Elections in Ann Arbor are old hat for state Rep. Liz Brater.
After serving as a member of the Ann Arbor City Council, as mayor of Ann Arbor and as a state representative in the 53rd district, Brater is once again running for re-election.
Brater, a Democrat, is running against Republican Chris Schmitt on much of the same platform she touted in her past races.
"Education is foremost on people's mind," Brater said.
Along with Gov. John Engler, the state legislature wields the power in determining Michigan's education policy. Brater has been an advocate of increased funding for state universities.
"A lot of what I do is advocate for the University at the state level," she said.
Brater has tied education to economics, and has repeatedly suggested the state invest in higher education to create a well-trained population attractive to businesses.
"What kind of job market will there be? What kind of economic future do they have in store for them?
"The quality of our youth is one of the major incentives of attracting business to Michigan - somewhere we've fallen behind," Brater said this summer.
The state must watch its economy carefully during the next few years, because the current boom won't last long, she said.
"The auto industry is in a boom. It's not likely to sustain that growth," Brater said. "We need to plan ahead for a rainy day."
The environment has also been a pet issue for Brater since she started her first campaign for the Legislature. Standards and attitudes have been disappointing in the Republican-controlled state House and Senate for the past two years.
"The state of Michigan used to have higher environmental standards than the federal government, but now that has changed with the current state legislature," Brater said.
JONATHAN SUMMER/Daily
State Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) is up for re-election.