SAUGATUCK, Mich. — The only Native American running for Congress in Michigan in this fall's midterm election, State Sen. Sean McCann, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's 4th Congressional District, says he has opposed Enbridge Line 5 since day one.
"In my role in Congress, I think [my position] is going to be much less favorable to Enbridge and its operations than you might see from the president of the United States or his allies in Congress," McCann said during a press gaggle on Tuesday immediately following a town hall at the Women's Club in Saugatuck, Mich.
Joining the town hall to lend support to McCann's campaign were Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI). Scholten, who is serving her second term in Congress, represents the neighboring 3rd Congressional District, which includes Grand Rapids and Muskegon.
McCann, a tribal citizen of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, is running to unseat seven-term Congressman Bill Huizenga. McCann has been a state senator since 2019, and his district includes Kalamazoo, Holland and Saugatuck.
McCann told the audience he welcomed the support of Raskin and Scholten at the town hall. Huizenga has not held an in-person town hall to face constituents since 2018. However, he did hold two virtual town halls on March 7 and 8, 2025.
The popular Democratic congressman from Maryland, Raskin, told the enthusiastic crowd that politics is like driving a vehicle.
"If you want to go forward, you put your car in D, and if you want to go in reverse, you put it in R. In politics, if you want to go forward, you vote D for Democrat, but if you want to go backward, you vote R for Republican," Raskin said.
Raskin said this election is about voting in favor of one of two political philosophies now facing the nation. The Democratic platform focuses on the common good for the common individual when it comes to healthcare access, environmental protections and fair trade. On the other hand, the Republican agenda deals with private enrichment and corruption.
During the question-and-answer period of the town hall, a resident of Holland, Mich., asked why a coal plant owned by Consumers Energy that was slated to be shut down is still in operation.
McCann said the J.H. Campbell plant in Port Sheldon, in northern Ottawa County, still operates because of the Trump administration, at the request of Rep. Huizenga.
"It's an old coal plant, and it pollutes, and it's expensive to operate, and it was planned to be shut down by the Michigan Public Service Commission and its owner and operator, Consumers Energy. The Trump Department of Energy came in soon after President Trump came back to office and issued a so-called emergency order at the request of the congressman, but also across plants in West Michigan or in the Midwest, to please keep this plant operating, forcing it basically to stay open under a so-called emergency order," McCann said.
The plant is expensive to operate. McCann said it costs $600,000 per day to operate and has cost $290 million since it was told to remain operating. The costs to operate have been passed on to Consumers Energy customers, according to McCann.
Scholten said she looks forward to having McCann in Congress to work on energy issues, such as working to shut down the J.H. Campbell plant.
"I cannot wait to have another voice in Congress to advocate for us to shut this down. You know, Donald Trump said himself he hates communism, and yet he is actually taking over private businesses and telling them how to run. It's unprecedented," Scholten said.
The three fielded questions about the threat to Social Security and making healthcare affordable.
McCann said that as he has traveled throughout the 4th Congressional District, he has heard that people are not happy about the huge increases in their health insurance premiums.
"I've heard stories as I've traveled around the congressional district of people seeing their premiums go up 200, 300 percent now. That's a huge cost on families," McCann said.
During a press gaggle in Saugatuck, Mich., after the rally, Michigan State Sen. Sean McCann told reporters about his position on Enbridge Line 5.
Native News Online: Talk about Enbridge Line 5. Why should it be shut down? What's your position on it?
McCann: As you know, Enbridge spilled oil in the Kalamazoo River, one of the largest inland oil spills in history. And so I've been opposed to the continual operation of Line 5 on the bed of the Straits of Mackinac. It's been struck by anchors and has not, fortunately, burst when that's happened. But it would be a huge ecological disaster if it happens. It's a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. So it has to be addressed.
And, you know, in my role in Congress, I think [my position] is going to be much less favorable to Enbridge and its operations than you might see from the president of the United States or his allies in Congress.
Native News Online: Congresswoman, what about you? What is your position on Line 5?
We need to consider how we are going to deliver energy sources. We absolutely need critical oversight to make sure that we're not doing anything to to harm our Great Lakes. I am on the Water Resources Subcommittee on the House Transportation and Infrastructure, and it's been a leading issue of mine, and will continue to be.
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