Mayoral Candidates Meet with Grand Rapids Association of Pastors

On Thursday, October 3, Grand Rapids Association of Pastors (G-RAP) was pleased to host the two candidates for Grand Rapids Mayor: David LaGrand and Senita Lenear. We are grateful for all the pastors and the two candidates who made time in their schedules to meet together.

Our regular meeting venue of City Life Church was lit up for the occasion--thank you to Pastor Christie Lipscomb for her gracious hosting, and to Quese Allen for his sound booth expertise.

Rev. Dr. Willie Gholston of First Community AME Church opened the meeting, reminding us that Jesus was engaged politically, and that we, as G-RAP, are engaged in the heart of the city of Grand Rapids. The gathered pastors represented multiple Christian denominations and numerous job titles, but all are united around serving in the city of Grand Rapids.

Gholston noted that both LaGrand and Lenear have been serving the city in a variety of ways for a long time. We gave each candidate 20 minutes to tell us about themselves and to answer questions from the audience. There was no debate angle to this conversation; the other candidate left the room while we talked. Rev. Kelsi Jones of Grace Christian Reformed Church moderated the discussion.

Senita Lenear

When Jones asked Lenear what in her background made her want to be mayor, Lenear said, "I frequently say I stumbled into this elected office business." But she quickly developed a strong calling. She was appointed to the School Board in 2007, elected to it in 2009, and serving as its President, before being elected to be the 3rd Ward City Commissioner in 2013. The catalyst for the move from School Board to City Commission was a shooting near an elementary school: Lenear thought of the children worrying about going to school and of other children who weren't worried because shootings were normal occurrences, and she wanted to work at the city level.

Lenear said that her priorities during her first 100 days in office would be the budget, gathering a team, and "putting Neighborhood Connections on steroids," ramping up the neighborhood listening sessions she's been holding since the Spring. 

It was difficult for each candidate to limit themselves to the three policy priorities Rev. Jones asked them about. The three Lenear highlighted were the housing crisis, expanding funding for anti-violence strategies, and economic development in our 6 business districts. She noted that the city has addressed housing through policy and zoning changes, and working with developers, but she would like to make sure we engage neighborhood municipalities. She has been a driving force behind the SAFE Task Force, and has seen the difference $600,000 in grants has made in combatting youth violence, but knows that more investment will yield even better results.

One pastor asked about what she would lead the city to do about climate change. Lenear said that, while the city has changed vehicles and machinery, and moved to using LED lights wherever possible, it hasn't done as well at helping people and businesses understand what they can do to combat climate change. So while she'd continue doing what the city can do, she'd also look at a campaign for the public. Another pastor asked her about the pressure of being the first Black female mayoral candidate in Grand Rapids. Lenear recognized that being "a first" carries a lot of weight, and it affects how she governs. She noted that she has opened the door wide: she was the first Black woman elected to the City Commission, but now there are three woman of color servings at Commissioners.

​Her guiding principle is that "everyone should thrive here. We're on some great lists and some not so great lists, but everyone should experience Grand Rapids as an amazing place to live."

David LaGrand

When Pastor Jones asked LaGrand how he got into politics, he said, "In 2005, something snapped, and I wanted to stop being a dinner-party Democrat." First he ran for a State Senate seat he knew he'd lose, but his time on the Grand Rapids School Board and City Commission proved to him that "you can do transformative things in government." He focused on establishing restorative justice practices in a Specialty Court in Grand Rapids. His work towards changing disciplinary practices in Grand Rapids Public Schools cut suspensions and expulsions in half; this was an important change for him because he said nobody comes back from suspension with better knowledge or study habits. In 2015 he was elected State Representative and began working on issues connected to mass incarceration because "the decision to lock you up is something government does directly," and because Michigan keeps its inmates incarcerated for longer than other states. His work on the Clean Slate Law has led to over 100,000 Michigan residents being able to clean up old felonies and misdemeanors from their records--and their earnings have gone up 24% as a result. He noted that 8 other states have copied Michigan.

LaGrand said that he see his first 100 days as starting now. He's already having conversations about his ideas for an active land bank, for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and justice and policing. He sees all of these as anti-poverty measures leading to affordable housing, and to people not needing a car to get around effectively. 

His three policy priorities revolved around justice, housing, and neighborhood infrastructure. He wants to start rolling town halls that he called Mayor Mondays, when he could talk with residents. He'd seek to build a more robust participatory structure because "there is way more brain power in the community than there will ever be in City Hall. He said, "My life has been defined by concerns about race and class and I will work on those whether I win or not. I'm a city guy. I love cities. I think we can be the best city in the country when it comes to affordable housing. We could be a national leader in policing. We could create a walkable and livable infrastructure."

To the pastor who asked about his climate change priorities, La Grand spoke about the benefits of solar farms to "get us off fossil fuels," and out of the companies with energy monopolies, but also about ideas for progressive prices for energy. He also pointed at the bicycle he rode to lunch and regularly uses for transportation and spoke about neighborhood infrastructure. 

LaGrand's guiding principle is that, "Politicians are in the human thriving business. Do people have better lives? Focus on what people need and what will actually make their lives better."

Opportunities

We are grateful for both candidates for coming to speak with us. 

If you would like to gather with others to pray for the election, First United Methodist Church (227 Fulton St. E) will be holding an election night prayer vigil on Monday, November 5 at 7:00pm. 

The movie Leap of Faith is still playing at Celebration Cinemas. This movie follows 12 "diverse Christian leaders as they explore contentious issues and seek fellowship at retreats in Grand Rapids. They navigate divisions while holding onto their shared belief in love, testing the bonds they build." This film features a couple of pastors who've been involved in G-RAP. Rev. Dr. Willie Gholston recommends that you see it with someone so you can talk about it right away, because you'll need to talk about it.

Speaking of Pastor Gholston, we celebrate with him and with the whole First Community AME Church on their 150th Anniversary! 

​