As a child, Mai Xiong stood in line at the grocery store, watching her mom, Der, carefully count out food stamps to pay for essentials like milk, eggs, and bread. On weekends, her family would visit the local food pantry, and picked out used clothes from a free church closet. Her father, Vang, a machine operator, earned $6 an hour, working tirelessly to support a family of eleven. Mai’s family did everything just to get by —fishing and hunting for food, growing their own vegetables in the summer, and only buying a new outfit once a year, in time for the first day of school.

Mai moved from Ohio to Michigan to attend college, earned her degree, and began working. When Mai became a mother, she knew raising a family would be hard, but was determined to give her children a better life. She started a small business out of her living room, then opened her clothing store. The pandemic hit hard, forcing her to shut down. Still, Mai didn’t give up—she sewed facemasks for seniors and healthcare workers, and delivered them with her kids by her side.

While Mai was a Macomb County commissioner, she helped other small businesses access public resources, fought to keep public transportation running, and ensured services for seniors and veterans were funded. While families were struggling to recover from the pandemic, and facing increasing inflation, Mai made sure our local food pantries had enough food for families. Mai was the only commissioner in her political party who refused to vote to increase salaries for herself, members of the Board, and other elected officials.

As your State Representative, Mai has introduced bi-partisan legislation to improve health care and help families get ahead. She voted to ensure that public school students continue to receive free breakfast and lunch, while going after big-box retailers to pay their fair share of property taxes. Mai knows firsthand how hard it is to stretch every dollar, and she’s going to continue to fight for you and your loved ones.