I was a Republican Congressman. Curtis Hertel is the bipartisan leader Mid-Michigan deserves.

In November, voters in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District will once again elect someone new to represent them in Washington.

When I represented the 7th District in Congress, one thing became clear to me: It’s not the loudest voices in the room who get things done. I had a front-row seat to those things that make someone an effective legislator, and what doesn’t. Effective legislators are willing to work with anyone to accomplish the right result. Sometimes that meant working with my Republican colleagues, and other times that meant working with folks on the other side of the aisle.

And when I think about who I want in Congress, it’s not party affiliation I consider first. I want a representative who has demonstrated the ability to deliver results that improve our lives.

That is why I am supporting Curtis Hertel.

In the Legislature, Curtis helped pass the largest middle class tax cut in the history of the state, and he cut taxes for hundreds of thousands of Michigan seniors. He reduced the high cost of prescription drugs and helped bring more than 5,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs back to Mid-Michigan. He worked with the governor to pass common sense gun safety legislation in the wake of the Michigan State shooting. He fought for our first responders by improving health coverage for firefighters who can develop cancer because of on-the-job exposure to dangerous toxins and substances.

And these accomplishments don’t just happen by accident. Curtis’ work has been rooted in bipartisanship. He knows how to find common ground and points of agreement that serve as launching pads to advance policy.

On the other hand, his opponent, Tom Barrett, voted to raise the gas tax and protect pharmaceutical companies when they hurt Michiganders. I worry that he would fan the flames of partisanship that have paralyzed Washington. We don’t want to elect another member to join the already far-too-large do-nothing caucus in Congress.

Curtis will offer an antidote to that partisanship. He’s delivered big wins for us already by finding common ground. He’s unafraid to work across the aisle, and he’s already shown that he is willing to stand up to leaders in his own party on issues such as securing the border and cracking down on China. I believe Curtis will be an effective advocate for our communities in Congress, and I hope you support him in November.

Joe Schwarz

(The writer was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Michigan’s old 7th Congressional District in Congress from 2005 to 2007. He is a physician in Battle Creek.)