State senate candidate Andrew Carlos Wendt meets Delta Republicans
By Andrew Hornbacher
SAGINAW, Mich. – Andrew Carlos Wendt, a Republican candidate for Michigan’s 35th State Senate District, met with the Delta College Republicans on Nov. 19 at the Saginaw County Republican Party headquarters, where he spoke about his background, career and bid for office.
Wendt opened by sharing his personal story. “I was born in Managua, Nicaragua, and was adopted by a Polish German American family from a Catholic orphanage,” he said. “They brought me down to Wyandotte, Michigan.”
He later moved to Michigan’s Thumb region, graduating from Deckerville High School. “That’s where I learned how to be a hard worker,” Wendt said. “I worked on farms, baled hay and straw, picked up stones and rocks, threw them in the tractor and shoveled manure.”
He said his first entry point into politics came as senior class president, where he pushed his high school administration to adopt student-elected positions. The proposal passed “99–1,” a result he recalls as both motivating and eye-opening. “I learned how life is not fair,” Wendt said. “Elections are supposed to be free and open to everybody, and sometimes it’s not like that. I learned it really quick, especially in high school.”
Wendt later transferred to Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in instrumental music education and participated in the music program. In 1996, he moved to Saginaw and became the band director at Arthur Hill High School. “We ended up having a four-time state champion indoor drum line,” he said. “Everybody loves drums, right?”
He continued teaching, coaching and working in the community, but his interest in politics stayed with him. Wendt became active at the county level and eventually served as a delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention. From there, he was elected ethnic vice chair of the Michigan Republican Party, serving two terms. “Those are hard to do,” he said. “All the delegates from every county come together and vote for their party leaders.”
Wendt said the experience helped him support candidates across the state from the legislature to federal races, and eventually led him into municipal government. He served two terms on the Saginaw city council from 2005 to 2013, a period he described as transformational for the community. “We had to turn the city around completely,” he said.
Now seeking a seat in Lansing, Wendt was candid about the additional challenges he faces. “I guess I’ll state the obvious. I’m blind,” he said. “I’ve been blind for two years, and I’m learning to adjust every single day. I do really good things with it, and then sometimes I just bump myself into the wall. It is what it is. But I have a lot of good people to help me out, and a lot of services that make sure I’m able to function in this new world I can’t see.”
Wendt told us he believes he has a real chance to win the district. “People are wondering, like, what? You have no idea,” he said. “And we’re gonna keep it that way because we believe it’s a winning ticket to win this primary and then the Senate seat itself.”
Wendt handed out fliers, stickers and exchanged contact information with attendees before leaving. The Delta College Republicans allowed us to attend the event. We thank both Andrew Carlos Wendt and the Delta Republicans.