ABOUT MICHELLE GRAETZ

I have been a resident of Izard County since 2007. My husband Eric and I have been married years. We have 2 daughters, Leah and Lindsay.

My professional background is as a business entrepreneur. An entrepreneurial mindset is resilient, resourceful, and solutions-oriented — even when the conditions say otherwise. I am a knowledge-seeker who is curious and creative.

Determination, focus, drive, decisiveness, independence, flexibility, and thirst of knowledge are mindsets I live by.

My husband and I owned a Firearms Manufacturing business called Lakeside Machine. We used to manufacture working ½ scale Belt-Fed rimfire replicas of the Browning Machine Guns (Models 1919A4, 1917A1, M2HB and M2 water-cooled). We developed other legacy Belt-Fed rimfire Firearms Models and Accessories (Vindicator BF1 Rifle, LM7 Belt-Fed upper, Razorback Belt-Fed upper, etc.) Our products were sold nationally and internationally. Examples of our product line can still be found on YouTube.

We retired from manufacturing in 2013. We started to invest in cattle and hay production. Having all this time in my hands opened the doors for me to explore other career opportunities and business endeavors. In 2014 I started a very successful Etsy Shop where I sell the Vintage and Antique collectibles I acquire by attending auctions & estate sales.

In 2015 I started to study and practice on how to become a State Licensed Auctioneer. By August of the same year, I was ready to take my written and oral auctioneer’s test. I was issued my Auctioneer’s license in September.

My experience as an entrepreneur has awarded me the skills of perseverance, commitment, and determination needed to dwell in the realm of politics. Being a business owner shapes our character due to the many tough decisions often made which can be detrimental to the success or failure of your entity.

I became a Naturalized Citizen in 2013 and was able to cast my first Presidential Election vote in 2016.

My husband and I currently own L&L Graetz Farms, where we raise black angus cattle. I am still running my Etsy shop and currently work as the bookkeeper of the City of Horseshoe Bend.

My husband and I have managed our companies with great success, and now I am able to spend time doing the things that matter to for the benefit of our community, our State, and our Nation. I am a firm believer that true change starts locally. Educating the voters, getting people motivated to exercise their right to vote is critical to accomplish any amount change.

I am not just a Conservative by name. To me, being a Conservative is a way of life. You must feel it, you must show it, you must live it; and most importantly, WE must speak it.