Luke's Priorities:

Public service was instilled in me at an early age. My paternal grandparents were both educators. My mother is a retired teacher from White Pigeon Schools. My mother-in-law is a retired teacher from South Bend. My father dedicated 30 years to the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office—including 20 years as Sheriff—before going on to serve as State Representative in the former 59th District. My father-in-law served for two decades on the South Bend Common Council.

 Each of these family members shaped my understanding of what it means to serve the public with fairness, integrity, and respect. Their examples taught me that public office is not about position or power, but about responsibility. 

 I first caught the public service bug while working in Lansing during college. There, I saw firsthand how lawmakers treated one another—and, at times, how they treated the people they were elected to represent. Not all of those lessons were positive, but they were instructive. I carried those observations with me throughout the past two and a half decades of my own public service, using them as a guide for how I believe elected officials should conduct themselves. 

As I approached retirement in recent years, I have spent time speaking with residents about local politics. One message has come through clearly and consistently: many people in the 36th House District feel underserved—and too often, unserved. That is not an acceptable return on the public’s investment, and it is something I am committed to changing.

The priorities I have outlined reflect areas where I have experience and familiarity. That said, the office I seek exists to serve the people—not a personal agenda. If elected, I will always place the will and interests of my constituents ahead of my own.

I grew up here. I live here. I work here. I play here. I want nothing but the best for our residents. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get back to work—for you.

While in college, I was an intern for two state reps and worked for the Senate Fiscal Agency.  I moved home and served over 2 decades as a corrections officer at the sheriff's office in Centreville before being appointed the district court magistrate for St Joseph County.