Tag Archives: State House

Wyoming elects Vanderwood as its next mayor

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Election, Hard News, Our Cities, , , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Wyoming City Council Member Kent Vanderwood was elected the city’s next mayor during the Aug. 2 primary election. Vanderwood received 56 percent of the casted votes. (Supplied)

At this week’s primary election, Wyoming voters determined the city’s next mayor, Kent Vanderwood.

“Normally in a primary, there is usually a narrowing of the number down for candidates but in our city charter there is a little asterisk to this in that if a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, they automatically win the seat,” said Wyoming City Clerk Kelli VandenBerg.

Vanderwood took 56 percent of the casted votes in Aug. 2 primary, receiving 5,635 votes. Current mayor pro tem and candidate Sam Bolt received 3,033 votes and newcomer Cliff Tompkins had 1,144 votes.

Vanderwood, who current serves as a council member, said he was pleased with the results of the primary and sees this as an opportunity to prepare for the role of mayor.

“This gives me a lot of time to prepare as I will be able to meet with the current mayor, city staff, the city manager,” he said. “It gives me an opportunity to get oriented to the mayor duties.”

VandenBerg said turnout for the primary was about 22 percent of the city’s registered voters which was what her office was expecting.

“What was a surprise is that in the past we have seen more absentee ballots in an election and this year it was much more balanced,” she said.

For the Nov. 8 general election, Wyoming residents will be deciding between three candidates to fill two council member at-large seats, which are four-year terms. Those candidates are Rob Arnoys, Renee Hill and Robert Kilgo. Sheldon DeKryger is running unopposed for the first ward council seat. 

VandenBerg said the elected officials, including mayor elect Vandenwood, would take office in the beginning of December.

Meijer loses to Gibbs

In the 3rd District U.S. House of Representatives, current Congressman Peter Meijer lost his bid for the Republican nomination which went to newcomer John Gibbs. Gibbs had 36,527 votes to Meijer’s 35,395 votes. Gibbs will face Democratic nominee Hillary Scholten in the Nov. 8 general election for the seat.

State House races

For the 80th District State House of Representatives, Democratic Phil Skaggs edged out Lily Chong-Schulting, 5,202 to 4,626 for the Democratic nomination. Skaggs will face Republican nominee Jeffrey Johnson in November.

For the 82nd District State House of Representatives, candidate Kristian Grant had the most votes, 3,884, in a three-way race for the Democratic nomination. Also seeking the nominations were Robert Womack, who received 3,821, and Salim Mohammed Al-Shatel, who received 1,301.

 

The Republican nomination for the 82nd District was between two candidates, Ryan Malinoski and William Alexander. Malinowski beat out Alexander, 2,640 to 1,527.

Malinowski and Grant will now face each other for the 82nd District House seat in the Nov. 8 general election.

In the 83rd District State House of Representatives, current Wyoming Councilmember John Fitzgerald won the Democratic nomination with 2,567 to Jose Flores’ 2,037 votes. Fitzgerald will now face Republican candidate Lisa DeKryger for the season in the November election.

Kent County Commission races

Current 10th District Kent County Commissioner Emily Post Brieve won the Republican nomination with 2,615 votes over her challenger Bill Hirsch, who received 2,127 votes. Brieve will face Democratic challenger Julie Humphrey in November.

In the 12th District Kent County Commission seat, Lee White won the Republican nomination with 1,135 votes over candidate Adam R. Palaces, who had 959 votes. Lee faces current commissioner and Democratic candidate Monica Sparks in November.

Tom McKelvy took the Republican nomination for the 13th District Kent County Commission seat. McKelvy has 1,591 votes to candidate Nick Prill’s 1,169. McKelvy will face Democratic candidate and current commissioner Michelle McCloud in the Nov. 8 general election.

For complete primary election results for the entire county, visit the Kent County Clerk’s office’s election results page.

Nine candidates seek nominations for state house in primary

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Election, We The People, West Michigan, , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Due to redistricting in the state, there have been several changes for House of Representatives and Senate races.

A primary is when voters can indicate their preference for their party’s candidate. Therefore, a voter may only vote on either the Republican ticket or the Democratic ticket. A ballot where a voter has voted in both parties will be thrown out. 

All absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Aug. 2. In-person voters have from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to vote in their precinct. Make sure to check your current voter registration card or verify your precinct through your local clerk.

Note: In its We the People videos, WKTV invites all candidates to share why they decided to run and the issues the candidate feels are important. Below, are the candidates who participated.

80th State House of Representatives

For the State House, all of the City of Kentwood is now part of of the 80th District which includes Cascade and East Grand Rapids.

Two candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination: Lily Cheng-Schulting and Phil Skaggs.

Lily Cheng-Schulting is an attorney known for her disability rights advocacy. She is the founder of the Disability A-TEAM of West Michigan.

