Wayne Stiles
DemocraticQ1 Scientific and technical expertise can inform decisions related to healthcare, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and emerging technologies. What role, if any, should scientific evidence and expert input play in your policymaking process, and how would you communicate scientific uncertainty or evolving evidence to the public?
“Scientific evidence should be the starting point—not the finish line. Good policy comes from combining the best available research with real-world experience, local knowledge, economics, and the values of the people we represent.
As an Industrial Designer, this is how I’ve solved problems my entire career. You gather the facts, test assumptions, listen to experts, build a solution, and improve it as new information becomes available. Science isn’t about always being right—it’s about getting closer to the truth.
That also means being honest when the evidence changes. If new research points in a better direction, changing course isn’t weakness; it’s good leadership. I’d rather explain why we’re updating a plan than pretend we knew everything from the beginning.
People don’t expect certainty from Congress. They expect honesty, transparency, and decisions based on evidence instead of politics or special interests. That’s how trust is built—and how better policy gets made.”
KEYWORDS: Evidence-Based Policy, Transparency, Problem Solving
Q2 Government research funding supports universities, medical centers, and technology development across Michigan and the nation. What role, if any, should the federal government play in supporting scientific research and innovation, and what outcomes would you prioritize when evaluating those investments?
“Government should invest where the private sector won’t—or can’t—because that’s often where the biggest breakthroughs begin. Many of the technologies we rely on today—from the internet and GPS to life-saving medical treatments—grew out of public research before becoming private-sector success stories.
As an Industrial Designer, I’ve spent my career turning ideas into products. Innovation happens when researchers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and workers all have a seat at the table. Government’s job isn’t to pick winners—it’s to create the conditions where innovation can thrive.
I’d prioritize investments that improve people’s lives and strengthen America’s competitiveness: medical research, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, agriculture, Great Lakes protection, rural healthcare, and technologies that create good-paying jobs here in Michigan instead of overseas.
Taxpayers deserve accountability, too. Research should have clear goals, transparent oversight, and measurable public benefit. Success isn’t just scientific publications—it’s healthier families, stronger communities, new businesses, better jobs, and an economy that’s built to last.”
KEYWORDS: Innovation, Economic Competitiveness, Accountability
Q3 Michigan farmers face challenges including shifting weather patterns, localized droughts, fluctuating input costs, and global market pressures. What policies or investments, if any, would you support to help farmers remain productive and economically competitive, and what role could scientific research and innovation play in those efforts?
“Farmers don’t need Washington telling them how to farm. They need Washington helping them stay competitive.
Michigan’s farmers are some of the most innovative people in the country, but they’re facing real challenges—from unpredictable weather and rising input costs to labor shortages and volatile global markets. My job is to help remove barriers, not create new ones.
That means investing in agricultural research, expanding extension services, improving rural broadband, and advancing practical tools like precision agriculture, water management, and more resilient crops.
We also need to strengthen local food processing, protect family farms from consolidation, expand export opportunities, and reform agricultural labor programs so farms have the workforce they need.
As someone who designs solutions for complex problems, I believe the best ideas come from listening to the people doing the work.
Good policy should help Michigan farmers stay productive, profitable, and competitive for generations to come.”
KEYWORDS: Agricultural Innovation, Family Farms, Competitiveness
Q4 Michigan communities continue to face challenges related to aging water infrastructure, contamination concerns such as PFAS, and long-term protection of the Great Lakes. What policies or investments, if any, would you support to improve drinking water safety and water infrastructure in Michigan?
“Clean water isn’t a partisan issue—it’s a basic responsibility. The Great Lakes hold nearly 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. Protecting them isn’t just good environmental policy; it’s essential to Michigan’s economy, public health, tourism, and way of life.
I support sustained federal investment to replace aging water infrastructure, remove lead service lines, accelerate PFAS cleanup, modernize wastewater systems, and help rural communities afford these upgrades. Too many small towns simply don’t have the tax base to tackle these projects alone.
We also need to hold polluters accountable, strengthen scientific monitoring of our waterways, and invest in technologies that detect contamination earlier and clean it up more effectively.
Protecting our water isn’t about choosing between the environment and the economy. In Michigan, they’re the same thing.”
KEYWORDS: Great Lakes, PFAS Remediation, Water Infrastructure
Q5 Many communities face shortages in healthcare providers and limited access to specialty care. What policies, if any, do you support to address this daily challenge and do you envision emerging technologies playing a role?
“Healthcare shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code. In Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, too many families drive hours to see a specialist—or can’t find one at all. That’s not just inconvenient; it’s a barrier to staying healthy.
I support expanding medical residency programs, loan forgiveness for providers who practice in underserved communities, and building more rural clinics. My long-term Public Option+ plan also includes federal clinics and hospitals in areas where the private market has left communities behind.
Technology can help close the gap. Telehealth, remote patient monitoring, AI-assisted diagnostics, and better broadband can bring high-quality care closer to home. But technology should support healthcare professionals, not replace them.
The goal is simple: shorter wait times, better access, and healthier communities—regardless of where you live.”
KEYWORDS: Rural Healthcare, Telehealth, Public Option+
Q7 As electricity demand increases due to manufacturing, electrification, and data infrastructure, what role, if any, do you believe alternative energy sources, such as nuclear energy, wind, or solar, should play in America’s future energy mix? What policies, if any, would you support related to alternative energy development, regulation, and/or research, and why?
“Michigan has everything it needs to be an energy leader. We don’t have to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy—we can do both.
I’m a strong supporter of expanding wind energy, especially in places where local communities want it. Wind is one of Michigan’s greatest natural resources, creates good-paying union jobs, and produces affordable electricity without polluting our air or water.
Solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and energy storage should also be part of the mix. No single technology is the answer, but together they can make our grid cleaner, more reliable, and more resilient.
I also believe major new electricity users—especially AI data centers—should bring new generating capacity with them instead of shifting costs onto families and small businesses.
As an Industrial Designer, I look for practical solutions. The goal isn’t to win an ideological debate about energy. The goal is reliable, affordable power, good jobs, and protecting the Great Lakes for the next generation.”
KEYWORDS: Wind Energy, Energy Independence, Grid Resilience
Q9 Rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and large-scale data centers are increasing demand for energy and water infrastructure. What policies, if any, would you support to balance technological growth with infrastructure reliability and environmental sustainability?
“Artificial intelligence has enormous potential, but Michigan’s natural resources are not for sale. If AI data centers want to locate here, they should meet Michigan’s standards—not ask Michigan to lower them.
I support federal policies that give local communities the legal and financial backing to negotiate with large corporations on equal footing. Local governments should have the authority to approve projects, require full transparency, and negotiate binding Community Benefit Agreements.
AI developers should add new clean generating capacity so existing residents and businesses don’t subsidize their electricity demand. They should also protect our water resources, pay the full cost of any infrastructure they require, and provide meaningful, ongoing tax revenue to the communities that host them.
Finally, I support mandatory decommissioning bonds and legally enforceable site restoration requirements so taxpayers are never left with abandoned facilities or cleanup costs. Michigan has seen too many outside interests profit from our land and resources while local communities assume the risks.
Innovation is welcome. Extractive business models are not. My priority is protecting the Great Lakes while ensuring any development leaves our communities stronger than it found them.”
KEYWORDS: Community Benefit Agreements, Resource Stewardship, Site Restoration