Gubernatorial candidates: Evan Space, R-Big Rapids | News, Sports, Jobs

SPACE

MARQUETTE — Following his previous campaigns in 2018 and 2022, Evan Space is back for his third campaign to be Governor for the state of Michigan.

Space was born and raised in Traverse City, earning a degree in Political Science from Grand Valley State University, and was a cadet in the ROTC program with Western Michigan University. He served in the Michigan Army National Guard for eight years, working with two separate Sapper Engineer Units, and was deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Space retired from the military in 2016, is an active member of the Freemasons and currently runs his own window-washing business.

When deciding to run for Governor, Space says that the tragic experience of losing his team leader in Afghanistan made him want to do something to help others going through the same things he was. While receiving his political science education, he discovered that he wanted to make a larger impact on the state’s economy and the direction of its future, and now wishes to bring Michigan into the next century.

“I served eight years in the Michigan Army National Guard and I did a deployment across seas. When I was over there, I ended up losing one of my closest teammates, my team leader to an IED. It impacted me in such a way that when I got back, I wanted to do something that was beneficial beyond me and would help others for all the stuff that I had to go through, and show them that no matter what struggles that you deal with, there is potential for anybody. (You’ve) got to look at your goals and see what you want to do in life. When I was going to Grand Valley State University, I ended up going through my capstone and by that time, I realized I wanted to make a large impact on the state’s economy and where we’re going with this. It couldn’t be done on any level less than a gubernatorial candidacy…I feel that I have separated myself very well from other candidates at being able to define myself with a political policy that actually works for Michigan. I see people struggling and people hurting and laws are being made that are not right for Michigan,” explained Space. “I want to make an economic change for Michigan that allows people to know that they could go to work, or that their kids are going to school in an education system that’s unbiased and it’s actually keeping them safe. I don’t believe that the gun laws should be changed in Michigan and we keep on doing that right here. I’m going to just say that straight up about the Second Amendment and that’s a huge impact. Michigan needs a candidate that can actually see what Michigan was about. A lot of the candidates (that are) running – we have a lot of them – and there are a few good selections out there. However, I don’t know if all of them have developed a policy and a platform that is where Michigan should go yet, or if they’re going to just be following the lead and listening to what everybody’s telling them in their ear to say and what to run Michigan as. I wanted to look at stuff like education, space exploration and job development, tax elimination for the state of Michigan and what we can do to succeed in the future. Michigan’s future is there, but we need to bring it into the next century. That’s where I think that I would like to take that with space exploration programs and other things, like bringing other types of renewable energies to the state of Michigan.”

Part of Space’s campaign strategy is sharing his idea of creating a new political party that helps to represent the people accordingly, and one that would also serve as a voting tiebreaker for sharp partisan divides between Republicans and Democrats. His ideal party is one that is Republican-based, and he’ll work to spread this message as he continues to campaign for Governor into next year.

“As far as how this campaign is going to roll out, I almost see that we have to even speculate (if) a third party is actually creating a new party system for the state of Michigan. A political party like the American Party, which Elon Musk was talking about, is a proper idea to actually look at. With each party, you have to represent yourself accordingly. If the party isn’t representing you (in that way,) then you need to look at the option of what is there. Now, I know that we have the Libertarians out there and there’s also the Taxpayers Party as well, but you can actually create a party line that’s been tried, it’s not been done yet and they really think it should be, is the tiebreaker between the votes of what goes on in Congress at the White House. We don’t have that tiebreaker party yet. Why not try and get that tiebreaker party going next year? In the meantime while I’m collecting my signatures, I’ll also be trying to form another political party to see where that could take us. I want it to be a Republican-based party. I want it to be a party that’s not going to be off the register, where we’re deciding to take people off the streets because that’s what the Executive Order is, or going as far as creating such controversy where the government has to keep on getting shut down. We need this tie breaking party so it doesn’t get shut down anymore.”

Space also explained that he’s been investigating the idea of having the U.P. become the 51st state in the country, and that if he were to be elected Governor, he would work to make sure that the U.P. would have its own statehood separate from lower Michigan.

“If I was ever elected in, I would work to make the 51st statehood for the Upper Peninsula happen. I believe that the economy up there and that everything up there is separate from Michigan in a different way. That’s because I was up there doing military (service) for the National Guard in Calumet. I did two years of service as a Sergeant up there and realized that, ‘This is not Michigan, this is the Upper Peninsula. This is different up there.’ I know there’s a small population and everybody’s like, ‘Well, why would you (create) a state with such a small population?’ The potential for them to be able to have a small state with a small population, but a good chance to help the voting process and with Congress also helps as well, and give you an economy that is well deserved (in) the Upper Peninsula,” said Space. “Not everybody would be behind it, but I think that everybody up there is probably starting to itch a little bit and wanting to have their decisions heard more than (they’re) being heard down here in lower Michigan. I stand for helping create that 51st statehood, and that would have to be done through a statewide vote, where you get the signature count of the voting population that was in that election year. Then, you tally that up and it roughly is around 250,000 votes or so that you’re going to need to have petitions signed in order to make that happen…I’ve been rolling with this idea since 2018 about Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. That’s why I’m the Upper Peninsula kind of guy that wants to see such improvements for that economy up there.”

