Jim Runestad

Jim Runestad

Republican Party

Michigan State Senate District 23

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

1

Predecessor

Curtis Hertel

Prior offices

Michigan House of Representatives District 44

Successor: Matt Maddock

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Michigan State Senate District 15

Successor: Jeff Irwin

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Compensation

Base salary

$71,685/year

Per diem

No per diem is paid. Legislators receive an expense allowance of $10,800/year for session and interim.

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Central Michigan University, 1984

Personal

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Jim Runestad (Republican Party) is a member of the Michigan State Senate, representing District 23. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.

Runestad (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Michigan State Senate to represent District 23. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Runestad is a former Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing District 44 from 2015 to 2019.

Biography

Jim Runestad lives in White Lake Township, Michigan. Runestad earned a B.S. in secondary education and teaching from Central Michigan University in 1984. His career experience includes owning and operating Runestad Financial Associates LLC. Runestad served on the Oakland County Commission and the North Oakland Board of Realtors Legislative Affairs and Grievance Committees.

Committee assignments

2023-2024

Runestad was assigned to the following committees:

• Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, Minority Vice Chair
• Health Policy Committee
• Joint Committee on Administrative Rules

2021-2022

Runestad was assigned to the following committees:

• Senate Appropriations Committee
• Education and Career Readiness Committee
• Families, Seniors, and Veterans Committee
• Finance Committee, Chair
• Judiciary and Public Safety Committee

2019-2020

Runestad was assigned to the following committees:

• Senate Appropriations Committee
• Education and Career Readiness Committee
• Finance Committee, Chair
• Families, Seniors, and Veterans Committee
• Judiciary and Public Safety Committee

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Michigan committee assignments, 2017
• Communications and Technology
• Insurance
• Judiciary, Chair
• Local Government

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Runestad served on the following committees:

Michigan committee assignments, 2015
• Families, Children, and Seniors, Majority Vice Chair
• Insurance
• Judiciary
• Local Government

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2022

See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Michigan State Senate District 23

Incumbent Jim Runestad defeated Una Hepburn in the general election for Michigan State Senate District 23 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Runestad (R)	59.4	78,175
		Una Hepburn (D)	40.6	53,474

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 131,649
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 23

Una Hepburn defeated Michael Wiese in the Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 23 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Una Hepburn	57.4	12,943
		Michael Wiese	42.6	9,602

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,545
= 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 23

Incumbent Jim Runestad advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 23 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Runestad	100.0	32,486

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,486
= 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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2018

See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Michigan State Senate District 15

Jim Runestad defeated Julia Pulver in the general election for Michigan State Senate District 15 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Runestad (R)	51.7	67,352
		Julia Pulver (D)	48.3	62,936

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 130,288 (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 State Senate District 15

Julia Pulver advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 15 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julia Pulver	100.0	29,400

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 29,400
= 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 State Senate District 15

Jim Runestad defeated Michael Saari in the Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 15 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Runestad	89.5	25,757
		Michael Saari	10.5	3,013

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,770
= 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

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 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 Jim Runestad defeated Mark Venie in the Michigan House of Representatives District 44 general election.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 44 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jim Runestad Incumbent	68.56%	33,731
	Democratic	Mark Venie	31.44%	15,470
Total Votes				49,201
Source: Michigan Secretary of State

Mark Venie ran unopposed in the Michigan House of Representatives District 44 Democratic primary.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 44 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Mark Venie  (unopposed)

Incumbent Jim Runestad ran unopposed in the Michigan House of Representatives District 44 Republican primary.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 44 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Jim Runestad Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Michigan House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 22, 2014. Mark Venie was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Jim Runestad defeated Liz Fessler Smith, Dennis Garlick and Russ Tierney in the Republican primary. Runestad defeated Venie in the general election.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 44 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jim Runestad	67.8%	21,838
	Democratic	Mark Venie	32.2%	10,362
Total Votes				32,200

Michigan House of Representatives, District 44 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jim Runestad	35.5%	3,804
Liz Fessler Smith	33.2%	3,559
Russ Tierney	23.6%	2,527
Dennis Garlick	7.7%	827
Total Votes		10,717

Endorsements

In 2014, Runestad's endorsements included the following:

• L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Executive
• The Detroit News
• Michigan Chamber of Commerce
• Right to Life of Michigan PAC
• Madison Project Michigan PAC
• Michigan Association of Realtors PAC
• The Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP)
• Michigan Farm Bureau AgriPac Committee
• National Rifle Association AQ
• Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners
• Small Business Association
• Michigan Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA)
• Michigan Township Association PAC
• The Republican Liberty Caucus
• Mike Kowall, 15th District Michigan State Senator
• Eileen Kowall, 44th District State Representative
• Kerry Bentivolio, 11th District U.S. Congressman
• David B. Robertson, 26th District Michigan State Senator
• Joseph Graves, 51st District State Representative
• Hugh Crawford, 38th District State Representative

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jim Runestad did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2014

Runestad's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

Taxes

• Excerpt: "No issue robs Michigander’s of their liberty more than taxes. Jim agrees with the Tea Party mantra that we’re “Taxed Enough Already”."

