Curtis Hertel Jr. (born January 9, 1978) is an American politician who served as a state senator from 2015 to 2023, for the 23rd district in Michigan, representing the Greater Lansing Area.

[7] Hertel served on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners from 2001 to 2008, representing the north half of East Lansing and Meridian Township.

[3] As Register of Deeds, Hertel filed a lawsuit against mortgage firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2011, seeking millions in unpaid taxes on property transfers in the county.

[citation needed] Hertel was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 2014, where he served as the Minority Whip and Chairperson for the Democratic Caucus Campaign Committee.

[12] In March 2016, he introduced a bill to put $3 million into the First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund, which would give money to firefighters who develop cancer due to chemical exposure on the job.

According to The Detroit News, the arrangement "puts a spotlight on the close, behind-the-scenes relationships between groups seeking assistance from state government and officials in positions to provide it.