Jim Lower
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = James Lower
| office =
| district = 70th
| state = Michigan
| state_house = Michigan
| term_start = January 1, 2017
| term_end = January 1, 2021
| predecessor = Rick Outman
| successor = Pat Outman
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|4|10}}
| birth_place = Ionia, Michigan
| party = Republican
| spouse = Kristen
| children = Aaron and Kate
| residence = Greenville, Michigan
| alma_mater = Michigan State University (BS)
Grand Valley State University (MBA)
| website = [http://gophouse.org/representatives/central/lower/ State Rep. James Lower] and [https://www.votelower.com/ Campaign website]
}}
James Lower (born April 10, 1989){{cite web |url=https://mdoe.state.mi.us/legislators/Legislator/LegislatorDetail/5470 |title=James Lower |publisher=Michigan Department of Education |website=Library of Michigan |date=2019 |accessdate=2019-06-13}} is an American politician who has served as a Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives representing the 70th district since 2017. Lower previously served on the Ionia County Board of Commissioners, was the Village Manager of Edmore, Michigan, and was the campaign manager for Brian Calley's state senate campaign in 2010.
Elected office and political career
Lower was elected to the Ionia County Board of Commissioners in 2010, becoming one of the youngest elected officials in Michigan and the board's youngest member as a 21-year-old.{{cite news |url=http://www.sentinel-standard.com/article/20101231/NEWS/312319995 |title=Meet James Lower, Newest and youngest member of the Ionia County Board of Directors |work=Ionia Sentinel-Standard |access-date=2017-09-17 |date=December 31, 2010 |language=en}} In 2012, Lower ran an unsuccessful campaign for Ionia County Clerk.{{Cite news |title=Ionia County Clerk: Commissioner aims to unseat clerk |url=https://thedailynews.cc/articles/ionia-county-clerk-commissioner-aims-to-unseat-clerk/ |access-date=2020-09-28 |newspaper=The Daily News |location=Greenville, Michigan |publisher=Stafford Media}}{{Cite news |title=Rich fends off county commissioner for Ionia County clerk |url=https://thedailynews.cc/articles/rich-fends-off-county-commissioner-for-ionia-county-clerk/ |access-date=2020-09-28 |newspaper=The Daily News |location=Greenville, Michigan |publisher=Stafford Media}} In 2014, Lower accepted a job as the Edmore Village Manager, earning an annual salary of $45,000.{{Cite news |title=Ex-Ionia County commissioner accepts Edmore village manager job |url=https://thedailynews.cc/articles/ex-ionia-county-commissioner-accepts-edmore-village-manager-job/ |access-date=2020-09-28 |newspaper=The Daily News |location=Greenville, Michigan |publisher=Stafford Media}} He resigned from this job after 18 months{{Cite news |title=Edmore village manager resigning to campaign for state house |url=https://thedailynews.cc/articles/edmore-village-manager-resigning-to-campaign-for-state-house/ |access-date=2020-09-28 |newspaper=The Daily News |location=Greenville, Michigan |publisher=Stafford Media}} when he announced his candidacy for the Michigan House of Representatives.{{cite web |url=http://gophouse.org/representatives/central/lower/ |title=James Lower, District 70 |work=Michigan House Republicans |access-date=2017-09-17 |language=en-US}}{{cite news |url=https://thedailynews.cc/articles/edmore-village-manager-resigning-to-campaign-for-state-house/ |title=Edmore village manager resigning to campaign for state house |work=The Daily News |location=Greenville, Michigan |publisher=Stafford Media |access-date=2017-09-17 |date=February 19, 2016}}
Michigan state representative Rick Outman was term limited out of the 70th District House seat in 2016. Lower announced his candidacy for the seat in January 2016 and won the 2016 election with 63% of the vote, beating Democratic Party candidate Ken Hart and Green Party candidate Michael Anderson.{{cite web |url=https://mielections.us/election/results/2016GEN_CENR.html |title=2016 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/08/2016 |website=Elections in Michigan |language=en |access-date=2017-09-17 |date=November 8, 2016 |publisher=Michigan Secretary of State}}
