Michigan state senator to run for Congress

Michigan state Senator Steve Bieda (D) on Wednesday announced that he will run for the state’s open seat in the 9th Congressional District now that Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) has officially said he will retire when his current term ends.

In an announcement, Bieda praised Levin for his many years in Congress and thanked constituents in the district who have urged him to launch a bid.

“Working families in the 9th Congressional District need leadership that is proven, steady and strong,” he said.

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“As your congressman, I pledge to never stop fighting for good jobs for the middle class, to protect our Great Lakes and to hold elected officials to the highest ethical standards.”

Bieda has served as a Michigan state senator since 2011 and previously served as a state representative.

He also took a shot at President Trump in the announcement, saying that there is no room to vote for someone who has to learn on the job because “the stakes are too high.”

“In this day and age, there is no room for error and no room for a congressperson who needs on-the-job training for how to pass a bill or to win bipartisan legislative support on progressive issues,” Bieda said.

“With Donald Trump in the White House, the stakes are too high.”

There was speculation Bieda would launch a bid for the House seat after it was reported that Levin would not run for reelection in 2018.

Levin in his retirement announcement said he plans to join the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy after he departs from Congress.

Former Rep. John Conyers Jr., another Michigan Democrat who served for decades in the House, announced Tuesday that he would retire immediately after weeks of being embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal.