LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Lansing voters have until the polls close on Tuesday, May 7th to vote in a special election to elect nine residents to rewrite the Lansing City Charter.
Committee Lansing City Charter could be significantly rewritten.or a city “constitution” that drastically restructures city government, from how local roadworks are repaired to how local police are funded to who can vote in government on how tax dollars are spent. .
Thirty-six Lansing residents, ranging from community activists to former City Council members, signed a petition to be elected to the Lansing Charter Revision Commission in January.
Number of candidates in the race
36
Number of LANSING Community Alliance Members
9
Number of unions and labor supporters
9
Number of independent candidates
18
Half of the candidates are affiliated with either the Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce, labor unions or the Lansing Community Alliance. The remaining candidates are independents. A complete list of candidates can be found at the end of this report.
With the job of rewriting what Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope calls the city's “constitution” onto the ballot, 6 News looks at all the candidates as three factions vie for attention in a crowded vote. We dug deep into his campaign finance declarations. Who is Compliance? Who has the most money? Where does the money for racing come from?
Seventeen of the candidates on the Charter Revision Commission received campaign finance reporting exemptions from Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum. That means candidates and their committees may not collect or spend cash or in-kind contributions exceeding $1,000.
One of the candidates, Douglas VanBuren Mulkey, had not filed a statement of campaign organization as of 5:15 p.m. Thursday and owed the county clerk $300 for that violation. I owe it. Additionally, failure to file a statement of organization is a civil misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 if prosecuted.
6 News spoke with Mulkey on Wednesday morning, and he told reporters he had no knowledge of the violations and fines and promised they would be addressed soon.
“My office sent letters to candidates on January 24, February 13, March 15, and again on April 29 to inform candidates of these requirements,” Byrum said. told 6 News. “Additionally, my office sent an email notification of filing requirements to all Lansing Charter Commission candidates on April 19th, advising them of campaign finance filings due April 26th. ”
Two other candidates, Jodi Washington and Nicholas Zande, have not updated their election committee statements of organization. Byram says a letter was sent to them.
One of the candidates, Keith Williams, did not receive an exemption but has not filed a campaign finance report and is unable to submit a campaign organization status report filed online by the Ingham County Clerk on February 20th. Cited by clerk for failure to file.
Three of the candidates required to report their campaign finances, Rayna Anderson, Michelle Fix, and Muhammad Qawi, filed campaign finance reports that required significant revisions. Byrum said he has notified candidates by letter and expects the report to be amended.
Four of the candidates who filed campaign finance reports on Friday reported not raising or spending money on their campaigns. They are Jesse Lasorda, Monte D. Jackson II, Justin Sheehan, and Jodi Washington.
The remaining 10 candidates reported raising money for their campaigns.
| candidate | declared income | Loans from candidates to election campaigns | Percentage from outside the city |
| julie vandenboom | $5408.38 | 0 | 71.2% |
| Randy Diquis | $1,110 | 0 | 27% |
| health lorry | $5608.56 | $1,351.76 (24.1%) | 57.9% |
| loli adams simon | $10,394.12 | 0 | 41.5% |
| Ben Dowd | 200 dollars | 0 | 50% |
| elizabeth driscoll boyd | $11,175 | $10,000 (89.5%) | 61% |
| Samuel Krahn | $1,372 | 0 | 12.8% |
| Ross Yednoch | $6435 | $755 (11.7%) | 60.2% |
| brian jeffries | $11,050 | $11,000 (99.5%) | 100% |
| Dedria Humphries Barker | $3,325 | 0 | 22.7% |
Where the candidates got their donations is consistent with a saga that began shortly after March 15, when the Chamber of Commerce and labor groups announced joint support.
“Candidates representing diverse backgrounds and experiences were carefully selected to prioritize the interests of all Lansing residents,” the 12 organizations reported in a news release.
On March 28, the Lansing Community Alliance sent out a news release announcing its formation.
“The creation of the Lansing Community Alliance reflects many shared concerns regarding the influence of special interest groups in municipal elections,” the alliance said in a statement. “The Lansing Regional Chamber PAC, and to some extent the labor organizations associated with it, are spending significant amounts of money to support the status quo in Lansing in this election.”
Alliance member Samuel Krahn told 6News the backlash was partially due to what he called a “dishonest” advocacy process.
He claims the Chamber of Commerce and Labor failed to make clear in their communications with candidates that the 12 organizations would jointly support nine candidates.
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But the Lansing Community Alliance's purpose is more than just pushing back on the organization's support, he said.
“It's not just being a reactionary to Congress, it's being pro-people,” he told 6 News.