In December 2018, Lower sponsored a bill during the lame-duck session which would make it harder to get signatures for ballot initiatives. The Detroit Free Press noted that the bill came "on the heels of three successful ballot proposals that were overwhelmingly approved by voters... but were opposed by many Republicans." The bill would require that a ballot initiative cannot get more than 15 percent of total signatures from any one of Michigan's 14 districts. Lower said that the intention behind the bill was to "get more transparency in the process and more input from voters."{{cite news |first1=Kathleen |last1=Gray |first2=Paul |last2=Egan |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/21/ballot-proposal-lame-duck-michigan/2385359002/ |title=GOP bill making it tougher to get proposals on ballot heads to Snyder |work=Detroit Free Press |language=en |access-date=2018-12-23 |date=December 21, 2018}}
During 2019-2020 legislative session, Lower sponsored 15 bills{{Cite web|title=Michigan Legislature - Search Results|url=https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(qvinb54ocblgav2nwdntce5f))/mileg.aspx?page=ExecuteSearch&legislativesession=2019-2020&chamber=House&sponsor=James%20Lower|access-date=2020-09-28|website=www.legislature.mi.gov}} of which only three became law.{{Cite web|title=Michigan Legislature - House Bill 5761 (2020)|url=https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(qvinb54ocblgav2nwdntce5f))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=2020-HB-5761&query=on|access-date=2020-09-28|website=www.legislature.mi.gov}}{{Cite web|title=Michigan Legislature - House Bill 5810 (2020)|url=https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(qvinb54ocblgav2nwdntce5f))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=2020-HB-5810&query=on|access-date=2020-09-28|website=www.legislature.mi.gov}} Lower was the only sponsor of a bill which eased restrictions on sex offenders, eliminating the requirement that they appear in person to update information and eliminating school safety zones which had previously prohibited sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school.{{Cite web|title=Michigan Legislature - House Bill 5679 (2020)|url=http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(k2vb5aafwa1g0bwoblp1p2pa))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=2020-HB-5679|access-date=2020-12-30|website=www.legislature.mi.gov}}
Lower lives in Greenville, Michigan with his wife Kristen and two young children.
In May 2019, Lower announced that he was challenging independent U.S. Representative Justin Amash for Michigan's 3rd congressional district in the 2020 election.{{cite news |last1=Waldon |first1=Elisabeth |title=Rep. Jim Lower to primary Congressman Justin Amash |url=https://thedailynews.cc/articles/2020-faceoff-rep-lower-to-primary-congressman-amash/ |accessdate=May 21, 2019 |work=The Daily News |publisher=Stafford Media |date=May 20, 2019 |location=Greenville, Michigan}}{{cite news |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=After impeachment remarks, Rep. Justin Amash gets Republican challenger |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/05/20/justin-amashs-impeachment-remarks-draw-challenger-u-s-house-race/3737846002/ |accessdate=May 21, 2019 |work=Detroit Free Press |date=May 20, 2019 |language=en}} He withdrew from the race in November 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.michiganradio.org/post/state-lawmaker-jim-lower-drops-out-race-challenging-rep-justin-amash|title=State lawmaker Jim Lower drops out of race challenging Rep. Justin Amash|last=Winowiecki|first=Emma|date=November 20, 2019|work=Michigan Radio (NPR)|access-date=January 6, 2020}} On December 7, 2020, speaker-designate Jason Wentworth announced that he had hired Lower to be a strategic advisor on his staff beginning in January 2021.{{Cite web|last=Wentworth|first=Jason|date=2020-12-07|title=Speaker-elect Wentworth builds his leadership staff|url=https://gophouse.org/posts/speaker-elect-wentworth-builds-his-leadership-staff|access-date=2020-12-30|website=Mi House Repubs}}
During the 2020 elections, Mr. Lower drew criticism that he was accepting unlawful payments through a shell company "Eureka RDC" in exchange for his endorsement.{{Cite web|title=Divergent candidates face off to replace retiring judge|url=https://thedailynews.cc/articles/divergent-candidates-face-off-to-replace-retiring-judge/|access-date=2020-10-26|website=thedailynews.cc}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Michigan House of Representatives}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lower, James}}
Category:People from Ionia County, Michigan
Category:People from Greenville, Michigan
Category:Michigan State University alumni
Category:Grand Valley State University alumni
Category:County commissioners in Michigan
Category:Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections