ABOUT STATE REPRESENTATIVE
BETSY COFFIA

Betsy Coffia is a dedicated public servant with deep roots in northern Michigan. Betsy grew up in a working class family in rural Kalkaska County, and has spent nearly her entire life in northern Michigan including the last 20 years in Traverse City. She understands first hand the challenges of making a life here as well as the rewards, and she has a long history of community involvement. Her love for this region and desire to make it a place where all her neighbors can thrive, is a major motivation for her public service.

Betsy's career began at 19 as a newspaper reporter in northwest lower Michigan. During her six-year tenure as a weekly newspaper editor and reporter, she consistently won multiple Michigan Press Association awards annually. Seeking further education, Betsy worked three jobs to put herself through college, including several years as a Traverse City Area Public School classroom employee and special education assistant. She earned her associate's degree from Northwestern Michigan College and her Bachelor's in Social Work from Ferris State University.

With her BSW, Betsy served as a Head Start social worker, supporting dozens of working-class families and partnering with childcare centers across Leelanau, Benzie, and Grand Traverse Counties.

In 2018, Betsy made history by becoming the first Democratic woman in over 30 years to be elected to the Grand Traverse County Commission, flipping the seat of a multi-term Republican incumbent. She was re-elected to the County Commission in 2020. Building on this success, Betsy flipped the only State House seat out of 110 from a Republican incumbent in 2022, becoming the first Democrat ever to represent Grand Traverse County in the State House. She serves on five committees in the House, including as Majority Vice Chair of Families Children and Seniors, as well as on Agriculture, Higher Education, Economic Development and Small Business, and Health Policy committees. 

 

Betsy has had multiple of her bills signed into law including a ban on child marriage, a bill that expands state funding to tribal domestic and sexual violence shelters and programs which serve Native and non- Native survivors alike, and a bill that allows 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, setting them up for a lifetime of civic engagement.

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Throughout her political career, Betsy has established herself as a thoughtful bipartisan policymaker and a strong advocate for transparency and constituent services. She provides clear, level-headed leadership on critical community issues, championing science and public health, responsible public spending, and priorities such as balanced approaches to housing, mental health, broadband, and childcare.