Grosse Ile — I’m getting breakfast with Rylee Linting, the young Republican candidate vying for a seat representing Michigan’s 27th District in the State House. We’re at Kathy’s Cafe, where Rylee has been coming since she was a kid. She stops to greet the hostess before joining me in the booth, chatting with the familiarity and warmth of an old friend.
Though only 22 years old, Rylee isn’t new to Michigan politics. After facing an oppressively woke academic culture at Grand Valley State University, she changed her course of studies from business to politics. She quickly became involved with conservative groups on campus and helped staff campaigns for conservatives throughout the state, such as Tudor Dixon, John James, and Andrew Fink. Later, she was elected to the Michigan Republican Party Youth Chair, traveling throughout the state and encouraging voters to get involved in local politics. She serves now as the Motor City Field Representative for Turning Point Action.
The first thing you’ll notice about Rylee are her eyes. Zoomers are notorious for their poor eye contact and general lack of congeniality. Not so, Miss Linting.
The one flaw I notice: She drinks decaf. But that can be forgiven by her clear display of energy. Born in Wyandotte and raised in Grosse Ile, Rylee is a “Downriver girl.” She recalls her middle school days, riding bikes with her friends to the Kroger across the parking lot and to this very cafe.
Her time on the west side of the state helped to cultivate her passion for politics. The main draw to Grand Valley was its proximity to so much of our great state’s beauty. However, she quickly came to appreciate how involved the west side is in their local elections. Rylee wants to bring that same fervor for local politics to the Downriver area.
Over a plate of hash browns, she tells me some of her family history. Her parents initially struggled to make ends meet, even living with her grandparents for a time. But they were committed to raising their young family on a single income—which allowed for her mother to stay home and raise children with strong convictions and family values.
Nowadays, raising a family on a single income seems impossible. Even before starting families, many of her childhood friends moved away after school in order to find work. According to Rylee, “Family is the basis of any community, and we have to find a way to create the economic conditions that help people build strong families while they’re young.” To her, this means lowering taxes and decreasing government regulation in order to keep more money in the people’s pockets, increasing their options.
The decline in quality education and the increase of progressive ideology—most concerningly, gender ideology—has forced her family to make hard decisions. While Rylee and her brother both went to public schools, her parents now send their youngest to a private school. They’re grateful that they can afford it, but even a few years ago, that wouldn’t have been possible. And there are many in the community who can’t do the same. Rylee doesn’t believe that families should have to make those decisions. Schools must be kept safe from indoctrination.
“A positive politics, one concerned with making family life easier and keeping the Downriver community together.” That is her goal.
After breakfast, Rylee invites me to come door knocking with her. Walking through a neighborhood in Gibraltar, she tells me about some of the challenges she’s faced in this race. Her family is proud of her and believe in her mission to make Downriver a better place for families, yet they worry about her becoming a public figure. Already, she has received hate mail and some groups, such as “Beware Michigan,” have smeared her, calling her a neo-nazi for her affiliation with Turning Point. If she were a Democrat, she’d be a girl boss, but instead, she’s baby Hitler.
When we meet an older gentleman outside his garage, Rylee’s charm is palpable. She easily and joyfully converses with the man, addressing his concerns—chief among them being the safety of his granddaughters in the public schools. He worries about what could happen should girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms become open to male students.
If nobody is home, Rylee leaves a handwritten note on some of her campaign materials, inviting the residents to contact her with their concerns for the community. It’s a human touch.
Her youth is likely a cause for alarm among Michigan Democrats. Currently, all three of Michigan’s Gen Z state representatives are Democrats, according to Future Caucus.
They’re scared because Rylee’s youth is representative of a Gen Z protest of progressive hegemony among young people. Her campaign has dealt both an aesthetic and ideological blow to the Democrats, showing that Republicans aren’t only greedy old men, but beautiful and intelligent young women willing to fight for their families and communities.
Caleb Wallace Holm is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer. Follow him on X @calebwholm and Instagram @calebwallaceholm.
