Twin sisters in opposing parties running for Michigan office

Twin sisters are running for office in Michigan in opposing parties.

Republican Jessica Ann Tyson and Democrat Monica Sparks are both in the running for a pair of Kent County Commissioner seats, FOX 17 reported on Monday.

Tyson is running for the 13th District seat on the Board of Commissioners and Sparks is running for the 12th District seat.

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The sisters said they just view issues differently.

“The reason that I’m standing as a Democrat is funny because she said the same thing but we just see through two different lenses,” Sparks said.

The two also said the campaign won’t hurt their relationship.

“The left wing and the right wing belong to the same bird,” the twins said in unison.

Sparks and Tyson, however, insist they’ll stay loyal to their parties and endorse whoever wins their side’s nomination.

“We are not divided,” Sparks said. “Separated for a season, guess you could say, because after this we will figure out whichever way it goes.”

The twins told the network about how their difficult upbringing, including their mother’s addiction to heroin, is shaping their campaigns.

“When we were little, we were taken away from our mother and we were separated and that was really, really hard,” Tyson said. “[Campaigning separately] isn’t the same thing but you know, that memory just took me back just a second.”

The sisters were later adopted. Growing up, they were taught to be active voters.

“Our parents were strict about voting,” Sparks said. “You better vote. It is your right, it is your responsibility, people have died for that right.”

Tyson said their parents encouraged them to stand up for their beliefs respectfully. 

“My thing is, at the end of the day our parents taught us that we need to stand and stand for something and because we stand and we stand strong, we don’t necessarily have to agree on politics or even what we’re gonna drink for the evening,” Tyson said. “We don’t have to agree on that but one thing we have to do is coexist.”

This report was updated Friday at 9:20 a.m. to clarify the district where the sisters were running for office.