Jobs

• Excerpt: "After passing E-Verify at the County level, Runestad now wants to take the fight to Lansing and build a pro-jobs coalition to support and pass E-Verify legislation at the state level!"

Liberty

• Excerpt: "It’s more important than ever to remain vigilant about our constitutionally established liberties. Among these threatened are our 2nd Amendment rights and the rights of the unborn."

Immigration

• Excerpt: "To protect the tax-paying citizens of Michigan, we must ensure that those living and working here are here legally."

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Jim Runestad campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	Michigan State Senate District 23	Won general	$289,849	$0
2018	Michigan State Senate District 15	Won general	$722,770	N/A**
2016	Michigan House of Representatives, District 44	Won	$63,523	N/A**
2014	Michigan House of Representatives, District 44	Won	$63,315	N/A**
Grand total			$1,139,457	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Michigan

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Michigan scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].
In 2023, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 11 to November 14. Michigan AFL-CIO Advocates Legislators are scored on labor issues. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 12 to December 28. Clean Water Action & Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Michigan AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on labor issues. Michigan Chamber Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. MIRS: Senate and House Legislators are scored on a number of bills selected by the editor of MIRS, a state capitol newsletter. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 13 to December 31. Clean Water Action & Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Michigan AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on labor issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. MIRS: Senate and House Legislators are scored on a number of bills selected by the editor of MIRS, a state capitol newsletter. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 8 to December 31. Clean Water Action & Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Michigan AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on labor issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].

In 2019, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 9 through December 31. Clean Water Action & Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Michigan AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on labor issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].

In 2018, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 10 through December 31. Business Leaders for Michigan Legislators and candidates are scored on their economy policy views. Michigan Chamber of Commerce: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Michigan Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. MIRS: Senate and House Legislators are scored on a number of bills selected by the editor of MIRS, a state capitol newsletter. Right Michigan Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to conservative issues. National Federation of Independent Business in Michigan: 2017-2018 voting record Legislators are scored based on their votes on small business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].

In 2017, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 11 through December 31. Americans for Prosperity: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Michigan Chamber of Commerce: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Michigan Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. MIRS: Senate and House Legislators are scored on a number of bills selected by the editor of MIRS, a state capitol newsletter. Right Michigan Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to conservative issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 13 through December 31. Americans for Prosperity Michigan Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Michigan Chamber of Commerce: House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Michigan Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. MIRS: Senate and House Legislators are scored on a number of bills selected by the editor of MIRS, a state capitol newsletter. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].
In 2015, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 14 through December 17. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

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Michigan State Senate District 23

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Curtis Hertel (D)	Michigan State Senate District 23 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Michigan State Senate District 15 2019-2023	Succeeded by Jeff Irwin (D)
Preceded by -	Michigan House of Representatives District 44 2015-2019	Succeeded by Matt Maddock (R)

[show]

Current members of the Michigan State Senate

Senators

District 1

Erika Geiss (D)

District 2

Sylvia Santana (D)

District 3

Stephanie Chang (D)

District 4

Darrin Camilleri (D)

District 5

Dayna Polehanki (D)

District 6

Mary Cavanagh (D)

District 7

Jeremy Moss (D)

District 8

Mallory McMorrow (D)

District 9

Michael Webber (R)

District 10

Paul Wojno (D)

District 11

Veronica Klinefelt (D)

District 12

Kevin Hertel (D)

District 13

Rosemary Bayer (D)

District 14

Sue Shink (D)

District 15

Jeff Irwin (D)

District 16

Joseph Bellino (R)

District 17

Jonathan Lindsey (R)

District 18

Thomas Albert (R)

District 19

Sean McCann (D)

District 20

Aric Nesbitt (R)

District 21

Sarah Anthony (D)

District 22

Lana Theis (R)

District 23

Jim Runestad (R)

District 24

Ruth Johnson (R)

District 25

Dan Lauwers (R)

District 26

Kevin Daley (R)

District 27

John Cherry (D)

District 28

Sam Singh (D)

District 29

Winnie Brinks (D)

District 30

Mark Huizenga (R)

District 31

Roger Victory (R)

District 32

Jon Bumstead (R)

District 33

Rick Outman (R)

District 34

Roger Hauck (R)

District 35

Kristen Rivet (D)

District 36

Michele Hoitenga (R)

District 37

John Damoose (R)

District 38

Ed McBroom (R)

Democratic Party (20)

Republican Party (18)