Michigan Primary 2024 Voter Guide: 13th Congressional District

Name: Mary Waters

Age: 68

Current Occupation: Detroit City Council member

Why are you running for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District?

Living in the 13th District, I have seen how redistricting has left our community without a voice in Congress. For years, I have represented Detroiters, fighting in the City Council and the State House of Representatives to ensure that the voice of the people is heard. Unfortunately, our current Representative hasn’t been working in support of the people, and Detroiters feel left behind. Serving as an At-Large member of the Detroit City Council, I represent most of the people in the 13th Congressional District. I hear and see the need for strong federal action to bring quality, affordable housing to our community, to help restore our school districts, and to protect our vulnerable seniors. I am running because the people are ready for change, and my deep roots in the community will allow me to win.

What are the top 3 priority issues that the 13th Congressional District faces, and what actions would you, as its representative, take regarding each of them?

Our district is facing several crises that are top priorities for our community: the economy, housing and equality.

People feel that the economy is rigged against them, with corporate profits soaring while they struggle to afford groceries, food and utilities. Despite seeing record job growth numbers, an increasing number of our constituents are facing layoffs. I will go to Congress and fight to make the economy work for our people by repealing the Trump tax cuts, protecting Social Security, making healthcare more affordable, ending the scourge of student loan debt, and fighting inflation by allocating federal funds away from the military industrial complex and into our communities.

Housing is getting more unobtainable for families. The price of the average American home has nearly doubled in the past decade, going from $275,000 in 2014 to $420,000 this year. In that same time, incomes have only increased by 15%. Rents have soared as well, and available housing is dwindling. In Congress, I will fight to ensure that HUD assistance is available to those who most need it, expanding federal credits and incentives for developing affordable housing, and support local communities in building housing strategies that are tailored to their needs.

Ever since the Trump administration, the civil rights progress we have made for Black and Brown people, as well as for women and the LGBTQ+ community, has been under attack. We have seen increases in political, ethnic, racial, and religious violence, while we have seen vicious attacks from right-wing leaders against those who are most vulnerable in our community. Despite progress in Michigan protecting reproductive rights, expanding civil liberties protections and fighting hate speech, we need more at the federal level. In Congress, I will fight to, once again, pass the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act, and ensure that the civil rights of all Americans are respected by law enforcement, especially Black and Brown people. I will also work to enshrine reproductive freedom into federal law, making Roe v. Wade once again the law of the land.

What is your stance on gun reform in the U.S.? 

I am a strong believer in stricter gun control, and have even worked on the Detroit City Council to institute gun free zones for events like the NFL Draft. In Congress, I will work to ensure that we have federal safe storage laws modeled on those passed in Michigan and other states, and to make it so that ordinary citizens cannot easily purchase firearms and ammunition that outguns our police and military.

I will work to establish legal protections that strengthen gun-free zones in the country against judicial overreach to keep out all firearms that are not carried by our law enforcement personnel. I will work to get “ghost guns” off of our streets. I will stand up for true school security — bringing more resources into our classrooms and not wasting money on failed concepts like arming teachers. I will also continue to be an unwavering advocate, speaking up in public, attending rallies and using my voice to fight for a future free of the scourge of gun violence.

What is your stance on abortion rights? 

I fully support bodily autonomy for all people, and am very proud of our state for enshrining protections for reproductive healthcare in our constitution. I believe that reproductive decisions should be made between people and their doctors, not with bureaucrats. In Congress, I will work to enshrine federal protections for reproductive healthcare, including contraceptives and abortions, into law.

What is your solution to fight the current inflation crisis in the U.S.? 

To fight inflation, we must focus on the real source: corporate profits. While Americans struggle every single day to afford groceries, gasoline and the necessities of day-to-day life, we see America’s biggest corporations post the largest profit margins they have ever had. By restructuring the tax code to go after billionaire corporations by repealing the Trump tax cuts, as well as attacking Wall Street investors that have been buying up the housing market, we can help bring money back to our communities and lower consumer prices.

What actions/decisions by your challenger have you disagreed with and how would you do things differently? 

My opponent has shown that he is more interested in being the Congressmember rather than doing the people’s work. Since taking office, my challenger has done nothing to address the major concerns in the community related to education, infrastructure and housing. When our team tried to work with the incumbent’s office to bring the HUD Secretary to Detroit to witness first-hand the challenges people in our city face in finding affordable housing, they sabotaged the visit because the incumbent couldn’t use it to promote himself. Furthermore, the current occupant of the 13th District seat has been investigated for ethics violations, using his taxpayer-funded resources to send out mailers and buy billboards to enhance his candidacy rather than serve the people. It’s time we elect a member of Congress who puts the people first and treats the taxpayer’s money with respect.