Editorial: Our picks for state House from Wayne County

For a guide to all The Detroit News endorsements so far, click here.

Wayne County voters will select state House representatives in the Nov. 3 election. Here are our endorsements for Wayne County districts:

1st District (Detroit, Grosse Pointe): Incumbent Democratic Rep. Tenisha Yancey is seeking her second full term in the House, after first being elected in 2017 to fill out the term of Rep. Brian Banks. Yancey, the niece of former UAW vice president Jimmy Settles, has spent her entire career in government jobs, working for the Wayne County executive, prosecutor and Land Bank. As a lawmaker, she’s had an unremarkable career. She also has a troublesome past. As a teen, she was charged with stalking and firing a gun at a romantic rival. We are not comfortable putting our stamp on her candidacy. At the same time, little is known about her Republican challenger, Latricia Ann Lanier. So we make no recommendation in this district.

2nd District (Detroit, Grosse Pointes): Democratic incumbent Rep. Joe Tate is seeking a second term in the House. The former Marine has championed economic development as a lawmaker, and should be reelected. He faces Republican Mayra Rodriguez of Grosse Pointe Farms, an attorney.

3rd District (Detroit): Former gubernatorial candidate Shri Thanedar, a businessman, moved to Detroit from Ann Arbor to run for this seat. He has energy and ideas, and this would be a good place for him to show what he can do politically. His Republican challenger, Anita Vinson, did not return our questionnaire. 

4th District (Detroit, Hamtramck): No incumbent is running in this district. The Democratic nominee is Abraham Aiyash, a political organizer and son of immigrants. He is better suited for this district than the Republican candidate, Howard Weathington. 

5th District (Detroit): Incumbent Rep. Cynthia Johnson, a Democrat, should be returned to the House for a second term. She's been a good advocate for her district. The Republican candidate is Harold Day, who did not return our questionnaire.

6th District (Detroit): Incumbent Democrat Rep. Tyrone Carter is running unopposed. 

7th District (Detroit): Our choice in this district, an open seat, is Democrat Helena Scott, a former legislative community liaison. Republican Ronald Cole did not return our questionnaire.

8th District (Detroit): Democrat Stephanie Young, who has worked for four Detroit mayors, gets the nod over Republican Miroslawa Teresa Gorak, who did not return our questionnaire. 

9th District (Detroit, Dearborn): Incumbent Rep. Karen Whitsett gets the endorsement for a second term. Whitsett has shown a healthy independent streak in a hyper-partisan Legislature. The Republican is James Stephens, who did not return our questionnaire. 

10th District (Detroit, Redford Township): Democrat Mary Cavanagh of Redford Township is our choice. She is deeply involved in vocational training, a key issue before the Legislature. Republican Cathy Alcorn did not return our questionnaire. 

11th District (Inkster, Garden City): Democratic incumbent Rep. Jewell Jones of Inkster faces a challenge from Republican James Townsend of Garden City. Jones was the youngest person ever elected to the Legislature when he won the seat in 2016 at age 21. He has been an engaged member who has delivered for his district. He's earned a third term. Townsend did not return our questionnaire. 

12th District (Taylor): Democratic Rep. Alex Garza is seeking a second term and should get it. Garza has been an advocate for improving mental health care in Michigan, as well as for regulatory reform. His Republican opponent, Michelle Bailey, did not return our questionnaire. 

13th District (Southgate, Allen Park): Democrat Tullio Liberati of Allen Park, a construction firm owner, is seeking the seat previously held by his brother. He would bring a small business viewpoint to the Legislature, which is often useful. The Republican challenger is Megan Frump of Southgate.

14th District (Lincoln Park, Wyandotte and vicinity): Democratic incumbent Rep. Cara Clemente, a teacher from Lincoln Park, is seeking a third term. She is opposed by Republican Darrell Stasik of Riverview, who has run for the seat seven times without success. Clemente, a member of the financial services committee, should be reelected. 

15th District (Dearborn, Detroit): Incumbent Democratic Rep. Abdullah Hammoud is seeking a second term. The graduate of Ross Business School at the University of Michigan has represented the district well and should be returned. The Republican challenger is Carla O'Neill of Dearborn. 

16th District (Westland, Wayne): Rep. Democratic incumbent Kevin Coleman is seeking a second term. Coleman is a former Westland City Council member who has earned a return to the House. His Republican opponent is Emily Bauman, a business coach from Westland.

17th District (Flat Rock, Rockwood, Monroe): Republican Rep. Joe Bellino Jr. is running for a second term and should get it. The former small businessman has championed sensible tax policy and road repairs. His Democratic opponent is Christopher Slat, a school technology specialist. 

19th District (Livonia): Incumbent Rep. Laurie Pohutsky was swept into office in this traditionally Republican district in 2018's Democratic wave. She is too liberal for the district, and should be replaced by Republican Martha Ptashnik, a math teacher and conservative who would focus on sound policies to help Michigan's economy recover from the pandemic. 

20th District (Plymouth): Just as in the 19th, the 20th District changed hands in 2018, moving from Republican to Democrat with the election of Matt Koleszar. Koleszar is likewise too liberal for his district. We prefer Republican John Lacny, a former Marine and supply chain specialist whose focus is bringing new jobs to Michigan.

21st District (Canton): Small business owner and former TV reporter Laurel Hess is the preferred choice for this open seat. She understands the difficulty businesses are facing during the pandemic and would be a strong advocate for the small business community. The Democrat contender is Ranjeev Puri, an MBA who works in the auto industry.

23rd District (Brownstown Twp., Trenton, Woodhaven, Grosse Ile and vicinity): Democratic incumbent Rep. Darrin Camilleri is seeking a third term and should get it. His experience will be valuable in a Legislature that will see a number of members term-limited this year. The Republican candidate is John Poe, a retired police officer from New Boston.

Endorsements are determined independently by The Detroit News Editorial Board and have no influence on news coverage.