Democrats need to be the Party of rebuilding America. To do that, we need to elect people who have spent their life building things.

As an engineer at Ford, we had to figure out how to get 50 trucks an hour off the end of the line, every single day. It was hard, and we could only do it because we had a team of hardworking people who believed in a common goal. When things fell apart, we didn’t have the luxury of stopping, writing a report about it, and going home. We kept working until we could find a solution.

There are only 9 engineers in Congress right now, and we wonder why our country struggles to build things and solve problems. Our current elected officials overwhelmingly come from backgrounds where they don’t know how to build things, and that has real consequences for our country. President Trump has decided that large-scale tariffs will bring back manufacturing jobs, when they’ve actually accelerated manufacturing job loss. And this Administration squeezes working people even further every day. But existing career politicians don’t have a better alternative to offer because they don’t understand what it takes to launch and produce at large scale with quality.

Democrats must be the party of rebuilding America. That’s why I’m running. Rebuilding requires builders — people who have worked with teams on the factory floor, who have read a spec sheet, who understand what it actually takes to design a product and manufacture something from the ground up.

We’re at a moment when that distinction matters more than ever. Our infrastructure is aging, our manufacturing base is being pummeled by chaotic tariffs, and working people are stuck in jobs that don’t keep up with the cost of living. I’m running for Congress to build things here in Michigan, and to lead the charge to rebuild America - so that we can make life better for everyone.

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Most politicians are great at writing bills, creating rules and regulations, and forming committees. The problem is they don’t actually know what they’re writing about. The whole game is about process instead of results. Someone else figures out, or fails to figure out, how to actually make it work.

Most career politicians probably couldn’t tell you the difference between a common flathead screwdriver and a #2 Phillips. And if you don’t know that difference, you’re certainly not going to be able to understand what it takes to build more manufacturing, better infrastructure, or the high-quality jobs so many Americans who work with their hands count on.

I didn’t spend my life as a politician. I grew up on a farm building things that we needed. I continued that work at Ford, where I led teams designing the next Mustang, F-150, and other vehicles, while working side by side with our manufacturing teams and our supply base. We set high standards on fuel economy, and we met them.

I brought my experience at Ford to the federal government after I retired. I was honored to have the chance to work on real industrial policy - like the CHIPS and Science Act, that brought semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. and trained workers at all levels in jobs of the future. And, I was proud to introduce the Build Submarines team from the Navy to Michigan so they could experience real manufacturing and invest in training workers here in Michigan.

Michigan is at a crossroads right now. Too many people are leaving our state because they can’t find a job that treats them with dignity, or because they can’t afford the basics of life. If we fight to build things here in Michigan, we can create good jobs that help Michiganders get ahead, and we can lower costs for everyone by building more of the things we need here at home.

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I’m running for Congress because Michigan’s 11th District deserves a representative who walks into Washington knowing how to get things done, and who will fight to build a better future for our families.

There are a lot of talented people in politics. But this moment calls for people who have spent their lives in the real economy, building real things, solving real problems. I’m running to show clearly that Democrats can help rebuild America, and I’m running because I know I can actually deliver for Michiganders.

I’ll be writing here regularly — about the district, about policy, and about what it actually looks like to build an economy where we can build a better future for our families. I hope you’ll follow along, share what you read, and reach out.

Let’s build a better future here in Michigan. — Don