Representative Adam Zemke is serving his second term representing parts of Washtenaw County. He became involved in politics through non-profit work in education and was driven to run for legislature where 90% of education policy is determined. Despite challenges, he stays positive by finding common ground between parties and achieving small victories like education bills that united unlikely allies. He is most proud of education reforms that have succeeded despite facing sensitive issues.

1. Roll Call: Rep. Adam Zemke!
Aug. 14th, 2015!
Interviewed by Emily Kindred and Rebecca Maher!
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State Representative Adam Zemke (District 55) is serving his second term representing parts of
Washtenaw County. Zemke is a strong and promising advocate for education reform and he has
seen impressive bipartisan support for his proposed bills. Zemke spoke with Team MDP about
growing up in Ann Arbor, transitioning from the private sphere to public office, and his ambitions
for education policy.!
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MDP: What sort of issues or events led to your involvement in politics?!
Rep. Zemke: My motivation was mostly driven by some non-profit work I had been doing in the
education sphere. I worked a lot on getting programs into classrooms in socioeconomically-
depressed communities to inspire project-based learning and expose younger kids to
opportunities that they may not have thought they had. That’s a big part of the reason why I
decided to run for the legislature-- about 90% of education policy and funding comes from the
state, and that all flows from the legislative process. I was also active politically back home (Ann
Arbor) through local democratic clubs and working for state representatives.!
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MDP: Why do you identify as a Democrat?!
Rep. Zemke: I initially started gravitating towards the Democratic Party due to social issues. I
was raised in a household where my mother was very vocal about the fact that women’s
healthcare decisions should be made by women, and she gave me a lot of good reasons to
understand her beliefs and agree with that philosophy. It was more of an identity issue for me
initially, and that’s what really brought me over to the Democratic Party. Then, as I started to
understand more about economics, I gained a better understanding of how the middle class is
built and the importance of supporting people with a good, fair wage.!
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MDP: What has been one of the most unexpected aspects of your involvement in politics so
far?!
Rep. Zemke: I think all of it is kind of unexpected! I worked in the private sector prior to running
for office, and there’s definitely a difference. That could be entirely because relationships in
politics are a really strong glue that either hold people together or separate them-- I feel like
that’s less true in the private sector, or the engineering world, at least. Politics is very
relationship-heavy.!
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MDP: What keeps you positive throughout the political process, despite the challenges we
face?!
Rep. Zemke: The ability to get to the majority is definitely what keeps me excited. You do have
small victories every once in a while, and there are issues that-- despite what you hear from the
media-- Republicans and Democrats do end up working on together. It’s always going to take 56
votes in the House, 20 voted in the Senate, and one gubernatorial signature to put something
into law. Respect is very important-- I feel like people get caught up in demonizing someone just
because they might disagree on a particular issue, and it can’t be like that. I obviously wanted
democrats to be in the majority when I came in, but we weren’t, so I approach working with
Republicans on issues where we could find common ground very proactively.!
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MDP: What have been some of your proudest achievements in representing your district?!

2. Rep. Zemke: I’ve worked on a lot of education policy since I came to the House, which is what I
always wanted to do, and I feel I’ve been very well-rewarded in that sense. In Lansing,
education is the most politically sensitive topic that there is. Within my first six months in office, I
started working on a package of bills to revamp educator evaluations-- a topic that is not
traditionally well-received in Michigan, because they’re currently very unfair, and really not well
done. Despite the fact that we have encountered a bit of a struggle along the way, the bills that
we’ve put forward have had support from both extreme right-wing reform groups and labor
unions. I was told by some folks who’ve been in Lansing for a while that they haven’t seen that
happen in over a decade, especially not in education. That’s definitely something that I’m proud
of. It could have gone very badly, but it’s actually turned out very well.!
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MDP: What did you like most about growing up in Ann Arbor?!
Rep. Zemke: Ann Arbor is a great place to grow up, and I wish every community had the
opportunities we have-- and that every student knew about those opportunities. I would say the
educational opportunities that the Ann Arbor area provides and the cultural diversity that goes
into those opportunities is what makes it a really cool place.!
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MDP: How would you describe Michigan to a non-Michigander?!
Rep. Zemke: Simply put, Michigan is the best state in the country. We have everything here--
we have beautiful, abundant natural resources and hidden gems that regularly make those “9
Most Beautiful Places in the Country” lists. From an economic standpoint, we have created the
strongest manufacturing base of any state in the country. We have a strong history of building a
really robust middle class. Michigan is the best place to be-- there is nothing you will find
elsewhere that we don’t have some taste of here in Michigan.!
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MDP: Do you have a favorite vacation spot in Michigan?!
Rep. Zemke: The first thing that comes to mind are the Les Cheneaux islands off of the eastern
UP. They’re very beautiful. Anywhere on the water works for me.!
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MDP: What is one fun fact about you that most people might not know?!
Rep. Zemke: I’m a huge history buff. I love reading about history-- all eras. I really love
architecture and design as well.!
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MDP: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?!
Rep. Zemke: Mint chocolate chip. From Washtenaw Dairy (in Ann Arbor), of course!!
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MDP: What advice would you give to someone looking to get ahead in politics?!
Rep. Zemke: Two things: take advantage of every opportunity that is given to you and always
go into everything with an open mind. !
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