Toggle Political history and campaign subsection, "Mayors Challenge Explainer and Participant List", "South Grad Rosalynn Bliss Leads Michigan's Second-Largest City", "8 things you didn't know about Mayor Rosalynn Bliss", https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ITBC&u=msu_main&id=GALE%7CA616296173&v=2.1&it=r&sid=ebsco, "Mayor Rosalynn Bliss: Albums & songs that changed my world", "Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss named new Meijer Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation", "A look back at Rosalynn Bliss' first term as Grand Rapids mayor", "Mayor Rosalynn Bliss delivers State of the City address with five key plans for GR", "Rosalynn Bliss becomes Grand Rapids mayor", "Mayor Rosalynn Bliss charts 'bold' to-do list", "Rosalynn Bliss among a number of US mayors launching 10 min walk to park campaign", "GR mayor among members of new lead exposure task force", "City of Grand Rapids' sustainability efforts gets gold for 2nd straight year", "Living Cities Launches New Multi-City Initiative To Improve Racial Equity", cities with populations exceeding 100,000, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rosalynn_Bliss&oldid=1155005978, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 16 May 2023, at 02:25. Mayor Rosalynn Bliss became the City of Grand Rapids first female Mayor when she took office on January 1, 2016. EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Dave Levitt became a Republican after getting his M.B.A. in 1990. Learn about the city's mayor and commission. [4] The city is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is surrounded by Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township, but the city is administered autonomously. @media only screen and (min-width: 600px) { GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- After 12 years of being the public face of Grand Rapids, Mayor George Heartwell's record-tying stint in the city's top office is coming to an end. Local ballot measures Mayor Bliss is an active member of the community. This proposal is a mistake., Related: Grand Rapids voters to decide if they want even-year elections, required runoffs. Suddenly there was no regional difference. She also enjoys music festivals as well as listening to local musicians. 40 words to sum up Mayor George Heartwell's tenure in Grand Rapids - mlive I have two little boys and all I could think of was, Is this where we are going to go?. List of mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan - Wikipedia That feeling extends to Mr. Levitts representative in Washington. Colleges and universities were expanding. If local races are moved to even years, seats on the city commission will still be nonpartisan, meaning candidates wont be labelled Democrat, Republican or another party on the ballot. .partytd.Democratic { [30], During the COVID-19 pandemic Bliss made sure to keep in touch with her community. Mayor Rosalynn Bliss became the City of Grand Rapids first female Mayor when she took office on January 1, 2016. The other powerful force is rising racial diversity. text-align: center; The current members of the U.S. Senate from Michigan are: To view a map of U.S. House districts in Michigan and find your representative, click here. City commissioner challenging East Grand Rapids mayor for seat. Very, very few people vote in odd years, Rina Baker, a member of the group, previously told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.
padding-left: 10px !important; January 3, 2001 . The groundwork has already started to restore our namesake Grand Rapids.[24], She won reelection on November 5, 2019. But these days it looks a lot like Mr. Levitt more educated and less Republican. You saw this happen almost across the board from Orange County to Houston, Atlanta, Seattle all in the same year. Heated mayoral race busts through East Grand Rapids 'bubble' It was the first time since 1972 they had not voted for the Republican candidate for president. Houston, a metropolitan area of nearly 7 million, went for Mr. Trump by just 21,000 votes. As well as Ruth Kelly who was re-elected and library commissioners Rachel Anderson, James Botts and Sophia Brewer. EAST GRAND RAPIDS, MI A first-term city commissioner has ousted the mayor. background-color: #db0000; Despite party differences, these local leaders are finding success in Mayor Bliss also is serving as the Frederik Meijer Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Grand Valley's Frederik Meijer Honors College, where she teaches a junior seminar. Bliss grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Sault Ste. School districts | In 2016, Mr. Trump lost the inner ring by six points but won the outer ring by 23. For more information, please refer to the Election FAQ webpage or contact the Clerk's Office at 616.949.2110. . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "Knowing that many entrepreneurs get their food in the door through a food truck, I wanted to create that opportunity for folks in our community. These days, 40 percent of Kentwood is nonwhite. She is a member of the West Michigan Environmental Leadership Network. Rosalynn Bliss (born August 3, 1975) is an American politician, social worker, and mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Michigan Election Results and Maps 2020 - CNN Her sister, who owns the Candied Yam, a bustling soul food restaurant next to a Bhutanese grocery store, also ran in 2018 as a Republican. The election-year flip is up for vote on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Favale has been on the East Grand Rapids City Commission for two years, and has also served on the citys Board of Review, Parks and Recreation Commission, Infrastructure Committee, the East Grand Rapids Community Foundation board and the East Grand Rapids High School PTO. (Mr. Trump came in third in Kent County. Ms. Kronemeyer credits Mr. Trump with reinvigorating the anti-abortion movement, which she believes was dying to some extent. The Supreme Court is now less lopsided thanks to Mr. Trump, she said, and religious people are feeling like they finally have some breathing room in the broader liberal culture, which she sees as disdainful of