Phil Skaggs is currently the District 19 Kent County Commissioner serving southeastern Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids. He also was a city commissioner in East Grand Rapids for five years.

82nd District State House of Representatives

For the State House races, the City of Wyoming has been split between two districts. A portion of the City of Wyoming’s eastern border is part of the 82nd District, which falls in the Godwin Heights Public Schools area. For a map, click here.

Three candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination: Salim Mohammed Al-Shatel, Kristian Grant and Robert Womack.

Al-Shatel is a co-owner of My Barefoot Wedding, based in Spring Lake, and also a real estate investor.

Kristian Grant is born and raised in the Grand Rapids area and has spent the past 15 years in public service and community. She is a real estate developer and trustee on the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education.

Robert Womack is currently the District 17 Kent Count Commissioner serving the southeast side of Grand Rapids and is CEO of 102.5 FM The Ride.

Republican candidates

Two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination, William Alexander and Ryan Malinowski.

William Alexander is born in Whitehall. He has lived in the Grand Rapids area for the last 28 years and is entrepreneur.

Ryan Malinowski

83rd District State House of Representatives

Most of the City of Wyoming will be part of the 83rd District. For a map, click here.

Two candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination, John Fitzgerald and Jose Flores. 

John Fitzgerald is currently a Wyoming City Council member. He is a commercial insurance broker and has served on several community boards such as Ele’s Place West Michigan and The Clark Foundation Board.



Jose Flores is a former educator who currently serves on the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education. He also is the owner of La Familia Market.

29th State Senate

The 29th State Senate race, which includes both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming along with Grandville and East Grand Rapids, only has one candidate for each party nomination. The Republican candidate is Tommy Brann and the Democrat candidate is Winnie Brinks.

Three seek Wyoming mayor position along county and state candidates

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Our Cities, We The People, West Michigan, , , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Tuesday, April 19, was the last day for candidates to file for the upcoming fall elections with the residents of both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming have several new faces, and a few familiar ones, to consider for federal, state, and local government positions.

City of Wyoming

Wyoming City Hall. (WKTV)

With Mayor Jack Poll’s announcement that he would be retiring at the end of his term, three candidates have put their hats in the ring for the City of Wyoming’s mayor position, which is a nonpartisan four-year seat. Two of the candidates are long-time council members, Kent Vanderwood and current Mayor Pro Tem Sam Bolt and the third is a newcomer, Cliff Tompkins, who owns the Wyoming business Hair by Cliff.

The top two candidates from the Aug. 2 primary will face off in the Nov. 8 general election. Also in November, Wyoming residents will be selecting two Council Members at Large, four-year terms, from three candidates, Robert A. Arnoys, Renee Hill, and Robert Kilgo. First Ward Council Member Sheldon DeKryer is running unopposed for his four-year term.

City of Kentwood

While there are no City of Kentwood seats open for this year’s election cycle, the city is seeking a permanent recreation and trails millage of one mill in the Aug. 2 primary. If levied, the additional 1.0 mill is estimated to raise $2,345,537 in the first calendar year of the levy.

Kent County Commissioners

The Kent County Board of Commissioners (from a 2019 meeting). (Supplied/Kent County)

Like the federal and state governments, the Kent County Board of Commissioners also completed a redistricting.

The redistricting adds two new district to Kent County for a total of 21 districts. One of those new districts, District 20, would encompass the norther portion of the City of Wyoming (Godfrey-Lee Public Schools area) along with some southern portions of the City of Grand Rapids, such as Roosevelt Park, Black Hills, and Burton Heights. It has been indicated by officials that the goal was to create a largely Hispanic district (the area is more than 50 percent Hispanic) to provide a voice to the county commission of the area’s largest minority group.

There are five candidates vying for the 20th District spot, two Democrats and three Republicans. The Democrats are Ivan Diaz and Charles Howe. The Republicans are Elisa Rodriguez, Alan Bolter, and Walter Bujak.

Other Kent County Districts that will be on the Aug. 2 Primary will be the 10th District, which through redistricting now includes a portion of the City of Kentwood, will be Republicans Emily Post Brieve (incumbent) and Bill Hirsch. The winner of the Republican race will face Democrat Julie Humphreys in November.

In the 12th District, Republicans Lee White and Adam R. Palasek will face off in the primary with the winner then moving on to face Democrat Monica Sparks (incumbent) in November.

The other Kent County district races within the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood have only one Democrat and Republican which means all those races will go straight to the November ballot. Those districts are:

7th District, which includes a western portion of Wyoming along with Grandville. Candidates: Republican Stan Ponstein (incumbent) and Democrat Sue Merrell.

8th District, which covers most of Wyoming. Candidates: Republican Dan Burrill (incumbent) and Democrat Jennie Chatman.

