Incumbents in state House races can usually expect to coast to reelection. But that is not the case for Rep. Gene DeRossett.
DeRossett, a Republican from Washtenaw County's Manchester Township, saw his hometown and other areas in his current district merged with parts of a predominantly Democratic district. DeRossett is now seen as one of the most vulnerable incumbents seeking reelection to the House.
"I've been out knocking on doors for some time now," he said. "The issues are the same, but I have to get to know people in a district that has changed drastically."
He is currently the representative for the predominantly-Republican 55th District, but his new district - the 52nd - has many more Democratic voters since being redrawn to include the northern part of Ann Arbor, including North Campus, and other Democratic-leaning areas. That change gives Democrats the hope of gaining a seat in the Republican controlled House.
His challenger is Pam Byrnes, an attorney and Washtenaw County road commissioner from Chelsea, who hopes to deny DeRossett a third and final term in the state House.
"He's basically gone ... lockstep with the Republican agenda," she said. "On social issues I would prefer that we prioritize education and early childhood education, and he has voted to not fund these programs."
A mostly conservative - fiscally and socially - lawmaker, DeRossett stresses property rights, land use and economic development as his core issues.
"I don't think we need more and more government and I don't adhere to government being the cure-all," he said. "I don't think we should have to call in on a daily basis to find out what the regulations have changed to."
He opposes abortion, while his opponent does not. She believes the scheduled one-tenth of a percent reduction in the state income tax should be put on hold, but he is not so sure.
DeRossett wants to know more about the state of the economy before the Legislature reconvenes Sept. 17. "I was elected to be fiscally responsible and I think my record speaks for itself."
He said during his last term he wants the state to develop a uniform system of septic tank inspection and a uniform construction code.
He chairs the House Agriculture and Resource Management Committee and said the state needs to improve regional planning systems. And, he said, agricultural areas should not be taxed based on size, but based on use.
But Byrnes said DeRossett is too conservative for his new district.
She also said his land use policy is tilted toward land developers, considering that he is one of them.
Byrnes supports giving the state resources to purchase development rights from farmers so that the farms cannot later be converted to commercial or residential use.
And, she said he erred in sponsoring the bill that would allow motorcyclists to no longer wear helmets, as they are currently required to do. That bill passed the House but the Senate has yet to vote on it.
"We need to look at the fact that increased accidents and non-use of helmets is borne by all automobile owners," because the cost of funding the state's catastrophic fund for accidents soars if there are more head injuries, she said.