people like her. Theres been the start of a realignment, but a lot is still up in the air.. I could have run as a Republican, Ms. Sparks said. Government | East Grand Rapids, MI - Official Website We serve the public; we are there to get stuff done for you. She then went on to say, These are realistic dreams. Some absentee and other votes are excluded. It was the nationalization of suburbia.. political parties are hyperactive in even-year elections and they will increase the pressure on local . The population was 76,501 at the 2020 census. Trump was the first Republican to win Michigan since 1988, defeating Hillary Clinton by fewer than 11,000 votes. https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Government/Elected-Officials/Mayor-Rosalynn-Bliss, "57 men who preceded George Heartwell as Grand Rapids mayor", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_mayors_of_Grand_Rapids,_Michigan&oldid=1153330860, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 5 May 2023, at 16:58. City of East Grand Rapids (part) District 19 Commission Map . And when we're able to do that, quite frankly, we get better decisions and outcomes, Bliss said. Once you have that party support, even though youre running as a nonpartisan, you get labeled, and it makes it all the more difficult to accomplish consensus on the city commission. Chief of Staff to the Governor of Michigan, Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction, Wayne State University Board of Governors, Preemption conflicts between state and local governments, Partisanship in United States municipal elections, United States school shootings and firearm incidents, 1990-present, Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy, Michelle Robinson, Senior Product Manager, Education & School Boards, 100 largest cities in America by population, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=East_Grand_Rapids,_Michigan&oldid=8691518, Cities outside the 100 largest United States cities by population, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policy, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. And while he has been hunting with his son, he saw nothing wrong with an assault weapons ban, something Republicans opposed. District 20 Bliss strongly believes that these vacant properties contribute to the lack of success in a neighborhood. Politics & Voting in Grand Rapids, Michigan - Sperling's BestPlaces table#officeholder-table th, td {font-size: 10px; } Enliven neighborhoods, Strengthen schools. He countered with a 5.1 million-vote advantage in outer-ring suburbs. Candidates for offices elected at the November 7, 2023 Municipal and School District General Elections. The area has many churches and a school system that Mrs. Hooker describes as conservative, just what she was looking for in a place to raise her family. I was checked out until then, and that just lit my eyeballs on fire and popped them out of my head, said one woman, who asked for anonymity out of concern for her career. | Candidates end up getting elected with 50 percent of the very small amount of people who vote.. Republican firewalls have held, at least so far, in many places with this outer-ring advantage Charlotte, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. They deemed the task force a stall tactic by the city. The main criticism from the group, called Keep GR Local, is that even-year city elections will inject partisanship into races that should be focused on local issues, not party affiliation. In 2016, those two suburban types fought to a near draw. Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. There has been a dramatic realignment among white voters by education, said John Sides, one of the authors of Identity Crisis, a book about the 2016 election. [7], Bliss formerly served as director of residential services at DA Blodgett-St. John's, which provides emergency shelter and residential services for abused and neglected children. Seats on the city commission are nonpartisan and will remain so even if the measure passes. Mr. Levitt voted for Mrs. Clinton in 2016. In 2015, Mayor George Heartwell was prohibited from seeking a fourth term. She is the first woman to hold that role, as well as the youngest mayor in 130 years. First Ward commissioner Katie Favale beat out two-term Mayor Amna Seibold by a vote of 2,358 to 1,531 on Tuesday, Nov. 5, according to the city of East Grand Rapids' unofficial results. To view a list of state legislators from Michigan, click here. Baker, along with Bonnie Burke and their group Empower the Citizens, have called since at least fall 2018 for even-year election reform. State courts She defeated Daniel Schutte with over 83% of the vote. That was an economic development issue because its an entry point for entrepreneurs who dont have a significant amount of access to capital to open a brick and mortar, Bliss said. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, DJ Hoffman - Vice Chairman and Former Tribal Board Secretary, Sault Ste. MPLP is proud to report that nearly half of our alumni are serving or have served in an appointed or elected capacity. She was re-elected in 2009 and 2013. II. Grand Rapids, MI Mayor: Won 81.41% (+62.81% . Cities | Solve homelessness. But Democrats actions have also repelled suburban women. During her first term as mayor, Bliss also chose to prioritize bettering policecommunity relations. And so I think that that's something we both feel at our core, Bolter said about Bliss. Biden swamped Trump in Grand Rapids, collecting 70 percent to 28 percent for Trump in this city of 200,000. In others, Democrats have gotten very close. .partytd.Libertarian { I also thought, Its getting bad.. She earned her master's in social work and professionally started working in the field of domestic violence and child welfare. Jump to: Tribal Government | State Government | County | Township | Village | City | College/University | School Board | Political Party/Election | Full Listing of MPLP Alumni, IPPSR: MSU Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, 509 E. Circle Drive, Room 321East Lansing, MI 48824-1226, Michigan Applied Public Policy Research (MAPPR), Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP), Legislative