By Ben Solis, Michigan Advance
Josh Cowen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University, is running for Congress.
The East Lasing resident, professor and author on Thursday announced his bid for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, which would pit him against incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte).
Cowen, in a campaign announcement, said he has dedicated his career to fighting against billionaires like Betys DeVos and stopping their teams of lobbyists from upending public education into a coupon system that hurts children.
“We don’t need DeVos and her billionaires pushing their harmful agenda that benefits a select few at the expense of the many,” Cowen said in a statement. “I am running for Congress because they’re taking the DeVos playbook and applying it to the entire economy. Billionaires get exactly what they want and we all pay the price.”
Cowen is also a union member and a nationally known advocate for public education. At MSU, he spent more than a decade training public school teachers, principals and other public policy leaders.
Last year, Cowen authored “The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers,” a deep dive into Christian Nationalist efforts to undermine public education through the school voucher movement.
Flexing his union muscles off the bat, Cowen on Thursday also announced that he has support from AFT Local 1855, the Lansing affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.
Cowen’s entrance into the congressional primary field brings the number of declared Democratic Party candidates for the 7th District to six, including former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam, as well as Alexandra Prieditis, Elyon Badger and Muhammed Salman Rais.
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