The candidates are:

— Dana Alan Ferguson of Marquette, who has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northern Michigan University and has worked as inventory and production manager at Bell Forest Products in Ishpeming.

— Linda O’Dell of Petoskey, a University of Florida graduate who has worked both on Wall Street and for non-profits.

The district includes the Upper Peninsula and 16 counties in the northern Lower Peninsula.

LINDA O'DELL

The Democratic candidates answered a pair of questions recently from The Mining Journal in Marquette, with responses limited to 100 words.

In your view what is the most pressing issue for Michigan’s 1st District at present?

Dana Ferguson: Sustainable modernization around the First District must be a top priority. We lag in infrastructure, telecommunications, transportation and renewable energy. To address other pressing issues like climate change, single-payer healthcare and economic stability, we must recognize inadequate investment in rural communities that cause disparities and inequities. Ambitious plans to tackle these problems lead to small business growth, stability in home prices, increased funding for education, environmentally sustainable development and a better First District for all citizens.

The federal government should act as a partner to communities to ensure local municipalities have the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Linda O’Dell: The pandemic is the most important issue in our district, country, and world. People are mourning more than 140,000 lost loved ones and struggling just to put food on the table after 40 million jobs disappeared almost overnight. Unfortunately, the White House’s rush to reopen, despite very real concerns about health and safety, has prolonged and worsened the damage. It has also highlighted how dangerous it is to go without health insurance in America. If elected, I will focus on building back smartly, with initiatives on infrastructure and climate change that will create good-paying jobs. Trust a woman to multi-task!

If elected, how do you propose to address that concern?

O’Dell: We will continue to support families, small businesses, local governments, health care workers, rural hospitals and essential workers. House Democrats will need members like me, with a background in finance, who understand the complex ways money flows through our economy and who can provide critical oversight to ensure funds go where they will do the most good.

Our district’s need for updated and rehabilitated infrastructure is even more important now. We must have dependable internet and cell phone service throughout the UP and a reliable postal service. I believe it is time our federal government started investing in America again.

Ferguson: We are in a vulnerable and uncertain time, but also a time when it’s critical for us to address issues with bold but pragmatic policies. These issues have been pushed off for too long. Many can be funded through monetary reform, not by raising taxes on working families or further increasing the national debt. To push effective policy, we need a leader engaged with constituents to bring true representation to Washington. I believe I represent a positive vision of the future for the District and our country that bridges political, social and economic divides.