them,” said Crawford, who is employed by both Meijer and Bob Sellers GMC. “I think that special education teachers should be paid more because they have to deal with a lot more. I just want to stand up for (the disabled community’s) rights so they are not bullied.”

State Rep. Eileen Kowall (R-White Lake, Highland), first elected to the state House in 2008 and re-elected in 2010, is also running for the new 44th District seat, she said last week. She plans on filing her campaign paperwork this week.

“It’s a long ways between (the filing deadline of) May 15″ and the election, she said.

State representatives serve two-year terms and are currently paid $79,650 per year.