Christine Green, an Ann Arbor attorney, announced yesterday that she will be running to represent Ann Arbor and other parts of Washtenaw county in the Michigan House of Representatives.
Green is running in the August 2010 Democratic primary election for the 52nd District seat currently held by State Rep. Pam Byrnes. Byrnes, who is not eligible for re-election because of term limits, is running for a seat in the state Senate.
According to a press release posted yesterday on Green’s website votechristinegreen.com, Green focused much of her legal career on advocating for minorities and women in the work force.
Green recently represented Robert McGee, a University graduate student research assistant, who sued the University’s Board of Regents in November alleging wrongful termination. McGee ultimately lost the lawsuit.
In addition to her 25-year legal career, Green also has a record of volunteering to protect the environment and provide services to disadvantaged citizens.
Green’s prior government experience includes working on the Scio Township Board of Trustees which she was elected to in 2008 and being a member of the Scio Township Planning Commission.
According to the press release, if elected, Green hopes to improve the state’s troubled economy and education system and work toward making health care more accessible to the state’s residents. Green also hopes to increase jobs in the state and provide innovative ideas for farmers if elected.
“We must establish a new economy – now,” Green wrote in the statement. “And we must prepare our citizens to take part in this new economy. In reaching these goals, I pledge to protect our unmatched water, forest, and land resources which make Michigan a unique place to live and work.”
As an extension of her work in environmental protection, Green also hopes to work toward conserving Michigan’s natural resources, increasing the alternative energy economy and rejuvenating Michigan’s cities, according to the press release.
Republican candidate Mark Ouimet, Vice Chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, who will be competing for the seat, told The Michigan Daily in an interview yesterday that many people are considering running for the position.
“I think there’s a high level of interest in a lot of people for the 52nd district, and obviously Christine Green is someone who’s now taking the next step to get into the race,” Ouiment said.