Niemela is a farmer who wants the county’s posterity to grow up in a society where work and freedom are available with a peaceful life to be experienced. He believes that he can maintain this goal by being careful with the spending that comes into the county and pass resolutions supporting or opposing edicts that align with the county values.

Niemela believes the current Baraga County Board has done a good job overall passing resolutions and pushing back from State government. He would like to contribute his ideas to the board of the county he has resided in for the past 27 years.

Niemela says that he would defer to the experiences of other board members if he wins the election in order to learn from them but is committed to do his duty and serve the community if asked to jump into any board appointments.

“I’m looking to represent the people,” Niemela said. “Obviously part of that is listening to their input; listening to their concerns at the doorstep and making note of those so we can see what the people want. I want to be an open accessible representative of the people.”

Niemela

Niemela cites his personal finances and his farming business which was started in 2008 as financial experiences that can translate to monetary handling on the Board. He said that he believes everyone on the board has the right to speak their mind and that it is important to respect differences of opinions.

“As a common working person I understand the challenges faced by common folks,” Niemela said. “Especially in the inflation environment I know the concern and the work to make ends meet. Being a father I understand their concerns of people trying to raise children in a society that’s turning their back in big part on normal values we’ve long held. I also share the concerns of many of my constituents who say ‘we’re getting overreaching from the state government pushing things down that we don’t like that are against our freedoms.’ I understand that concern.”

The other candidate, Lozier, is running after considering it back in 2020. However he was in the process of buying Bay Auto Parts at the time and those aspirations were put on hold. He feels now though that he feels more established that it was time to return to running to represent the people of Baraga County. Lozier was on the Baraga Village Council for 12 years and believes that experience will assist him in his efficiency to help govern the county of which he believes is the next step of service.

“What I’m looking forward to is trying to help more commerce come to this county,” Lozier said. “I think Baraga gets overlooked a lot and I’d like to see more business here.”

He believes his experience in blue collar work and being a business owner allows him to relate to the average county resident and understand their perspectives on life. But his experience with the Baraga Village Council is what he believes will have him picking up the job much faster in terms of the technical aspects of governing.

He understands that the county is larger than the village, but he expects there to be overlapping similarities. He wants to approach the spending of county funds on a case by case basis with keeping in mind that some things must always see funding like healthcare and law enforcement.

“Ontonagon just lost their hospital,” Lozier said. “That’s obviously not going to happen here.”

Lozier sees family values and the blue collar work ethic of the county important to keep in mind when governing the area. He does not have children but values the families his friends are raising and wants the community to be good to them. Some of the people within the county are with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, of which he sees working with as an advantage. He said that the KBIC has resources that the county does not have, and that preserving a good relationship and working alongside them is beneficial to everyone.

“Get out and vote and have your voice be heard,” Lozier said. “That’s the American thing; that’s what we do.”