A news release announcing the alliance's formation defines its formation as “grounded in the belief that every voice matters and deserves to be heard.” The Alliance represents the Charter Commission's values of inclusivity, integrity, and community engagement in its campaigns. ”
Steve Japinga, vice president of communications for the Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce, said his organization's political action committee spent $5,000 on the Charter Revision Commission's campaign.
It is legal in Michigan for candidates to work together. But Byram, the county's top campaign finance enforcement officer, says there are limits.
“No candidate committee may lend funds or make expenditures to or on behalf of another candidate committee. “Slate campaigns that pay for advertising or other materials that support other parties are not permitted under Michigan campaign finance law,” she says. “Each candidate must pay his or her share of the advertisement directly to the vendor, and the advertisement must include a disclaimer for each candidate committee that paid for it. If required to be filed with the office, the expenditure must be reported on the campaign finance report.”
Under Michigan campaign finance law, it is legal in most cases to accept contributions from non-voters. Foreign nationals with dual citizenship or without a green card cannot donate to the campaign. Corporations and businesses are prohibited from donating to campaigns. However, limited liability companies can provide in-kind support to campaigns.
Julie VandenBoom, who led the candidates in out-of-town donations, said a $2,250 donation from a woman in Seattle, Wash., made up the bulk of out-of-town donations. She said the woman graduated from Waverly High School with VandenBloom in 1992.
“It was a huge donor from Lansing who wanted to give back to the community,” VandenBoom says of the Seattle donor.
She says the money is being used for “turnout.”
Vandenboom is one of the candidate members of the Lansing Community Alliance.
“The large donation you asked for was almost entirely donated to GOTV.” [Get Out The Vote] Mailer arrived today,” VandenBoom texted Thursday. “And GOTV texting this weekend.”
Krahn said VandenBoom and other prominent politicians' out-of-town fundraising efforts may reflect the sentiments of people in nearby communities.
“They could live in East Lansing or Lansing Township, but they work in Lansing and this is important to them,” he said. “They share that ideal and see good people doing good things for the community.”
However, there are some concerns about the large amounts of loans that the two candidates have made to their campaigns.
“My only concern about campaign finance is how a candidate who touts himself in the five figures can relate to the average Lansing resident who can't imagine not having that much disposable income. ” he texted 6 News. “If there is indeed a discrepancy, Byram will notice it, notify them and issue a fine.”
Boyd, who loaned the campaign $10,000, said, “I'm not asking for a check from anyone. I thought there were too many people running for more important positions who needed the money.”
The $1,175 donated was “unsolicited,” she said.
She told 6 News she received two “substantial” checks from donors after filing her campaign report. She returned her one and now she has shredded her second check with one donor's permission.
Lori Adams Simon, who is not affiliated with any coalition or endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce or labor unions, raised the most money in the race.
“The Black community is definitely getting stronger,” she told 6 News about her campaign fundraising base. She made the donation because she thought many area residents wanted to help her, but she doesn't live in the city, she said.
“The black community is a powerful voting bloc,” she says. “They're not voting for a candidate because they're black. They're voting for someone who's qualified. You can't underestimate the power of the black vote.”
A complete list of candidates is presented in the order in which they filed their election applications with Lansing city officials.
- Julie Vandenboom – Lansing Community Alliance
- jody washington
- Niklas W. Sande
- Randy Dyquis – Lansing Community Alliance
- Heath B. Lowry — Lansing Community Alliance
- Michelle K. Fix
- Ted Odell
- Steven Purchase – Chamber of Commerce, Coalition Supporter
- mitch rice
- loli adams simon
- Ben Dowd
- Joan Bauer – Chamber of Commerce, Coalition Supporter
- Corwin Smit
- Muhammad A. Qawi II – Chamber of Commerce, Coalition Supporter
- Elizabeth Driscoll Boyd – Chamber of Commerce, Coalition Supporter
- Jazmine Anderson – Lansing Community Alliance
- Monte D. Jackson II
- jesse lasorda
- Tim Knowlton
- Simon Terhar
- Samuel Krahn – Lansing Community Alliance
- Ross Yednoch – Lansing Community Alliance
- Derek Mellot
- Brit Howes
- Brian Jeffries – Chamber of Commerce, Coalition Supporter
- Dedria Humphries Barker
- Rayna Anderson – Lansing Community Alliance
- jason wilkes
- Miranda Schwartz – Chamber of Commerce, Coalition Supporter
- Erica Lin – Lansing Community Alliance
- Justin Sheehan
- Jerry Norris – Lansing Community Alliance
- Keith Williams – Chamber of Commerce, Coalition Supporter
- Guillermo Z. Lopez – Supporters of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce
- Douglas Van Buren Mulkey
- Stan S. Shaq
Want to learn more about candidates and what they think about certain issues? Here's a list of official contacts for Lansing city officials:
