Driskell Gretchen announces her run for Congress Feb 2015
By Milan Eagle Media
Gretchen Driskell called a press conference at the Mangiamo Restaurant in Saline recently to announce her candidacy to the 7th Congressional District.
She had a crowd of at least 40 people on a Monday morning.
Explaining her involvement in public service, Driskell pointed out she became interested when she worked on a campaign to finance a recreation center in Saline.
“I met a lot of wonderful people who helped raise money for the Saline Rec Center,” she commented.
“I was raised with an ethic of public service,” she told the crowd.
She said she was raised in a military family, including her father, who served in the US Navy during WW II, and some men on her mother’s side who also served in the US Navy.
“As mayor of Saline for 14 years, we were ranked in the top 100 small cities in the nation, three times in a row,” she continued. “We made a significant investment in our community and in the school system.”
Driskell stated she was proud of building an infrastructure in Saline. “I ran for the Michigan House because the people need a voice that is working for solutions, and not for political arguments.”
Then she declared, “I’m running for the 7th Congressional District,” and was greeted with loud applause.
She will be running as a Democrat. Currently, Republican Tim Walberg holds that seat in Washington. That district covers most of Washtenaw County, except Ann Arbor, and some or all of Monroe, Lenawee, Jackson, Hillsdale, Eaton, and Branch Counties.
Driskell says she started out as an accountant and a CPA when she was about 21. “I needed a more flexible job to supplement my income,” she explained. “So I drove a cab. I never told my parents about that job.”
Serving in the Michigan legislature, Driskell states she can campaign for the 7th District at the same time.
She told the group she has pushed in Lansing for “Home grown businesses providing Michigan jobs.”