Michigan Primary 2024 Voter Guide: 6th Congressional District

Republican Candidates

Name: Heather Smiley

Age: 60

Current Occupation: Ford retiree (32 years), Manager of Strategy & Business Engagement, Global Data Insights & Analytics

Education: MS, Central Michigan University

Tell us about yourself in 200 words or less.

I am a Christian mother of two children who has been married for 30 years. I attended public schools, and was the first in my family to attend college, earning both a bachelor and master degree from Central Michigan University. My father is a legal immigrant that served in the USAF who retired as both an engineer and medical first responder. My mother is a retired school bus driver.

I recently retired from Ford (UAW & salary) with over 32 years of service. My roles included those within product development, strategy and planning, business reengineering and transformation, customer service and analytics. I worked on location in Europe and in partnerships throughout the globe. I can apply my real-world experiences involving multi-million-dollar projects, leveraging data and analytics to make strategic, data-driven decisions to improve our government.

I have been active in my community and throughout the state in various volunteer roles for my entire adult life; First responder/practitioner and instructor/trainer volunteer, youth program leader, and hands-on support of various emergency preparedness agencies and local charities.

Why are you running for Michigan’s 6th Congressional District?

After retiring from Ford, I had more time to dig deep and learn the extent that the government has been progressively gone astray. Similarly, some of our elected representatives have been voting in ways that I could never have imagined. I have contacted my representatives, but my concerns were seemingly overlooked or disregarded. Some votes/actions have been misaligned with the Constitution (as written), and many no longer represent my values or priorities and those of my neighbors/community.

I am a life-long problem solver who applies my real-world experience, common sense, and understanding of cause & effect nuances to work smarter, save money and overcome issues. With my unique qualifications and the support of my family, it was agreed that I should step up and help restore the America that we know and love.

What are the top 3 priority issues that the 6th Congressional District faces and what action would you, as its representative, take regarding each of them?

Civil Rights

Author and support legislation to ensure our Constitutional rights are upheld and enforced, and restore confidence in our election processes

Fiscal Responsibility

Author and support legislation that eliminates excessive & wasteful spending, increases and protects reciprocal trade, and unleashes the free market as a means to stimulate the economy.

National Sovereignty

Author and support legislation that restores border security, brings back jobs that were outsourced to other countries, strengthens our domestic manufacturing and food chain, restricts foreign ownership of land, prioritizes cyber security, and restores our military.

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

As part of the foundation for our Constitutional Republic, the 2nd Amendment states the “right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Many existing gun laws are not being enforced or equally applied, and gun reform has progressively been enacted over many years — most recently with President Trump’s 2017 ban on bump stocks.

Editor’s note: The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump-era ban on bump stocks in a 6-3 ruling in June 2024.

What is your stance on abortion rights?

The Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 which transferred jurisdiction to the states. As a candidate for U.S. Representative in Congress (not the State of Michigan), my personal stance on abortion rights is not germane because it is no longer within the scope of the U.S. Representative role. Furthermore, the U.S. Senate approves SCOTUS nominees (not the House), and therefore further removes any involvement from the role as a Representative.

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

At a high level; eliminate excessive and wasteful spending, pay off the debt and balance the budget, protect and increase global trade relations and ensure nothing less than bi-directional fairness, unleash the free market, in-source jobs that were previously offshored, and restore energy independence.

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

Much too numerous to list, several recent/key legislative decisions are as follows:

Civil Rights/Protections

• HR 8281 Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (requires voters to provide proof of citizenship) <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation. It is incumbent upon our elected officials to ensure and uphold and represent our rights as U.S. citizens to individually vote our conscious, and to ensure voting integrity.
• HR 7511 Laken Riley Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation. It required the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody non-citizens who have been charged in the United States with theft. What this the motivation for anyone to vote to reward a thieff?
• HR 7700 Unaffordable Dishwasher Stds Act, HR 7637 Refrigerator Freedom Act & HR 6192 Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of all of this legislation. Essential appliances are becoming unaffordable for the non-wealthy because unelected bureaucrats are prescribing regulations that require manufacturers to use emerging and/or costly technologies that exponentially increase costs that get passed-on to consumers.
• HR 6918 Supporting Pregnant & Parenting Women and Families Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation because it provides a choice to individual states to decide whether or not they want to use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding for pregnancy centers that offer resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including relationship counseling, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes.
• HR 6678 Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation because Social Security funding for U.S. citizens is already at risk. This would have required the deportation of non-citizens that knowingly committed fraud to collect Social Security benefits.
• HR 615 Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation because it provided for documented environmental exceptions, and prevented governmental agencies from banning or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or waterways.
• HR 485 Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation because it prohibits federal health care programs (including Medicaid) from coverage & pricing discrimination based upon quality-adjusted life years (government decides value of a life based on disability, age or terminal illness).

Safety/Security

• HR 8774 Department of Defense Appropriations Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation because it funds the salaries of our military personnel (all branches), operational maintenance costs, counter-ISIS training and equipment, etc.
• HR 8752 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation because funding our Intelligence, Analysis & Situational Awareness, Border Protection, Coast Guard, Secret Service and related agencies is paramount to ensuring safety and security in our country and its citizens.
• HR 8580 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation because it funds VA Medical Centers (including the familial-named John D. Dingell Medical Center in Detroit), and also included; Military family housing maintenance (all branches), National Cemetery Administration & cemeterial expenses, Armed Forces Retirement Home and more.
• HR 8146 Police Our Border Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation. Existing immigration laws exist but they are not being followed. Whether northern or southern borders, suspected terrorist entry is up 2,500%, fentanyl deaths and human trafficking are now an epidemic, and all types of non-citizen crime is skyrocketing.
• HR 7343 Detain & Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation. If the offender would attack an officer, what would they do to defenseless citizens? What this the motivation for anyone to vote to reward an offender that attacked someone in law enforcement that protects and serves U.S. citizens?
• HR 5921 No U.S. Financing for Iran Act <Voted NO>
  • I would have voted in favor of this legislation. Iran is a known state sponsor of terrorism and this would have prohibited certain actions related to exports, imports and financing.
• HR 8070 Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement & National Defense Authorization Act <Failed to vote>
  • I would have showed up for work and voted in favor of this legislation because it funds military pay, health care and operational maintenance, national cyber security (90% cite urgent action required including software anomalies), nuclear facility defense/safety, matters relating for foreign nations, etc.