Candidate Questionnaire: Luke Lori

The following is Watershed Voice‘s candidate questionnaire for the August 2026 primary elections. We will be running all remaining candidate questionnaires in the order received today, tomorrow, and Thursday.

Luke Lori, State House District 36 Republican primary candidate filled out our questionnaire, below are his answers as submitted.

Name: Luke Lori
Age: 47
Are you an incumbent? No
Family (optional): Wife, Dana, and one son

Background/bio

Born and raised in Constantine, I attended MSU and graduated with a BS in Environmental Policy. I then worked at the St Joseph Co Sheriff’s Office for 21 years, with 3 of those spent at the courthouse on security detail. I then served 3 years as the 3B District Court magistrate, overseeing criminal and civil matters and reviewing criminal and search warrants.   

Why are you running for the office of Michigan House of Representatives?

Born and raised here, I have a deep connection to our community. Our communities have suffered the last 5-plus years due to a serious lack of leadership in Lansing. I am running to step up for the 36^th House District.

Have you previously held public office, or have you served in a public leadership role? If so, what is your experience, and what are some of your accomplishments?

N/A

If not, describe any experience — professional, volunteer, or otherwise — that you believe is relevant to serving as Michigan House of Representatives.

As an intern at MSU for two state reps, I learned valuable knowledge on how an office operates. Later on, working for the Senate Fiscal Agency, I learned how appropriations and leadership go hand-in-hand. As a corrections officer, I oversaw the safety and security of the public and incarcerated individuals. In that capacity and later as magistrate, I upheld the rights of all citizens of our area.

How long have you lived in the area you are seeking to represent?

40 years 

In your opinion, what are the three most important issues to the area relative to the scope of the position you are seeking, and why?

1. Lowering property taxes – we are stunting growth in this state with high taxes and allowing massive pop-ups on uncapped taxes at the time of purchase 2. Protect our farmland and freshwater – our district is under assault from data centers, etc, and we need to make sure we don’t get these imposed on us to possibly destroy our land  3. Reduce cyclical incarceration by moving money back to the Courts for pre- and post-trial services that get those with addiction and mental health issues back on their feet and out of the ‘system.’

What measures will you pursue to address those issues?

There is a time to pound the table and a time to massage language into a bill – this requires teamwork and relationship-building, something we desperately are lacking currently. 

How would you ensure better protection and service for the most vulnerable and underserved populations in District 36?

Addiction, mental health, and socio-economic issues are best addressed through education and opportunity. To utilize those tools, we need someone in Lansing who will fight for funding for our communities.

How would you promote transparency and maintain public trust in state government?

Continuous communication and overt honesty go a long way helping to educate those who have trust issues with the government.

What values or guiding principles shape your approach to public service?

Being raised in a conservative and Christian household helped me to appreciate the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  No one is ever going to agree 100% with anyone else; however, 99.9% of the time we should be able to settle our differences by focusing on the middle ground between us instead of focusing on outlying issues that won’t be resolved. 

Is there anything else your prospective constituents should know about you, your platform, your views, or your background?

Our district has been neglected for too long – I will fight to promote our area as a great place to live, work, and play.  We have beautiful waterways and agricultural land that need protected and I will fight to preserve them for future generations to enjoy.