Making Michigan Strong & Resilient; Securing our Agricultural Community

I’m Mark Yonkman. I was raised on a family farm in Wexford County, Michigan. After a career in law and banking, I returned to Michigan in 2018 when my parents passed away. While experiencing the difficulties of re-starting a farm, I became more and more involved in politics and the farming community, eventually joining our county's Farm Bureau Board of Directors and later becoming Chair of our Policy Development Committee.

 

Policy is my wheelhouse, and there is an enormous supply of good, practical ideas coming out of Rural Michigan. After being encouraged to run by both Republicans and Democrats, farmers and urban colleagues alike, I decided to run for State Senate in District 36. I come from a long line of farmers, beginning in the 1870s when my family came over from the Netherlands to homestead in Michigan. Farming has taught me the value of hard work, responsibility, and stewardship of the land and the people who depend on it.

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My experience serving as a Foster Home for the City of Detroit, and adopting two children, has given me insight into many of the issues facing our less fortunate.

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I know firsthand the challenges facing family farms, small businesses, and families across our district. Rural voices are overlooked in Lansing, and that needs to change. I’m running to make sure our communities have a strong, common-sense voice at the table.

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I’m committed to protecting Michigan’s agricultural heritage, strengthening local economies, and fighting for practical solutions that help farmers, small businesses, and families thrive. I believe in listening to voters, working across the political spectrum, and always putting the people of District 36 first.