From the age of 18 to today, my life’s work has centered on building and strengthening the community around me.
My time in the military shaped that commitment in lasting ways. Service–especially during conflict–teaches you quickly that going it alone invites failure. Trusting the people beside you is what carries you through when things get hard. That lesson stayed with me. Ever since, I’ve found the greatest fulfillment in helping others grow, succeed, and achieve their goals, whether through projects I’ve supported or led. It’s not always an easy way to live, but it is always meaningful and rewarding.
Those years of community work, alongside raising two boys with my wife, Sarah, have been deeply fulfilling, but not without struggle. The 2009 housing crisis and the recession that followed hit the nonprofit sector hard, and I experienced a long stretch of unemployment and underemployment. Like many families, we faced moments of uncertainty–times when simply keeping the heat on, food on the table, and opportunities open for our kids felt fragile. There are few things more unsettling than lying awake at night trying to figure out how to make it to the next paycheck. Many of us know that feeling, and the deep responsibility that comes with wanting to provide stability and security for the people we love.
Like so many others, I’ve also spent much of my career working side jobs to make ends meet. I’ve been a line cook, a commercial cleaner, and, briefly, a tree trimmer. Those jobs helped make Christmas possible, covered school trips, and made unexpected car repairs a little less overwhelming. They’re a reminder that hard work takes many forms, and that dignity is found in all of it.
While I’ve always been politically aware and engaged, it was until the 2022 election, when Ottawa Impact gained a majority of the county commission, that I saw just how directly local government decisions can impact people’s lives. Watching essential services reduced made it clear how quickly communities can be affected. Despite the professional challenges that followed my involvement in the 2nd District recall and my election as the first Democrat to represent the district, I would make the same choice again without hesitation.
After the 2024 election, I saw similar stakes at the state level. I watched the Republican-led House push budget decisions that threatened critical funding, while a narrow majority in the Senate worked to protect resources for children, families, and communities. That experience made it clear to me that while local work matters deeply, many of the decisions shaping our daily lives are made in Lansing. If we want to create lasting, meaningful change for the people who call this region home, we have to be part of that conversation.
Throughout my career, my focus remained the same: making sure people have the tools and opportunities they need to define and achieve their own success. Whether that means owning a home, sending a child to college, gaining new skills, or starting a business, everyone deserves a fair path forward.
My campaign for State Senate is an extension of that work: continuing to build pathways, expand opportunities, and move our community forward, together.
Support Chris Kleinjans for Michigan Senate District 31
- Developed, from concept to launch, the Van Raalte Farm Civil War Muster
- Member-Board of Directors-Oasis Community of West Michigan
- Member-Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee of the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission
- Member Allegan County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority
- Ottawa County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
- Former Ottawa County Commissioner representing the 2nd District
- Former Member of the board of Community Mental Health of Ottawa County (CMHOC)
- Former Member of the Advisory Board of Ottawa Food
- Member of the American Legion and VFW