John Anthony La Pietra
John Anthony La Pietra (Green Party) is running for election for an at-large seat of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024. He advanced from the Green Party convention on July 27, 2024.
Pietra completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
La Pietra completed his law degree in 2008. He served as an election monitor for the party in the 2012 city commission elections in Benton Harbor.[1]
Bildung
- B.A., planning and public administration, Macalester College
- J.D., Western Michigan University Cooley Law School[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Michigan State Board of Regents election, 2024
General election
The general election will occur on November 5, 2024.
General election for Michigan State University Board of Trustees (2 seats)
The following candidates are running in the general election for Michigan State University Board of Trustees on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Rebecca Bahar-Cook (D) | |
 | Thomas Stallworth III (D) | |
 | Mike Balow (R) | |
| Julie Maday (R) | |
 | John Anthony La Pietra (G)  | |
| Grant Baker (L) | |
| Janet Sanger (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | |
| John Sanger (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees (2 seats)
Rebecca Bahar-Cook and Thomas Stallworth III advanced from the Democratic convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees on August 24, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Rebecca Bahar-Cook (D) |
| ✔ | | Thomas Stallworth III (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees (2 seats)
Mike Balow and Julie Maday advanced from the Republican convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees on August 24, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Balow (R) |
| ✔ | | Julie Maday (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Green convention
Green convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees (2 seats)
John Anthony La Pietra advanced from the Green convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees on July 27, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | John Anthony La Pietra (G) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees (2 seats)
Grant Baker advanced from the Libertarian convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees on July 20, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Grant Baker (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
U.S. Taxpayers Party convention
U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees (2 seats)
Janet Sanger and John Sanger advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Michigan State University Board of Trustees on July 27, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Janet Sanger (U.S. Taxpayers Party) |
| ✔ | | John Sanger (U.S. Taxpayers Party) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2020
See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Incumbent Matt Hall defeated Luke Howell, Rafael Wolf, John Anthony La Pietra, and Ron Hawkins in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Matt Hall (R) | 60.6 | 31,379 |
 | Luke Howell (D) | 36.0 | 18,613 | |
 | Rafael Wolf (L) | 2.1 | 1,093 | |
| John Anthony La Pietra (G) | 1.3 | 660 | |
 | Ron Hawkins (D) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 6 | |
| Total votes: 51,751 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Luke Howell defeated Ron Hawkins in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Luke Howell | 50.5 | 3,744 |
| Ron Hawkins | 49.5 | 3,671 | |
| Total votes: 7,415 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jennifer Aniano (D)
- Anthony Bates (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Incumbent Matt Hall advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Hall | 100.0 | 11,912 |
| Total votes: 11,912 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Green convention
Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
John Anthony La Pietra advanced from the Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on June 20, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | John Anthony La Pietra (G) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Rafael Wolf advanced from the Libertarian convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on July 18, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Rafael Wolf (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Matt Hall defeated Jennifer Aniano, Ron Hawkins, and John Anthony La Pietra in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Hall (R) | 56.6 | 22,711 |
| Jennifer Aniano (D) | 39.4 | 15,809 | |
| Ron Hawkins (L) | 2.6 | 1,059 | |
| John Anthony La Pietra (G) | 1.4 | 557 | |
| Total votes: 40,136 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Jennifer Aniano advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer Aniano | 100.0 | 6,864 |
| Total votes: 6,864 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Matt Hall defeated incumbent David Maturen and Paul Foust in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Hall | 57.4 | 6,608 |
 | David Maturen | 37.0 | 4,256 | |
| Paul Foust | 5.7 | 651 | |
| Total votes: 11,515 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63
Ron Hawkins advanced from the Libertarian primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 63 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ron Hawkins | 100.0 | 80 |
| Total votes: 80 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Michigan House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 19, 2016.
Incumbent David Maturen defeated Lynn Shiflea and John Anthony La Pietra in the Michigan House of Representatives District 63 general election.[2]
| Michigan House of Representatives, District 63 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  David Maturen Incumbent |
60.88% | 26,878 | |
| Democratic | Lynn Shiflea | 33.41% | 14,749 | |
| Green | John Anthony La Pietra | 5.71% | 2,523 | |
| Total Votes | 44,150 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State | ||||
Lynn Shiflea ran unopposed in the Michigan House of Representatives District 63 Democratic primary.[3][4]
| Michigan House of Representatives, District 63 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Lynn Shiflea (unopposed) | |
Incumbent David Maturen ran unopposed in the Michigan House of Representatives District 63 Republican primary.[3][4]
| Michigan House of Representatives, District 63 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | David Maturen Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
- See also: Michigan attorney general election, 2014
La Pietra ran for election to the office of Michigan Attorney General in 2014.[5]The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
Results
| Attorney General of Michigan, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Bill Schuette Incumbent |
52.1% | 1,603,471 | |
| Democratic | Mark Totten | 44.2% | 1,359,839 | |
| Libertarian | Justin Altman | 1.9% | 57,345 | |
| U.S. Taxpayers | Gerald T. Van Sickle | 1% | 30,762 | |
| Green | John Anthony La Pietra | 0.8% | 25,747 | |
| Total Votes | 3,077,164 | |||
| Election results via Michigan Department of State | ||||
2012
La Pietra ran for Calhoun County Clerk and Register of Deeds on November 6, 2012. He lost to Republican candidate Anne Norlander.
