Open Letter to the Voters of Oakland County

I am running for re-election as the Democratic Oakland County Commissioner for the new 18th district, which now includes Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Hazel Park, Charter Township of Royal Oak, and Ferndale. Having served the people of Ferndale and the surrounding region for the past 13 years as a councilman, mayor, and county commissioner, I would like to ask you to vote in the Democratic primary coming up on Tuesday August 7, and to consider a vote for me in that election.

Republicans in control of the state, the county, and the courts forced redistricting on us this year. That greatly affects our own cities including Huntington Woods and Ferndale. As the fundraising co-chair of the Democratic caucus, I fought against this power grab all last winter and into the spring. I want to continue to fight that kind of partisan, un-democratic maneuvering.

You may know of my long history of service to Oakland County and the region. For more than 20 years, I’ve been a tireless promoter of the Woodward corridor, fighting for better public transit, green policies, and a focus on sustainability. On the county commission, I succeeded in critical first steps by getting our Road Commission to include bike lanes, walkability, handicap accessibility, and public transit accommodations for all new road-building and repair.

I was instrumental in creating Ferndale’s resurgence in the 1990’s. We turned a city with an empty downtown into a gleaming, thriving, and vibrant place. I founded and manage many annual charitable events, such as an annual winter music festival, pub crawls in four cities, and the annual GLBT pride festivals, raising a quarter million dollars for charities such as Youth Assistance, local community foundations, our volunteer Police Auxiliary, and the Green Cruise.

My insistence on inclusion is legendary, and I led the effort to show the entire region a new way to promote families, jobs, and sustainability. By embracing diversity and giving everyone a seat at the table, we are attracting and keeping young people from fleeing our region and we now see new economic vitality returning to Michigan.

I admit I’m not a typical politician; I’m liberal on social issues but conservative when it comes to budgets, taxes, and protecting our neighborhoods from crime. Check out my successes and advocacy for the issues that are important to you, and my endorsements, and please vote on August 7th in the Democratic primary.



Craig Covey, Oakland County Commissioner