Jul 30
3 Major Hoekstra Staffers Endorse Bill
Pete Hoekstra’s Former Chief of Staff Doug Koopman, Former Press Secretary Jon Brandt, and Former District Director Jerry Kooiman co-wrote a letter to the editor to show their support for Bill. Read below to find out why they’ve endorsed Bill as the best candidate.
Experience Matters
Voters in West Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District have an important choice to make in the upcoming Aug. 3 Republican Primary election. As former staffers for outgoing Congressman Pete Hoekstra, we’d like to strongly recommend Bill Huizenga as the right person to follow Pete. We believe Bill Huizenga has the right mix of experience and skills necessary to make him a Congressman who will be able to hit the ground running if he is fortunate enough to represent West Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Bill’s experience as a businessman, Congressional staffer, state legislator and business owner give him a unique blend of skills, contacts and understanding that will make him immediately effective and credible as representative for Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District.
One candidate in this race, while announcing his candidacy, said, “The last thing we need right now is legislative experience.” We beg to differ. While legislative experience isn’t the only — or even the most important — trait a new member of Congress should have, having that experience and track record gives a new member instant credibility in the eyes of his colleagues, making it possible to quickly make a difference for his constituents.
The policy positions of the various candidates in this primary vary only slightly. But the levels and types of experience are vastly different. Bill Huizenga has the right experience necessary to make a difference for Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District in Washington on Day One.
Sincerely,
Doug Koopman
Grand Rapids
Hoekstra Chief of Staff
1993-1995
Jon Brandt
Washington, D.C.
Hoekstra Press Secretary
1993-2001
Jerry Kooiman
Grand Rapids
Hoekstra District Director
1993-2000
MI State Rep., 75th District
2000-2006
