By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — Three newcomers will face off in the Democratic primary for the 13th District state House race Aug. 4. Incumbent Frank Liberati is term limited and cannot seek re-election.
Bill Colovos, 60; Timothy Estheimer, 51; and Liberati’s brother Tullio Liberati, 52, look to advance to the Nov. 3 general election against unopposed Republican Megan Frump.
Colovos is an attorney and Southgate city councilman, Estheimer owns and operates of Primo’s Pizza & Catering and is president of the Southgate Community Schools Board of Education, and Tullio Liberati is the owner and operator of Liberati and Sons Construction.
The 13th District includes Allen Park, Southgate and part of Dearborn Heights.
Each of the candidates were contacted and asked to answer questions about why they are running. Each of the following questions had a 120-word limit. Answers exceeding that were edited for brevity.
Question 1: Why are you seeking election? What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
Colovos: I’m seeking election for the position of state representative of the 13th District in order to give back to our community. I have been blessed with a thriving and successful law practice for the last 35 years, due to the support of our community. Now it is time that I give back to our community by applying my educational and political experience and professional skills to return all the positive energy that I have received from our community. I will fight for our district to ensure that our community receives it’s fair share from our state government.
Estheimer: I am running to be your next state representative to continue my legacy of service to our local community and to be a strong voice for the communities of Allen Park, Southgate and Dearborn Heights. If elected, I plan to focus on issues concerning public education, protecting our seniors and veterans, supporting Michigan’s small business owners and as the UAW endorsed candidate, I will protect union rights.
Liberati: I have lived in this district for over 50 years. I have started a business and raised a family here. In my line of work, I have had the opportunity to sit down and meet one-on-one with many of the area residents. I have listened to them talk about what they love about the area and what they feel can be improved. My days of coaching little league, Cabrini Booster’s soccer, Dance Dads and PTA meetings are over now and I feel that I have the opportunity to give back to the community. If elected I would devote my time to fighting for better paying jobs and proper funding to support higher quality public schools.
Question 2: What are two important issues your constituents face and what will you do to address or improve those issues if elected?
Colovos: Every city in the 13th District has major flooding issues. The aging infrastructure must be updated. The state must provide grants to upgrade our cities sewer systems that suffer from flooding issues. I am also against defunding the police. I believe that it makes no sense. State grants need to be provided to be local municipalities to fund body cameras. Everyone acts much better when they are being recorded. It also benefits by recording the actions of the wrongdoer.
Estheimer: While COVID-19 is the most pressing issue currently, we can’t lose sight of my passion for running for office and the families I would represent. The most pressing issue in our district is ensuring every child’s right to quality, safe public education. It’s the reason I first ran for the Southgate Board of Education, where I currently am the president and am passionate about serving at the state level. Additionally, I would like to sit on the education committee and work alongside our state and federal partners, to ensure better funding of our school districts and more robust recruitment and training for our educators. Michigan’s schools will be facing historical challenges coming out of the pandemic and proven educational leadership like mine would be invaluable.
Liberati: Budget shortfalls due to drops in tax revenues caused by COVID-19 must not result in decreased public services or school funding cuts. I will fight to make sure that our residents are not left holding the bag due to the strained budget. There must be an equitable distribution of the burden and federal dollars from the Coronavirus Relief Fund must come into play. Flooding has been a long time issue for our residents. A victim myself, I understand the helpless feeling of watching your basement flood and irreplaceable mementoes along with thousands of dollars’ worth of possessions be destroyed. It is time to get the federal government to release the necessary funds so we can stop with the temporary fixes and correct the issue once and for all.
Question 3: What education, experience or skills do you posses that make you a qualified candidate for the position you are seeking?
Colovos: I’m the only candidate that has the educational, professional, and political skills necessary to effectively represent our district. I graduated from Wayne State Law School and have been a practicing attorney in our community for more than 35 years. I have used my skills as an attorney to fight for working families and senior citizens. As your state representative, I will use these skills to make sure that our district is protected and fairly treated by our state government.
Estheimer: I believe that past community service is one of the best indications of future success as state representative. Whether as the president of the Southgate Community School Board where I currently serve, as past chairman of the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority, through my business (Primo’s Pizza) or simply coaching Cabrini youth soccer in our community, I have a proven track record of stepping up when leadership is needed and have enjoyed every experience. I am eager to continue that leadership as your next state representative to ensure that our district is a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Liberati: My experience as a licensed builder and sole owner of my local company helps me bring a fresh perspective to the role of state representative. I will go to bat for all the hard-working members of our community to fight for better jobs and public education. Amongst other things, I will fight to stop outsourcing to lower priced, non-union workers and I will fight to ensure an equitable distribution of the debt caused by coronavirus so our local governments aren’t saddled with all costs.In my line of business, I must often advocate for the customer. My experience mediating between the resident and city administration has afforded me with the opportunity to work through conflicts to achieve common ground so both parties are satisfied with the outcome.
Question 4: Why should people vote for you?
Colovos: I have spent most of my adult life fighting for working families and senior citizens. As a councilman, I have always supported working families and senior issues. As an attorney, a vast majority of my clients are working class families. I have spent the last 35 years negotiating for working families and senior citizens.
Estheimer: I have worked tirelessly during this campaign, while still running my business full-time and being a dedicated husband and father to my family. Should I earn the privilege of serving as your next state representative, I will work just as hard to represent the residents of the 13th District every day in Lansing. Additionally, I am the only candidate with deep roots in two of the three communities I’d be serving, Allen Park and Southgate, and have spent the last year acquainting myself with Dearborn Heights meeting with local officials and citizens. Through those interactions and meetings, I found that Dearborn Heights has similar flooding issues as those in Allen Park. I will advocate for an infrastructure plan that will finally fix these flooding issues.
Liberati: In my line of work, you are only as good as your word and your name. Delivering on your promises is key. I know how to navigate through unexpected problems and still complete my projects on time and within budget. To date, I have received eight endorsements. I have managed this by remaining true to my principles and consistent with my responses. When someone votes for me, they can rest assured that they will be voting for someone who will work hard for them, maintain a high standard of ethics and will always be true to their word.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])