| Calhoun County Clerk and Register of Deeds, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Anne Norlander |
80% | 36,127 | |
| Green | John Anthony La Pietra | 20% | 9,015 | |
| Total Votes | 45,142 | |||
| Election results via Calhoun County Clerk and Register of Deeds | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Anthony La Pietra completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pietra's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
I’m 66, married and the father of two daughters. I’ve lived in Marshall the past 25 years in a row, and 10 more off and on before that. I was born and mostly raised in the Chicago area, but have also lived in Ohio, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, and Japan.
I’ve been interested in politics since I wrote the White House to ask Lyndon Johnson to support a movement to make the redwood the national tree. In 2000, I joined the petitioning campaign to get the Green Party on the ballot in Michigan, and I’ve been an active Green ever since. (If my uncommon name seems familiar, you might have seen me on the ballot before. I ran for Secretary of State in 2010 and Attorney General in 2014, among other campaigns.)
My other interests include reading, writing, music, and theatre. I’ve played John Adams in “1776”, and Koko and Pooh-Bah in separate productions of “The Mikado”, among other roles in community theatre. And I produced and directed a performance of Norman Corwin’s radio play “The Plot to Overthrow Christmas”, which raised a little money for the American Red Cross.
Another of my interests, manga/anime, led to my family life today. I met my wife on an online bulletin board discussing our mutual favorite artist/author, Rumiko Takahashi. (We started writing an alternative history of one of Takahashi’s series, “Maison Ikkoku”, but that project’s on hold now that we have our own adventure.)
I hope my answers here help you decide to vote in this race. (Maybe even for me.)
- An expert called MSU the US’s worst-governed major public university last fall. With all the fat cats and inside connections determining who gets into seats of power, maybe it’s time the MSU Board had at least one member who’s there for the people of Michigan – a trustee the people can trust. Within the MSU community, I will serve students first, with MSU workers and MSU families close behind. I’ve been a lawyer (my fourth career) for 15 years now, with some focus on public and administrative law. Before that, I worked a decade each in government, civic-justice NGOs, and private business, with some accounting experience too. I’ll be a guardian of the people’s money and the people’s interests, not a protector of big-money influence.
- I believe a public university should be a beacon of transparency. But I know how dim a lighthouse Michigan is: the Center for Public Integrity has flunked us twice, and in 2015 ranked us the least transparent of all 50 states. I’ve worked on FOIA and Open Meetings issues as a concerned citizen since before I got my law degree. I will push to open up MSU’s meetings, reports, discussion – to make more information more public and more available. And I oppose MSU’s mishandling and punishment of protests against apartheid in Palestine and genocide in Gaza, just as I support free-speech protests against historical oppression of other groups.
- I value MSU’s history as this state’s first land-grant college – the model for the first national law creating such colleges across the country, the Morrill Act of 1862. Yes, even during the Civil War, this country moved forward on establishing universities to serve the people. I aim to re-dedicate MSU to that movement – in its academic programs and presence, and in its outreach to people outside of formal schooling with the MSU Extension Service. I want that service to extend farther, and help people prepare better for our world’s changing realities of environment, energy, and personal economy.
My core political beliefs align closely with the Four Pillars of the Green Party – Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Non-Violence, and Social Justice – and the six other principles in our Ten Key Values: Community-Based Economics, Decentralization, Feminism, Future Focus/Sustainability, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Respect for Diversity.
I am passionate about all these Green values, and feel confident that they all will be relevant to my serving the people on the Board of Trustees. But I expect that Grassroots Democracy and Social Justice will likely be the ones most often involved.
The most important characteristic for an elected official is dedication to true and principled service of the people who elect us.
The core responsibility of this office is that of serving the people of Michigan and the people in the several constituencies of the MSU community.
One summer during my high-school years, I was a dishwasher/busboy for a local restaurant . . . well, about half the summer, actually. One day, I fell off my bicycle riding home from work. As I tried to swing my back leg over the frame, I got my foot caught in the basket in the back – and wrenched my knee.
