Upper Peninsula lawmaker Tom Casperson lost a two-year battle with lung cancer Sunday. He was 61 years old.
Casperson came to politics in 2003 from his Escanaba family’s truck-driving business, serving in the state House until 2008. He became a state Senator in 2011 and was term-limited out in 2018.
The Republican was known for his conservative stance on regulation and taxes, and he criticized what he called the “overreach” of state agencies on environmental issues. But Casperson also voted against right-to-work legislation in 2012, and voted to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act in 2013.
Senate Republicans issued a statement Sunday night calling Casperson “a titan of the Upper Peninsula.” Current 38th District Senator Ed McBroom says his mentor and friend “fought the good fight” for everyone in the U.P.