Leadership Program Registration, Daniel Rosenthal Legislative Intern Award, Daniel Rosenthal Award Ceremony & Workshops, Add questions to the State of the State Survey, Debbie DeLeon - Former Tribal Vice Chair, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Terri Fitzpatrick Former Chairperson, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Waseybek Development Company, Former Board Secretary, Housing and Utility Authority, Sault Ste. That diversity describes Kentwood, one of Grand Rapidss largest inner-ring suburbs. Mayor Bliss was voted in as Mayor in 2016 and 2020, thus she will no longer be able to be the Mayor or Grand Rapids past December 31st of 2024. Information about the 2018 East Grand Rapids Master Plan. Mayor & Commission. Tech: Matt Latourelle Ryan Burch Kirsten Corrao Beth Dellea Travis Eden Tate Kamish Margaret Kearney Eric Lotto Joseph Sanchez. In 2016, Bliss released a list of what she wanted to accomplish moving forward within the Grand Rapids community. In July 2019, Grand Rapids formed a task force of 12 residents to study the even-year election and run-off election questions, as well as some other items, such as special elections rather than appointments for commissioner vacancies and potentially expanding the city commission and ward structure. Opening Michigan bars until 4 a.m. would be nice, but not top priority for industry. text-align: center; U.S. President | In addition to that proposal, Empower the Citizens also was able to get on the ballot a proposal that would see that the two candidates for a single city office with the most votes in an August primary face off again in the November general election. "We're the home of Gerald Ford, and he was a shining. By 2017, the pattern that Pew identified in 1994 was practically reversed: Just 42 percent of well-educated white voters leaned Republican, while 53 percent preferred the Democrats. Shortly after, she moved to Mobile, Alabama, where she attended the University of South Alabama earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and criminal justice in 1997. [6], Bliss is an active member of her community and loves the outdoors. In Michigan, Grand Rapids is ranked 18th of 1091 cities in Mayor Offices per capita, and 11th of 1091 cities in Mayor Offices per square mile. The deadline to file for these offices is in mid April. The Political Climate in East Grand Rapids, MI is Leaning conservative. How to vote | Grand Rapids is a great city. [4], Today, Bliss takes pride in being a part of the Grand Rapids community and is currently fighting for stronger neighborhoods as well as affordable housing. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). Members of the Sudanese community worshiped at a nondenominational church in Kentwood that offers a service for Arabic speakers. Democrats may be advancing in the inner-ring suburbs, but that does not mean they have conquered the suburbs over all. If you are/were an elected official in District 80, email phil@philskaggs.com to endorse Phil! } When Mr. Levitt moved to East Grand Rapids in 1994, it was almost entirely white, and conservative in a Christian Reformed kind of way the church of the Dutch immigrants who settled here. "We're currently tracking an additional 700 affordable new housing units in the development pipeline, and many of these units will be online and available in 2023. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Theresa Abed -FormerState Representative, District 71, Jamie Clover Adams - Commissioner, Michigan Carrot Commission, Former Director, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jessi Wortley Adler - Member, Michigan Trails Advisory Council, Richard Ball - FormerState Representative, District 85, Jocelyn Benson - Secretary of State, State of Michigan, Teresa Bingman - Former Cabinet Secretary, Office of the Governor, Ann Bollin - Assistant Majority Floor Leader, State Representative, District 49, Nannette Bowler - Former Director, Family Independence Agency, T.J. Bucholz - Former Member, Downtown Lansing, Inc. Board, Amanda Burgess-Proctor - Former Chair, Criminal Justice Policy Commission, Erin Byrnes, State Representative, District 15, Michael Callton FormerState Representative, District 87, Tom Cameron - Justice, Michigan Court of Appeals, Brenda Carter - State Representative, District 53, Tyrone Carter - Assistant Democratic Leader and State Representative, District 1, Philip Cavanagh - FormerState Representative, District 17, Ed Clemente - Former Commissioner, Liquor Commission,Former State Representative, District 14, John Daly - Member, Michigan Infrastructure Council, Tony Daunt Member, Board of State Canvassers, Rev. While it varies somewhat from region to region, many of these places sprang up on what was, until recently, farmland and still look a lot like the rural areas that form the heart of Mr. Trumps support whiter, older, less educated. Marie and graduated from Sault Area High School in 1993. We have a very honest and genuine relationship, and when we disagree, we can have those disagreements and we can talk about the different opinions that we bring to the table. Focus on his policies.. Its not like, Oh gee, the Democrats can rejoice because there are more of us flying the Democratic flag, Mr. Levitt said. MPLP Leaders & Alumni | IPPSR - Michigan State University She also served as adjunct professor of social work at Grand Valley State University since 2006 and currently serves as the Frederik Meijer Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Grand Valley's Frederik Meijer Honors College.[8][6]. } Kentwood elected Monica Sparks as its county commissioner last year. Cedar Rapids Regional Reception - The Republican Party of Iowa Mandy Bolter is a proud Republican and the head commissioner in Kent County. She voted for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas in the Republican primary. Mayor Bliss has been recognized and honored locally as well as statewide for her commitment, dedication and work in the field of child abuse and neglect and for her leadership in the community.Why Did Pelinal Hate Elves, Coinsurance Is The Quizlet, Icy Touch Threat Wotlk, Benicia Waterfront Festival 2023, Articles E