I was very lucky not to have lost some joint function permanently – my arthroscopic surgeon turned out to be an early sports-medicine expert. He found out my cartilage wasn’t torn, just popped out of place and pinched between two bones; once it was back in place (and I went through some rehab), it was as good as new.
Maybe the Discworld holiday novel “Hogfather”, for writing like this enlightening passage where the Death of Discworld speaks (IN ALL CAPITALS) with his adoptive grand-daughter Susan.
“. . . You're saying humans need . . . *fantasies* to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little –"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE *LITTLE* LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN *SHOW* ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET – Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME . . . SOME *RIGHTNESS* IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the *point* –"
MY POINT EXACTLY.
She tried to assemble her thoughts.
THERE IS A PLACE WHERE TWO GALAXIES HAVE BEEN COLLIDING FOR A MILLION YEARS, said Death, apropos of nothing. DON'T TRY TO TELL *ME* THAT'S RIGHT.
"Yes, but people don't think about that," said Susan. Somewhere there was a bed . . .
CORRECT. STARS EXPLODE, WORLDS COLLIDE, THERE'S HARDLY ANYWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE WHERE HUMANS CAN LIVE WITHOUT BEING FROZEN OR FRIED, AND YET YOU BELIEVE THAT A . . . A BED IS A NORMAL THING. IT IS THE MOST AMAZING TALENT.
"Talent?”
OH, YES. A VERY SPECIAL KIND OF STUPIDITY. YOU THINK THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS INSIDE YOUR HEADS.
"You make us sound mad," said Susan. A nice warm bed . . .
NO. YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY *BECOME*?
Public speaking. Not so much because I’m shy – though I am, somewhat – it’s more because my mouth can’t always keep up with how fast my mind wants to go.
A responsibility that may not be unknown – but is perhaps less often considered than it should be – is the responsibility of MSU to operate its Extension Service and respond to the needs of the people across the state. The scope of its operations must be broad, and constantly broadening as we move on into the future.
Beneficial, but not necessarily required. Rather, I would say what’s needed most are the skills required for government or politics – the ability to work with others, and the ability to express and defend opinions even if it puts you in conflict with others – AND some experience of knowing how you can use them successfully.
There are many types of jokes, and good ones in most categories. For example, my favorite lightbulb joke is from a "Prairie Home Companion" joke show:
“How many dull people does it take to screw in a lightbulb?” “One. . . .”
My favorite joke in song lyrics is the peak pun from the middle of “The Ballad of Harry Lewis” by Allan Sherman. To let you know the song being parodied, I’ll give you the words into the second verse.
I'm singing you the ballad
Of a great man of the cloth –
His name was Harry Lewis,
And he worked for Irving Roth.
He died while cutting velvet
On a hot July the 4th –
But his cloth goes shining on!
Glory, glory, Harry Lewis –
Glory, glory, Harry Lewis –
Glory, glory, Harry Lewis –
His cloth goes shining on! (Goes shining on! . . .)
Oh, Harry Lewis perished
In the service of his Lord –
He was trampling through the warehouse
Where the drapes of Roth are stored. . . .
The story is told that a reporter asked Mahatma Gandhi what he thought of Western civilization. Gandhi’s answer: “I think it would be a good idea.”
Michigan government in general, and MSU in particular, need a lot more of both transparency and accountability.
The Michigan Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down “adopt and amend” tactics is a good step forward for protecting the people’s right to initiate laws when the Legislature won’t. After all, the first section of the state’s Constitution says plainly: “All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal benefit, security and protection.”
I would also conform state statute with the venerable opinion from “Eternal General” Frank Kelley that keeping signatures on initiative and referendum petitions valid for years is in better keeping with the principle that these measures reflect the power that is reserved to the people. I would also look again (as I did back in 2010 when I was running for Secretary of State) into how we might devise a fair system or process for allowing the reconsideration of signatures that voters did make but later decide they want to cancel – or signatures voters say they didn’t put on a petition but circulators claim they did.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2020
John Anthony La Pietra did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
In a biographical submission to Ballotpedia, La Pietra detailed the following campaign themes:
| " |
The Four Pillars of GPMI:
Ten Key Values:
|
” |
| —John Anthony La Pietra[7] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Green Party of the United States, "John Anthony La Pietra," accessed September 22, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 official general election results," accessed May 2, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Candidate Listing," accessed April 22, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Election Results," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Department of State, "2014 Official Michigan General Candidate Listing," accessed October 27, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Information submitted through Ballotpedia's biographical submission form on October 15, 2016
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