Democrat Robert Wozniak, a candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives 52nd District seat, has announced the launch of his campaign, vowing to focus on rebuilding Michigan's economy.

A political moderate with ideas that might appeal to Republicans as much as Democrats, he pledges to work across party lines to reform and overhaul the Michigan tax system and create a more business-friendly entrepreneurial environment.

Robert Wozniak

"The business climate here in Michigan is terrible," he said. "And being a businessman and experiencing it, and being a product of the Michigan recession, the facts are that things need to be handled differently. My initiatives are pro-business, no doubt about it."

Wozniak said he also wants to extend or repeal term limits for state lawmakers, develop and execute transparent and strategic budgets, and intensify consolidation and service sharing in local government and schools. He said he also would work diligently on environmental issues that affect the Great Lakes and on transforming the state's education operations and funding.

A native of Hamtramck, Wozniak is the son of Chester Wozniak, who served in the state Legislature through the 1950s and early 1960s.

Now residing Manchester, Robert Wozniak is married with two children who attend Manchester Community Schools. He owns River Raisin Village Properties and is in the process of planning to open a dollar store in Manchester with his wife.

Wozniak said his job creation skills started several years ago when he was an elected councilman for the city of Hamtramck from 1996 to 2000. Among the accomplishments he lists are supporting tax abatements that helped establish a development zone for American Axle & Manufacturing and Kowalski Sausage.

He acknowledges Hamtramck went bankrupt in 2000, but says it was because of poor choices he didn't support.

"I warned them of the possibility that's where we were headed," he said. "I warned them that we needed to make cuts and privatize, and of course nobody listened."

Wozniak said he came to Washtenaw County in 2000 and ran two UPS stores in Ann Arbor and Saline until getting out of the business a few years ago. He now works as a corporate governance consultant for Avro Canadianna, an Edmonton-based builder of cargo airships that is in the process of locating in Washtenaw County.

He said working with the Michigan Economic Development Corp., he was able to negotiate $37.8 million in tax credits for Avro to move here with the promise of bringing 200 immediate skilled jobs and potentially 1,700 over five years. He said the company now has an office in Saline, but he is negotiating to locate the manufacturing business at Willow Run Airport.

"I have business experience, no doubt about it," Wozniak said. "I'm a deal maker and, quite frankly, in the state of Michigan, we don't need obstruction. We need people who can create and make deals. That's how it works in Lansing. You have to be able to work with the people on the other side of the fence. I'm going to be able to compromise."

Wozniak, who also has served in the U.S. Navy, said he spent two years at Macomb Community College taking mostly business courses before deciding to start his career without a finishing his degree.

He is seeking the seat being vacated by state Rep. Pam Byrnes, who is term-limited and is running for the state Senate. Wozniak faces off against Jeffrey Lee and Christine Green in the Democratic primary on Aug. 3.

The winner of the Democratic primary faces Republican Mark Ouimet, a Washtenaw County commissioner, in the November general election.

For more information, e-mail Wozniak at info@robertwozniak.com.

Click here for a map showing state House districts.

Click here for a list of candidates running for office in Washtenaw County.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.