If elected to serve as Governor, Space shared that he believes he’s different from many candidates where he wouldn’t need the same kind of salary due to being rated out by the VA. He wishes to serve the people of Michigan by showing up to places that need the Governor’s voice, and listening to the people when the Governor’s presence, rather than just their voice, is needed.

“I plan to serve them in a way that I don’t think any other candidate could do, and that would be (having) a “Living Like You” campaign idea as a governor. I don’t have to have as many expenditures as a lot of people have to have (like) such high-pa(ying) salaries to do this. I’m doing this for the State of Michigan. I was rated out and because I was rated out by the VA, it helps me be able to live life very comfortably. I will be able to show that I can actually do things hands-on as a gubernatorial candidate and hopefully, the next Governor that would surprise you. I would actually be the one showing up at events and situations that actually concern citizens of the State of Michigan that need the voice of the governor. I don’t know if she’s (Gretchen Whitmer) done that enough for us in the State of Michigan. I mean, she voices her opinion and everything like that, but sometimes her voice needs to be heard by actually just showing up and being there for you. Now that’s where there’s another thing about my candidacy that’s separate. If I was to be the next gubernatorial candidate for governor, the Lieutenant Governor that I would choose would be the one that would actually be running the Upper Peninsula. I would be the one that would actually be taking care of the lower peninsula, and (we’d be) working together as a team of one and two, so nobody is left out of the picture and also moving towards the direction of independence for the U.P. as well,” Space said.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Space and his campaign policies, they cover a wide range of different topics, including eliminating income and property taxes, establishing a space launch program and bringing a full military base to Michigan.

“I’m the governor for the future. I’m the guy that looks outside the box and makes sure that I show that the electrified roads will go in and that the tollways won’t be excessive in the State of Michigan…I think that we need to get away from the state income tax. That will be eliminated. The property tax, we can get to a point where people don’t have to be paying property tax in the State of Michigan. Once you own your home, you own your home. That’s the way it makes sense. You pay taxes into the city, that’s what it makes sense. As far as space exploration, we have a space launch program right up in the Upper Peninsula. I know not everybody’s in favor of it, but I actually am in favor of it,” said Space. “I do think that we really need to look at that as a real option to be able to have (a) Northern Space Launch program set into place and possibly bring in the spaceports program as well that has moved from Colorado over to Alabama. I would love to be one of the biggest key components to Alabama’s operations for spaceports right here in the state of Michigan. That also (includes) bringing a full military base to the state as well. We need that for the Grayling area. We have the potential, we have the option, we have the capabilities. We are running live military drill operations, some of the largest military drill operations this year right up in Grayling, (and we need) a trade-off training base for the state of Michigan.”

Space also made his stance clear on deploying the military to different areas of political and social unrest within the country, and how having the tiebreaking political party he plans to create would help mitigate that deployment of military action against people in the U.S.

“Even though I’m a Republican and I support guns and everything like that in the military, what’s going on right now with our military being activated and inciting our country? I’m actually against that as a Republican. Our military is designed to protect us from outsider nations, not to create a distrustful situation where we can’t have peace and tranquility in our country (to) not use excessive force (and) military action on our own citizens. This is just not right. Everybody else might think otherwise, but we need law enforcement to do that. We don’t need the military doing that,” Space elaborated. “(The) military needs to stay on its ground. If there’s a hurricane, I understand. An earthquake, I understand. If there is a massive riot where they cannot be controlled by law enforcement I understand, but we really don’t have that in our country. That’s where I stand as a candidate for that, and that’s why I think the political party situation (with) creating that American Party is very important to have happen. That’s why I stand behind that idea. I want to be firm and know that we don’t want to show military action against our own people, because we are becoming authoritarian (in) our own country and we shouldn’t be doing that.”

Space is also a supporter of the cannabis industry, emphasizing how it’s beneficial for both the people who use it medically and that the businesses help bolster Michigan’s economy.

“I was (also) a Republican gubernatorial candidate (that) actually stood up for the cannabis industry in the state of Michigan when it was legalized. It’s become a beneficial product for our taxes and everything and for everybody in residence in the state of Michigan. We seem to have a really good grasp on being able to keep it under control and that it’s not a reckless situation with its use. Now, all of a sudden, we’re having a 24% tax that’s being pushed to the cannabis industry, which will greatly hurt them. After all this work trying to help the industry, they want to destroy the industry, and that’s not going to make it easy. It will make an impact (by) hurting people’s businesses, (and on) other people making sure they get their medicines and making sure that people get taxes for their communities, because businesses get shut down like that (and) can’t afford a 24% hike like that,” Space shared. “We need to protect all residents in Michigan and that even includes the cannabis industry as well. That also helps take care of all the taxes (for) our school (and) education, puts the roads together and also takes care of new community organizations (made) available by the money that (cannabis businesses) provide through their taxes they already have. Putting an extra 24% on that is devastating and reckless.”

More information about Evan’s gubernatorial campaign can be found on his website at space4governor.com.