ST. CLAIR COUNTY — Republican Gary Eisen is looking to earn another two years as the 81st District representative in Michigan’s House. Challenging him for that job is Democrat Debbie Bourgois.
Voters will decide the outcome of that race in the November 3 general election.
The 81st District includes the village of Capac and Lynn, Mussey and Berlin townships among other St. Clair County communities.
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Gary Eisen was first elected to the House in 2018. He owns and operates a welding and fabricating shop in Richmond. Eisen also owns his own martial arts school and is a firearms instructor.
Since taking office in 2019, Eisen has introduced bills that would make businesses and government entities with gun-free policies liable if a shooting takes place on their grounds and another giving local communities more options to conduct road projects by raising the ceiling on projects that can be free of competitive bidding, among others.
He currently serves as vice chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, and as a member of the Agriculture, Local Government & Municipal Finance, and Natural Resource & Outdoor Recreation committees.
Debbie Bourgois has previously sought elected office, having most recently been a candidate in the 25th District State Senate race two years ago.
She has worked as a substitute teacher, an adjunct professor at St. Clair County Community College and was a small business owner.
Bourgois served has served as an elected trustee on the St. Clair County Community College Board of Trustees and was chair of the St. Clair County Library Millage committee.
Her campaign websites states that Bourgois is committed to “prioritizing people over private interest.”
If elected, Bourgois said she would work to address flooding and examine water sewer infrastructure, advocate for the expansion of educational opportunities and encourage companies to locate here.