9th District, which includes a portion of southern Wyoming along with all of Byron Center. Candidates: Republican Matt Kallman (incumbent) and Democrat Chip LaFleur.

For a look at the district map of state and county, click here.


State House of Representatives and Senate

Both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming will be under the 29th District for the state Senate. (Supplied)

Redistricting has changed both the state’s Senate and House of Representative seats for the two cities.

For the Senate, both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood will be part of the 29th District state Senate seat which also includes Grandville and East Grand Rapids along with portions of Grand Rapids Township and Grand Rapids east of the Grand River and south of Fulton Street. Two Republicans have put in their names, Tommy Brann, who is terming out this year from the 77th District state House seat, and Andrew Kroll. The winner of the Aug. 2 primary will face Democratic incumbent Winnie Brinks in November.

For the state House, the City of Wyoming is split between two districts. Most of the City of Wyoming will be part of the 83rd District along with a north portion of Grand Rapids (the Roosevelt Park area) and the Cutlerville area. There are three Democrats and one Republican vying for the seat. In the Aug. 2 primary, the Democrats, John Fitzgerald, Jose Flores, and Keith Courtade will compete to advance to the November election, where the winner will then run against Republican Lisa DeKryger.

A portion of the eastern border of Wyoming is part of the 82nd District of the House of Representatives. There are three Democrats and two Republicans seeking nomination in the Aug. 2 primary. The Democrats are Salim Mohammed Al-Shatel, Kristian Grant, and Robert Womack. The Republicans are William Alexander and Ryan Malinoski.

The City of Kentwood will join Cascade and East Grand Rapids for the 80th District House of Representative seat. Two Democrats will be competing in the Aug. 2 primary, Lily Cheng-Schulting and Phil Skaggs. The winner will then run against Republican Jeffrey Johnson in the Nov. 8 election.

Voter Information

For more information on voter registration, absentee ballots, voting locations and how to apply to be an election worker in Kentwood, visit kentwood.us/elections or contact the City Clerk’s Office at elections@kentwood.us or 616-698-9610.

In Wyoming, visit click here or contact the City Clerk’s office at clerk_info@wyomingmi.gov or call 616-530-7296.

More election information is available at michigan.gov/vote.

Brann focused on being businessman after big win in State House District 77

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Politics, , , ,

 

Tommy Brann (Photo WKTV.org)
Tommy Brann (Photo WKTV.org)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

Despite a resounding win over his challenger for the State House District 77 race, Republican Tommy Brann says he prefers to continue to be known as a small businessman rather than politician.

 

He also does not think the GOP surge in Michigan played much into his win.

 

“I don’t think so. I focused on the local and I think the more local it is the less the impact of the national,” Brann said Wednesday morning. “When I go to things (public events), when I am out there, I do not want to go there as a politician. I want to go there as a local small businessman. I do not want people to change the way they look at me.”

 

He also said despite the big win, he knows he is working for all the people, not just the ones who voted for him. “I won with 64 percent … but to those other people, I want to please those people too,” he said.

 

Brann gained his first statewide office in the Tuesday election, defeating Democrat Dana Knight with 66 percent of the votes (27,946 to 14,526) for the seat representing the City of Wyoming and Byron Township and currently held by Thomas Hooker of Byron Township, who is vacating due to term limits. Hooker recently was elected as the new supervisor for Byron Township, where he lives.

 

Brann, a Wyoming resident, is the owner of Brann’s Steakhouse and has run the business since he was 19-years-old.

 

He previously said he ran for office because “I’ve always been interested in politics and admired the people who do it. I believe in free enterprise. There’s a lot of stories of entrepreneurs that I want to share not only with the government.”

 

He also ran on a simple platform of “keeping government simple” and avoiding debt. He reiterated that stand Wednesday.

 

“Working in my restaurant, I have learned that when you run a business, you keep it simple. … That is definitely the way to run government,” Brann said. “I am not there yet (in Lansing), so I don’t have specifics. … and you’ve got to have some paperwork and you have some regulations. For instance, the health department, you could call that a county regulation. I really believe in the health department; it is good for me, it is good for my customers, it is good for when I go out to eat at other restaurants. There are good regulations. But I think government and business should work the same way.”

 

He also stressed that government should be wary of debt.

 

“There is not sense of urgency” about debt, Brann said. “That debt, on the national level, is a national security problem. And I don’t want to see (debt problems) happen in our state.

 

“We have problems in our state. (For example) it is not the teachers’ problem, but we are $27 billion in arrears in teachers’ pension. It may be a little paranoid (looking at possible debt problems), but as a small business owner you have to be fiscally responsible. I think it is important government is run that way too. You see some cities that get in arrears, and they cut budgets and they cut services, and that leads to problems. I think Flint is a prime example of that.”

 

Brann will take office in January.