Engineer Elected to Michigan State House of Representatives
Orbitform owner, Mike Shirkey, wins seat by landslide on Tuesday.
Mike Shirkey, a Republican whose campaign slogan was "It's time for Michigan to win," was a winner himself Tuesday.
Shirkey got 63 percent of the votes for state representative of Michigan's 65th District and defeated Democrat Janet Rochefort.
Shirkey, owner of Orbitform Group and the former head of Allegiance Health's governing board, made his first run for state office successful, running on a platform of Constitutionally limited government, free markets and personal responsibility. In his acceptance speech Shirkey praised both the Founding Fathers and the Tea Party.
"It's time for us to get government back in our hands, and the way to do that is get government off our backs," Shirkey said.
Shirkey will fill the remainder of late state Rep. Mike Simpson's term that expires Jan. 1 and the two-year term that expires Jan. 1, 2013.
Shirkey said his goal was to get 60 percent of the vote. He said he knew Rochefort would campaign hard and the key to his victory was that he "front-loaded" his efforts.
The economy was the main issue in the race. Shirkey said he would make structural changes to stop Michigan from losing jobs, people and national stature.
Why Shirkey Won
Marianne DeLano said she voted for Shirkey because she liked his business background. "He meets his own payroll," DeLano said.
John Bartolovich said he voted for Shirkey as part of a straight Republican ticket. "We need to stay with our conservative core values in this country," Bartolovich said.
Strong Leadership at a Crucial Time*
A flat tax for businesses is nice, but how about a flat tax for the entire state? Why not offer incentives to public schools that innovate? How about getting rid of the non-homestead tax on businesses and second homes?
There is no saying what state government will look like after two years with a new governor and an almost entirely new Legislature, but it needs the sort of thinking that Shirkey would bring. He has a track record of professional success and improving local organizations with which he has been involved.
We have little question of what to expect from Mike Shirkey, who has excelled in leadership roles and offers a vision that is in line with a new-look state government. We have no doubt that he will quickly become a leader in the House. That is why we strongly endorse him for the 65th District seat.
*As quoted from the Jackson Citizen Patriot, Oct. 24, 2010.
About Orbitform Group
Orbitform Group designs and builds forming, fastening, joining, and assembly equipment for a wide range of industries and applications.
Orbitform provides prototype engineering services for assembly of parts and specialized forming, joining and fastening.
From aerospace to automotive, Orbitform's intelligent machines monitor and control manufacturing and assembly processes.
For further information on Mike Shirkey's campaign visit http://www.facebook.com/MikeShirkeyforMichigan
For further information on Orbitform Group visit www.orbitform.com
