Harold Melton - 5th Candidate in the 47th District (HD-47)

In the July 4 Cohoctah and Fowlerville Parades, a 5th candidate jumped into the race and made it official. Harold Melton, a longtime activist and 2012 candidate, is running again.

Here's Harold's statement he sent to me.

My name is Harold Melton from Howell Township. I am running for State Representative from the 47th district. I want to share some of my back-ground with you. Born in Detroit, I’ve been a resident of Howell for 20 years. I am a supporter of Right to Life as well as a Christian family man. I have been married to my wife Karen for 41 years. I’m the father of three grown children, and a grandfather of seven.

I am not your typical politician. I have always been a working man, starting as an equipment installer for Western Electric and then becoming a welder. I’ve worked hard to become a commercial pilot, entering road construction to pay for my aviation training. I learned a lot about following a process over time, becoming certified as a Commercial Pilot on different aircraft. I have served as a Charter Pilot and First Officer on a DC6 Airliner. I took my studies to the next level and began to teach as an FAA Certified Flight Instructor.

I am a strong proponent of the 2nd Amendment. It tells us that "a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." As an NRA Certified fire-arms instructor, I have taught many classes for the Concealed Pistol License, helping citizens "keep and bear Arms" in a responsible fashion. I believe the United States Constitution and State Constitution are the law of the land, to be respected and upheld.

I am a conservative and have been all my life. I’ve been a Republican ever since I realized that the Republican Party stands for a small central government and individual rights. Unfortunately, not all Republicans conform to that wisdom, and that is why I am in the race for this seat to represent you in Lansing.

I believe we need to reduce taxes everywhere we can. To start with, I want to repeal the Senior Pension Tax, and then I will move to convince the Legislature to put some areas of our wealth off limits to taxation. We must limit where the State can tax us. I believe that is the only way to stop the spiral of ever-increasing taxation. Let’s face it, if the State can’t get the money, they will have to cut spending. We can all see that Congress never seems to have enough money. It has to stop somewhere.

I want you to vote for me in the Primary Tuesday, August 5th, 2014, and make me the Republican nominee. Vote for me again on Tuesday, November 4th, 2014 and send me to Lansing. I won’t let you down.

This is now a five way race, and I've heard that two more may be running. It's tough to predict that type of an election. Anything can happen when this many run.