Kim Cole
Republican | Michigan
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Kim Cole
Party
Republican
Election Year
2026
Election
Primary
Race
State Senator, Dist., 32
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Ludington High School, Ludington, High School Diploma, 1978-1982
West Shore Community College, Scottville, A.A. in Criminal Justice, 1982-1984
WORK & MILITARY
Mason County Sheriff's Office, Deputy, 1985-1994
Mason County Sheriff's Office, Sergeant, 1994-2012
Mason County Sheriff's Office, Elected Sheriff, 2012-2026
AFFILIATIONS
Michigan Association of Traffic Accident Investigators, President, 2011-2013
Appointed to Governor Snyder's Medical Marijuana Advisory Council, Board Member, 2017-2018
Rotary Club of Ludington, Member, 2013-2026
Michigan Sheriffs' Association Board of Directors, Board Member, 2018-2026
Michigan Sheriffs' Association Board of Directors, President, 2022-2023
Michigan Sheriff's Coordinating Training Council, Vice Chair, 2022-2026
National Sheriffs' Association Board of Directors, Board Member, 2023-2026
Michigan Sheriffs' Association Legislative Committee, Committee Member, 2021-2026
Lakeshore Children's Advocacy Center, Board Member, 2023-2026
Mason County Historical Society Board of Director's, Past Vice President-Current Board Member, 2016-2026
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Four Term Mason County Sheriff, 2013-2026
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Michigan State Senate-32nd District, 2026-2026
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (2)
*Citizens for Traditional Values
Right to Life of Michigan PLM-PAC
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (10)
Jon Bumstead
Curt Vanderwall
Over 70 American Sheriffs
10 County Commissions (Muskegon, Oceana, Mason and Manistee Counties
Michigan Fraternal Order of Police
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Taxpayer funds should not be given to abortion providers because many taxpayers, including myself, have deeply held moral and religious objections to abortions. Instead, we should be supporting life by directing funds toward prenatal care, maternal health, adoption support, and resources for families.
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
To protect the life of the mother.
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Every human life is deserving protection, including the unborn. As a sheriff, and 41-year law enforcement officer, I value all life.
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Strongly Agree
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Agree
I agree because laws should be enforced as written unless they are changed through the legislative process or overturned by the courts.
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Wages should be determined by the market, not by government mandates. I don't feel the government should dictating terms of employment or setting wages.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
When individuals and businesses have the freedom to invest, innovate, and build their for themselves, they create jobs and strengthen communities.
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
Make the state work smarter by eliminating duplicate departments and unnecessary overhead. Before the state asks the taxpayers for more, they should ensure every tax dollar is being used effectively. Increase accountability by cutting wasteful spending and being transparent to taxpayers. We, as taxpayers, should know where our money is going and whether it is delivering results. Eliminate fraud through the audit process.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
It means government shall not dictate or mandate a specific religion or prevent one from exercising their faith. All people, including elected officials, should be free to express their values, beliefs, and convictions.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Disagree
No business should be forced to violate their sincerely held moral or religious beliefs. However, civil rights protections against unlawful discrimination should be respected.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
C
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Strongly Disagree
Healthcare should remain among the most private information and should not be shared with anyone.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Agree
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Yes. Israel has always been among the United States closest allies in the Middle East and this helps protect America.
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
Sanctuary policies jeopardize public safety and undermine enforcement of the laws. I support legal immigration fully.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Agree
Parents and local school districts usually know what practices are best instead of a one size fits all approach from the federal government. I do support federal involvement in regard to assisting with disabilities, student financial aid and education funding.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.
Strongly Agree
Parents have the right and responsibility to raise their children and make decisions reporting their health, education and overall well-being. Parents know what is best for their children not the government.
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Agree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Agree
As a person of faith, I believe the biblical description of marriage.
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Disagree
I feel we need to be cautious about expansion of gambling and believe we must carefully consider long-term impacts on communities and families, not just simply looking at the revenue.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That He was born of the Virgin Mary and died on the cross for my sins. I also believe the only way to heaven in by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, by accepting Him as your Lord and Savior.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
You need an ID for nearly everything. Voting is no exception. Voting is among our nation's most important rights and must be safeguarded to ensure free and fair elections.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Government policy should treat all citizens equally under the law and not give benefits based primarily on race.
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
We have to have fairness in women's sports. By allowing biological males to participate in women sports has proven an unfair advantage. Biological males have no business in women's locker rooms, bathrooms or any other place where a woman's privacy and safety have been historically protected.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Disagree
We can protect our environment without a "one size fits all" government mandates. We can support responsible environmental polices while also protecting affordability, energy reliability, and economic growth.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
I do not believe we should have one but rather utilize the energy sources available.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Conservative
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?
I am a 41-year law enforcement officer and currently serve in my fourth term as a county sheriff. The primary goal of the criminal justice system should be to protect the public, uphold the rule of law, and deliver justice fair and consistent. Citizens deserve to be safe and live in safe communities. Likewise, our children should be able to attend school, safe from violence. Those who do harm to others need to be held accountable for their behavior.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
Protecting our children is a fundamental responsibility of the government. Again, as a career law enforcement officer, I feel we must ensure that our children are protected from on-line predators while protecting parental authority and preserving freedoms.
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Strongly Agree
The United States is governed by the United States Constitution. Laws are enacted through our democratic process, and no religious legal system should ever supersede that.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
The reality is, if a criminal wants to get a gun they will do so, usually through illegal means. I do support a minimum age to purchase and a means to keep mentally ill persons from purchasing firearms. I also believe that any citizen who can lawfully possess a firearm should be allowed to do so while not being unfairly burdened.
