A husband, father, and small business owner, Matthew Bierlein is a conservative Republican. With experience in manufacturing, he first entered into a life of service to his community as a member of the Tuscola County Board of Commissioners for 6 years, serving as the Vice-Chair and co-Chair of the finance committee. While being a commissioner, he served as President of the Michigan Association of Counties and was on the board of directors of the National Association of County officers. He also worked for the State Senate as an in-district director, Matthew worked tirelessly meeting the needs of constituents. Service-driven and experienced, he currently serves as the State Representative for the 97th District, serving the people of Tuscola, Bay, Saginaw and Genesee Counties. Continuing in his passion for the region, he now seeks election for the people of the 26th Michigan Senate District, serving those in portions of Genesee, Lapeer, Saginaw and Tuscola Counties as he continues to fight for the future of generations to come. 

Service

Service has always been the driving aspect of my life. Growing up, I wanted to serve in the military. My great-grandfather served in World War II, my grandfather in Korea, my stepfather was in the Army before spending 32 years in law enforcement, and my two older brothers were in the Army and would eventually retire. It was what my family did, and what I wanted to do for as long as I could remember. In the spring of 2001 I enlisted in the Air Force but was denied during my physical because of a congenital heart defect. Later that year after the events of 9-11, I wanted even more to serve my country. I wrote letters to my congressman and senators begging them to help me serve, and one of them wrote an appeal on my behalf. I underwent numerous extra tests, saw specialists, and was given a clean bill of health and letter of recommendation by an outside physician only to still be rejected by the Military in the end. With my faith in God leading me to believe that He always has a purpose and knows the plans for us, it was this experience that drove me to find other ways to be a servant in my life.

Family

I have been married since 2010 to Dr. Mindy Bierlein, DPT, and we have three wonderful children, Matthew James (12), Madison (10), and Maddox (8). Our family enjoys spending time together outside in either our garden, the woods around our homestead, or with our animals. We have an ever-growing flock of chickens, our dog Blaze, as well as three goats. We moved from the City of Vassar to our current home in 2016 so we could keep animals and a garden as a way to teach our children the responsibility that comes from having a small farm and the value of hard work. Together, we also own and operate Renue Physical Therapy Frankenmuth and Bridgeport clinics, outpatient physical therapy facilities, serving all diagnoses for clients from infancy to the elderly, with my wife being the chief physical therapist. We are members of St. Lorenz Lutheran Church were I have served on the Commission for Christian Education and as a communion assistant, and Mindy sings with our praise team and teaches liturgical dance with the Girls of Grace Dance Ministry. 

Education and Experience

I am a graduate of Vassar High School, Delta College, and in 2013 Spring Arbor University with a Bachelor's of Science in Organizational Management. I have spent my working career in manufacturing environments as a machine operator, purchasing manager, engineering technician, and production manager. 

I was a Tuscola County Commissioner from 2013 to 2019 where I was the Vice-Chair of the board and co-Chair of the finance committee. I also served on the board of directors / executive committees for the Great Start Collaborative, Human Development Commission, Human Services Coordinating Council, Local Emergency Planning Committee / All Hazards, Recycling Advisory Committee, and GST Miworks. 

While a commissioner I served as President of the Michigan Association of Counties and was on the board of directors for the National Association of County officers. In addition to those leadership roles, I helped develop policy positions for both associations by serving on the Judiciary and Public Safety steering committee and Agriculture and Tourism steering committee for MAC and the Agriculture and Rural Development steering committee for NACo. Since 2019 I have served on the State Advisory Council for Michigan State University Extension and AgBioResearch, educating others on the vital on-going research necessary to agricultural development in our great State. I have also served on the McLaren Caro Region Foundation Board for the past three years, working to ensure quality healthcare is available in our rural areas.

For three years, I worked as an In-District Director for the State Senate. While early on I worked to hear the needs of community members, businesses, and service groups, the Covid-19 pandemic quickly changed to meeting the immediate needs of individual constituents as they struggled each day with unemployment, the Secretary of State, and closed schools. Being a small business owner with my wife, we witnessed firsthand the restrictions imposed by the Governor and her agencies. While we are fortunate to still be open, too many of our communities’ small businesses were forced to close their doors permanently as a result of these heavy handed policies. It is through these circumstances as well as wishing to make things best for my family and others, that I then made the decision to run for State Representative.

I am currently in my second term as State Representative for the 97th District, serving the people of Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, and Genesee Counties. I currently serve as Vice Chair of the House Oversight Committee as well as chair the House Oversight Subcommittee on Public Health and Food Security. I also serve on the House Oversight Subcommittee on Corporate Subsidies and State Investments, as well as the House Health Policy Committee. I have been a consistent leader on improving accountability and transparency within state government to improve Michigan’s poor standing in this area. I introduced a plan during the 2023-24 legislative term to provide individual taxpayers who filed a return in the previous taxable year with an annual single page revenue report via mail explaining how tax dollars were allocated, and have supported other proposals that make state government more efficient for the people it is serving.

Additional accomplishments are as follows:

Championing Government Transparency and Accountability

• Introduced the “Taxpayer Receipt Act” (HB 5633), which would send every individual taxpayer a single-page annual report showing how their tax dollars are used — making the state budget more transparent for citizens.

• Pushed to strengthen Michigan’s FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) laws by expanding transparency requirements to include the governor’s office and the legislature, so more government communications are open to the public.

• Spoken out strongly against proposed cuts to the Auditor General’s office, warning that reducing its role would undermine independent oversight.

  Protecting and Supporting the Workforce

• Worked on bipartisan legislation (HB 5118) to create a state-level Work Opportunity Tax Credit, modeled on the federal version, to incentivize employers to hire individuals who face barriers to employment (e.g., veterans, people with disabilities).

• Focused on making state government more efficient and reducing regulatory burdens that disproportionately impact small businesses, workers, and families.

  Youth, Agriculture, and Community Investment

• Co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to create a Michigan 4-H fundraising license plate, which helps raise funds for youth agricultural and outdoor education programs. That bill was signed into law.

  Advocating for Health Care Providers

• Introduced a House Resolution (HR 143) declaring October as Physical Therapy Month in Michigan, in honor of the vital role physical therapists play in improving quality of life as well as a bill to enter Michigan into the PT interstate compact.

• Introduced legislation that adds protections for health care providers by increasing penalties for assault.

• Introduced legislation that would bring Michigan's continuing education requirements into alignment with surrounding states.

  Addressing Emerging Technology Risks

• Sponsored legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in political campaigns, requiring transparency when campaign ads or media use AI-generated or manipulated content that was signed into law.

• Worked on bipartisan bills to ban non-consensual deepfake imagery, aiming to protect individuals from emotional and reputational harm that were signed into law.