Ashleigh Baker

Economy

Small businesses are the backbone of Michigan's economy. Ashleigh will cut red tape, expand SBA loan access, and create incentives for local hiring. Learn more

Education

Not every path to a good career runs through a four-year university — and it's time our funding reflected that. Ashleigh will fight to make two-year degrees and vocational training free for Michigan residents, with dedicated state investment in trade schools for skilled careers in the trades, healthcare, and technology. That means more funding for equipment, instructors, and apprenticeship programs that connect students directly to good-paying local jobs. Michigan's workforce shortage won't be solved by more debt — it'll be solved by making trade education as accessible and respected as any college degree. Learn more

Michigan graduates are entering the workforce already buried — the average student carries 37,000 in debt before they've earned their first paycheck. Ashleigh supports broad student debt cancellation for borrowers who attended public universities and community colleges, with targeted relief for those who were misled by predatory for-profit institutions. Beyond cancellation, she will fight to cap federal student loan interest rates at 0% while in school and no more than 2% after graduation — because the federal government should not be profiting off students trying to better their lives. Ashleigh will also push to make income-driven repayment automatic and forgiveness timelines shorter, so no borrower spends decades paying off a degree they earned in four years. Learn more

No family should have to choose between working and caring for their children. Ashleigh will fight for universal pre-K and subsidized childcare for working families. Learn more

In Michigan, a child's zip code should not determine the quality of their education — but right now, it does. Wealthy districts benefit from higher property tax bases, newer facilities, and better-resourced classrooms, while low-income communities are left with crumbling schools, outdated textbooks, and teacher vacancies they can't fill. Ashleigh will fight to overhaul Michigan's school funding formula so that state dollars follow student need, not neighborhood wealth. That means guaranteed baseline funding for every district, additional investment for schools serving high concentrations of poverty, and accountability measures that ensure money reaches classrooms — not bureaucracy. Every Michigan child deserves a school they're proud to walk into. Learn more

Environment / Energy

Michigan is not a dumping ground for Big Tech's energy appetite. Ashleigh will fight to restrict new data center development in Michigan through a moratorium on large-scale facilities until the state establishes enforceable emissions and water use standards. Any data center seeking to operate in Michigan must demonstrate it runs on 100% renewable energy, does not draw from Great Lakes water systems for cooling, and contributes to — not drains — our local grid. Michigan's land, water, and energy belong to its people, not to corporations looking to offload their environmental costs onto our communities. Learn more

Michigan families are already feeling the squeeze of rising energy bills — and a poorly managed clean energy transition will only make it worse. Ashleigh supports moving to clean electricity, but she's committed to doing it in a way that lowers costs for working families, not raises them. That means investing in community-owned solar, expanding weatherization programs for low-income households, and cracking down on utility companies that pass the cost of their own mismanagement onto ratepayers. Clean energy should mean cheaper energy for Michigan families — not a windfall for utility executives. Learn more

The Great Lakes hold 84% of North America's surface freshwater — and data centers, industrial polluters, and corporate interests want access to it. Ashleigh will fight to fully fund Great Lakes restoration, block water diversion for data center cooling, and guarantee clean drinking water for every Michigan community. Learn more

In Michigan, the communities closest to industrial sites, highways, and polluted waterways are overwhelmingly Black, brown, and low-income. These families didn't create the pollution — but they're the ones breathing it, drinking it, and living with it every day. Ashleigh will fight to place environmental justice at the center of every infrastructure, energy, and land-use decision: requiring health impact assessments before approving new industrial projects near residential areas, directing clean energy investments to frontline communities first, and holding polluters accountable with real penalties — not just fines they can write off. Learn more

Healthcare

Ashleigh believes every Michigander deserves healthcare — full stop. She supports a clear path toward universal coverage, starting with a strong public option that competes with private insurers and drives down costs. Over time, that means moving Michigan toward a system where no one is uninsured, no one is underinsured, and no one has to choose between their health and their rent. Learn more

Prescription drugs cost pennies to make and hundreds of dollars to buy — and Michigan families are rationing doses just to survive. That is unconscionable. Ashleigh will fight to cap prescription drug prices, expand price caps beyond Medicare recipients, and push to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices across the board. No one should be choosing between life-saving medications and groceries. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

Michigan families pay their taxes — big corporations should too. Ashleigh will fight to raise the income tax rate on corporations, close offshore loopholes, eliminate special-interest carve-outs, and put that money back into the communities that earned it. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

Michigan's teachers are underpaid, overworked, and leaving the profession at alarming rates — and our students are paying the price. Teachers shouldn't have to work second jobs or spend their own money on classroom supplies. Ashleigh will push for fully funded classroom budgets, reduced administrative burdens, and expanded mental health support so educators can focus on what they came to do: teach. Learn more

The cost of living in Michigan keeps rising — rent, groceries, gas, childcare — but wages haven't kept up. Ashleigh supports raising the federal minimum wage to 17/hour and indexing it to inflation, so workers never fall behind again. Learn more