Dylan Wegela

Political Party: Democratic

District: Michigan House District 26

City of Residence: Garden City

Dylan Wegela was born on January 27, 1993, in Michigan, into a working-class family with deep roots in the automotive industry. Both of his grandparents worked in the automotive sector and were members of the United Auto Workers . He is married to Anna Wegela.

Wegela is currently serving his second term representing Michigan's 26th House District, which encompasses Garden City, Inkster, and parts of Romulus and Westland, serving approximately 91,723 constituents.

Education

Wegela graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in secondary education.

Political Experience

Wegela has dedicated his career to education and labor activism:

Teaching Career: He has spent approximately 7.5 years as a public school teacher, including roles as a middle school teacher in Phoenix, Arizona and a 9th grade teacher with Dearborn Public Schools in Michigan . While in South Korea, he traveled 4 hours by bus each way to tutor North Korean refugees in English.

Labor Activism: Before his election to the Michigan House, Wegela served as a union president for two years while teaching full-time, during which he negotiated record contracts for teachers. He was a lead organizer in Arizona's 2018 teacher strike, one of the largest in U.S. history, which resulted in a $400 million investment in Arizona's public schools. He also co-founded Arizona Educators United and helped organize the "Invest in Education" ballot initiative.

Political Engagement: Wegela was a grassroots organizer for Bernie Sanders in Arizona in 2016 and is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Legislative Priorities: His focus areas include education, increasing minimum wage, healthcare, Medicare for All, seniors' issues, environmental protection, gun reform, labor union protection, universal preschool, criminal justice reform, Michigan's tax structure, LGBTQ+ civil rights, and infrastructure.

Committee Positions: Wegela serves on the House Education, Elections, Ethics and Oversight, Labor, and Military, Veterans, and Homeland Security committees. He holds the position of Minority Vice Chair of the Committee on Oversight.