IRON MOUNTAIN – Monday, Kyle Blomquist, an Iron Mt. architect and community leader, announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives serving Michigan’s 1st Congressional District. Born and raised in the Upper Peninsula, Kyle is a lifelong resident with deep roots in Northern Michigan, where his family has lived for more than three generations.

Blomquist, 40, graduated from Iron Mountain High School in 2004, attended Grand Valley State University with a dual focus in art and engineering, and obtained his Masters’ Degree in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Blomquist’s graduate studies focused on alternative housing models as a vehicle for urban renewal in the City of Detroit. After graduating, he and his wife, Megan returned home to the Upper Peninsula, going on to spark successful careers at Blomquist Architects, volunteer their time within the community, and raise their twin sons. As City of Iron Mountain Mayor Pro-Tem, with over a decade of service on the Iron Mountain City Council and Planning Commission, Blomquist has what his campaign calls “a proven track record of leadership and a demonstrated commitment to strengthening his local community.”

Blomquist said, “As I seek to represent the hard-working people of Northern Michigan, my guiding belief is this: to the highest extent possible, the government should provide for its people’s basic needs and should ensure that the people cannot be priced out of anything that is necessary to live a full, happy life.”

Blomquist said he is focused on fighting for working-class families in Michigan’s 1st District. His campaign will prioritize key issues including:

• Medicare for All: Providing universal, inclusive, and comprehensive healthcare to Americans, regardless of age or income, making claim denial and medical debt things of the past.

• Housing for All: Creating truly affordable public housing for all that need it and banning private equity from hoarding homes and pricing American families out of their own communities.

• Prosperity in Work: Fighting to protect Unions, ensure living wages, paid time off, universal childcare, and paid parental leave for all American workers.

• Dignity in Retirement: Expanding social security benefits to lift retirees out of poverty.

Blomquist said his vision for the future is clear — to create a system designed for the good of working people, not to benefit the wealthy and powerful. He brings a passionate determination to take on incumbent Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) and the Washington D.C. political establishment.

“I’m excited to meet working people all over Northern Michigan – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – to tell them that they deserve so much more than they have been led to believe, that their pain is real, and their frustration is warranted,” said Blomquist. “Many of our systems are broken by design, but preserving or replacing those systems is a policy choice we can make at any time. I want my friends and neighbors to know that a better world is possible, it is within our reach, and that we can build it together.”