A maize and blue path to the campaign trail

When Representative Erin Byrnes learned she’d won her first primary to represent Michigan’s District 15, shock set in. It was late on a Tuesday in August 2022, and she was in the LaPita restaurant parking lot. Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi was the first to call her with the news, followed by Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud.

“You are so nervous up to that point — actually nervous doesn’t even fully describe the feeling,” says Byrnes, whose district covers Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. “All of our team started reaching out to each other and we met up to celebrate — at 2 a.m., right outside of LaPita. It was a surreal, exciting moment.”

Winning a state primary and, ultimately, a general election wasn’t always in Byrnes’ master plan. But, through her UM-Dearborn education, she learned that making the world a better place is often done through education and policy. While a student, Byrnes says a class she took with Professor of Women’s Studies and Social Sciences Suzanne Bergeron set a foundation for her future.

“I came into college not knowing what I wanted to study. I just knew UM-Dearborn was a good school, was close to home and felt right for me. I took a women’s and gender studies class with Dr. Bergeron because it looked interesting. Something I chose just based on interest ended up changing the trajectory of my life,” Byrnes says. “Sitting in that class, we talked about economic disparities. We also talked about street harassment, which I didn’t even know had a name or if it was something people were talking about. I had experienced that type of harassment throughout my life, and I felt validated, seen and heard. That was motivational for me to do what I could to help others feel the same.”

That class led to Byrnes joining the UM-Dearborn student organization Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL), which Bergeron founded and advised. Now advised by Professor Lara Rusch, it is called WILL+.

“In WILL, I gained a community. I became a part of an after-school mentoring program at a local middle school through WILL. I really enjoyed working with the students and did that throughout college. When thinking about how to take the goal of women’s empowerment and make it concrete, I decided education was the best way to do that, which led me to graduate school to focus on teaching,” Byrnes says. “My career path later evolved. But the focus on the importance of education has remained the same.” After her UM-Dearborn graduation, Byrnes moved to New York City, where she worked as a middle school special education teacher in Brooklyn and earned her master’s in education from City University of New York by taking classes in the evening.

Once Byrnes had her graduate degree, she wanted to head back to Michigan and see how she could make a difference in her home state. U-M’s Ginsberg Center hired her in 2011, first with the America Reads Program, a K-5 tutoring initiative, and later with Democratic Engagement and the Big Ten Voting Challenge.

In 2017, while Byrnes was at the Ginsberg Center, she saw a need in her Dearborn community to run for city council — her first foray into political office. For years, she had been involved in her Dearborn neighborhood, which is the same one she grew up in, through city Beautiful Commission projects — like the beautification of Argyle-Williamson Park — and noticed something at the city government level that she wanted to change.

“I had always had an interest in politics and there were two open seats on city council at the time. On a council of seven, there was only one woman on it. More than one woman lives in Dearborn, so I felt there needed to be better representation. As a woman, there are lived experiences I bring to the table and I wanted the opportunity to represent the city in a really meaningful way.  My experiences shape how I view the world and they’ve made me an advocate,” Byrnes says. “People from different backgrounds bring a different point of view to the table. That’s why diversity in representation is so important.”

Byrnes won the city council election in November 2017 and focused on schools, neighborhoods, parks and economic development. “The neighborhood you grew up in sends you messages about your self worth. Something that might seem superfluous, like beautification work, can have a long-term impact,” she says.

After a successful five years on council, with one as president pro-tem, she thought about making an impact at the state level. “At that time, Roe v. Wade was just overturned. No matter your view on it, it was shocking and has implications on women’s health. I also know pay equity continues to be an issue. I was looking at what I could do to make things better,” Byrnes says. 

Byrnes found herself campaigning again — this time for a Michigan House of Representative seat to represent her hometown’s 15th district. She won and took office in January 2023 and is currently seeking re-election.

During the past two years, Byrnes — among other initiatives — has supported K-12 education through helping secure additional funding for items like a $1.5 million for Dearborn Salina Intermediate School outdoor space, co-sponsored a bill to address the short-term rental crisis and sponsored a Pay Equity package. The Pay Equity package would offer equal pay certification for eligible employers, mandate that employers educate employees of their equal pay rights, require that a job posting include a salary range, and allow for anonymous wage discrimination reporting through the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

She says the lessons she was taught in Bergeron’s class on injustices and advocacy work continue to guide her today. Bergeron retired in 2023, the same year Bynes was elected to state office.

“When I was in college, I didn’t know I would run for office. It certainly was not the plan. But there was a passion I found while at UM-Dearborn and it kept pushing me to the best next step. It’s important to trust your gut about the path that unfolds in front of you,” Byrnes says. “I want students to know even if you aren’t sure what you are going to do now, give your all to something. If you are in it for the right reasons and put in the work, you will create amazing opportunities.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury