Weather has been Karl Bohnak’s passion since his youth. To this day he is captivated by interesting, extreme weather.  He also loved informing people about it.  His love of snow drew him north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nearly 40 years ago where he became chief meteorologist at WLUC-TV6 in Marquette.

But Karl is more than just a meteorologist.  He is also an author and historian. His award-winning book, “So Cold a Sky” was released in 2006. His next effort, “Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Almanac” was co-written with Ron Jolly. His latest book, “Sunburns to Snowstorms, Upper Michigan Weather in Pictures and Stories” is a collaboration with photo historian Jack Deo.

The Upper Peninsula and the people who live here have become another passion of his.

So when he stepped down at TV6, it’s only natural that his love for informing people and his commitment to the Upper Peninsula and the people who live here would collide with his love for history and his pursuit to fight for our way of life.

Karl explains it best:

I had a dream as a kid to be a meteorologist—a  weatherman.  That dream came true, and to top it off, I got to broadcast weather in one of the most beautiful and challenging spots in the United States.

I love the Upper Peninsula, it’s people, its forests and lakes.  And most of all, it’s history.  The feats of the early pioneers are the stuff of legends.

For instance, in November 1856, Peter White was elected the Upper Peninsula’s state representative.  In the winter of 1857, he headed south to Lansing.

He traveled the first leg from Marquette to Escanaba on snowshoes.  He then took a stagecoach to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

From there he then walked south, through the rest of Wisconsin, into Illinois and around the south end of Lake Michigan and then northeast to the State Capitol.  He completed the 15-day journey in what was considered the harshest winter of the early pioneer period.  When Peter White took his seat at the first legislative meeting, he got a rousing ovation from the entire assembly.

Peter White’s tradition of representing the U.P.’s interests continues, but now there are multiple  representatives  and the journey south takes hours instead of days.  Traveling is much easier, but advocating for Upper Michigan’s interests has always been a challenge. 

Often, it seems that the U.P. is an afterthought when it comes to the politicians and bureaucrats in Lansing.  That’s why the U.P.’s state representatives have always “circled the wagons” and worked together to advocate for the Upper Peninsula.  Party affiliation did not matter, what mattered were the interests of the U.P. and its residents. It has always been “Peninsula over Party.” However, that changed this last legislative session.

Our current state representative has consistently fallen in line and voted, not for our interests, but for the interests of radical ideologues in Lansing. 

As inflation continues to run rampant and as our energy prices remain above the national average, we must look for ways to lower costs for families and find ways to best support our communities. Meanwhile, our current state representative has been the deciding vote on legislation that has restricted local control and sent millions of our tax dollars for pet projects downstate.

I want us to keep control and allow our communities to have input over our land use.  I want to keep our cherished landscapes and shorelines pristine, while allowing all residents and businesses of the Upper Peninsula to flourish.  Most of all, I want to maintain our precious freedom and independence that we so value here in Upper Michigan.

If you share these concerns and aspirations, I humbly ask for your support and your vote to become the next Representative of the 109^th district.

Together, we can work toward prioritizing a future with local autonomy, affordable energy, and a thriving economy, all while fostering the well-being of our entire community.