Meet brendan

Bringing people together has always been my passion. 

I’m a fourth-generation Michigander and lifelong Rochester area resident. I spent my early years climbing up the back of Dinosaur Hill and biking down the Paint Creek Trail. In school, I participated in Future Problem Solvers and Model U.N. — my first exposure to the importance of diplomacy in finding solutions to our world’s biggest challenges. Following this passion, I studied International Relations in James Madison College at Michigan State University. After graduation, I went on to work at the Detroit Zoological Society and the Michigan Alliance for Cultural Accessibility, where I was the Administrative and Financial Chair,  still driving to ensure that there were no barriers for people to come together. 

Indeed I firmly believe that Michigan works best when Michiganders are working together. But over the last several years, many troublesome issues have crept into our day-to-day way of living. Many of these issues stemmed from the divisive and unresponsive politics from our representation in Washington and Lansing. This unresponsiveness has deprived Michiganders of common sense solutions to the real issues that we face and common investments in the future we all hope for, like fixing our crumbling infrastructure, securing safe drinking water all over the state, ensuring safety in our communities, and increasing our funding and support for public education. We are less divided than we are led to believe. My experience in both state and federal government, my education, and my commitment to public service has prepared me to bring the kind of collaborative leadership we need in Pontiac.

I’ve served as a political analyst in Spain with the U.S. State Department, as a national security analyst for Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, and currently as the legislative director for Michigan State Representative Samantha Steckloff up in Lansing. I went to Georgetown University for my masters degree in Foreign Service, specializing in global politics and security. I am trained to work with people from all backgrounds and with myriad interests and motivations. I love bringing people together.

We need someone in Oakland County that will work across differences to find the pragmatic, common-sense solutions we need to improve our county and state. Protecting our communities, beautiful green spaces, and excellent schools are only some of my priorities. I’m running to make government work for you. We need to trust that our water is safe, our roads are reliable, and our children have a safe environment in which to learn. These are the things that come from good governance. I will use my experience to bring about the best solutions for all of us, and I will be proud to represent you.

Onward,