Follow the Money: Who is funding the Grand Rapids Mayoral Candidates?

Grand Rapids will decide who is to be the next mayor of the 2nd largest city in the state. GRIID has been writing about the two candidates, David LaGrand and Senita Lenear, since they both entered the race for the Mayor of Grand Rapids.

LaGrand announced his candidacy in the summer of 2023, and had already submitted campaign finance data during the late July reporting deadline. GRIID wrote about LaGrand’s campaign at the time and who was funding it. I also reported on LaGrand’s campaign finances in November, shortly after another quarterly campaign finance deadline.

Senita Lenear announced her campaign late last year, so there was no campaign finance records until late January of this year, which I also reported on, along with the campaign finance data for LaGrand. I also wrote about both of these candidates meeting with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce last April, to share their vision with the pro-development/pro-Capitalism organization.

Lastly, I wrote about both Lenear and LaGrand’s campaign finance data just before the August Primary, which eliminated the other two Mayoral candidates. What follows is data from the most recent campaign finance data, which people can access from the Kent County Clerk’s page.

I am basing the information from David LaGrand’s campaign with both the post-primary data that was filed with the Kent County Clerk on September 5th and the most recent filing from October 25th. The same goes for Senita Lenear, who also filed a pos-primary campaign finance report on August 13 and the most recent filing that was received on October 25th.

David LaGrand has raised to date $190,360.41 and spent $187,911.87. Senita Lenear has raised $39,092.80 and spent $30,596.38. LaGrand has received 664 separate contributions since last Spring and Lenear has received 259 for all of 2024. Here are the top contributors to each candidate:

Senita Lenear

• Christopher Sain – $2,500
• Brian Ellis – $2,000
• Nina Thompson – $1,750
• Nicole Thompson – $1,130
• Bing Goei – $1050

David LaGrand

• Michigan Laborers Political League PAC – $10,000
• Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters PAC – $10,000
• Grand Rapids Firefighters Union PAC – $8,500
• Climate Cabinet PAC – $8,000
• Michigan League of Conservation Voters PAC – $7585.25
• UAW Michigan Voluntary PAC – $5000 

Just from the top 5 contributors to each Mayoral candidate, you can see the amount difference. Another significant aspect of LaGrand’s campaign contributions is that all 5 of these PACs consistently endorse Democrats, even though this is a non-partisan race. David LaGrand clearing is tapping into the Democratic Party’s political machine for funding. 

Other notable contributors to LaGrand, with $1000 or more are:

• West Michigan Plumbers, Fitters and Service Trade Local – $3,000
• Kent County Democratic Party – $2,625
• Teamsters Local 406 PAC – $2,500 
• Sam Cummings: CWD Real Estate Investment – $2,450
• Jeff Shutz – $2,450 
• Johnny Brann Jr.: Branns – $2,450
• Kevin Toler: Hill Island Financial – $2,450
• Joseph Trudeau – $2,450
• Robert VanStright – $2,400
• Gary De Kock – $2,353.45
• Scott Bowen: Lawyer – $2,250
• Alicia Pestka – $2,200
• John Hunting  – $2,000
• Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce – $2,000
• Steve Pestka: President H & H Management & Development Co. – $1,900
• Thomas Schultz – $1,750
• Donald Taylor – $1,715.80
• Ron DeWaard: Lawyer – $1,516.45 
• Andrew DeBoer – $1,500
• Jon Rooks – $1,450
• Marlin Feyen – $1,250
• Gaetan Gerville-Reache: Lawyer – $1,250
• Rental Property Owners Association PAC – $1,000
• Michigan Realtors PAC – $1,000
• Aaron Yonker – $1,000
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 252 PAC – $1,000
• John Brann – $1,000 
• Tami Vandenberg: business owner – $1,000 
• Stacy Van Dyken: Lawyer – $1,000
• Steve Heacock: Executive Grand Rapids Whitewater – $1,000
• Bradley Thomas: CEO of Progressive AE – $1,000
• Michael Jandernoa: Executive at Perrigo – $1,000
• James Nelson – $1,000 
• Chris Guis: Staffing Solutions Inc. – $1,000

In all, David LaGrand received $1,000 or more in contributions from 40 different people or organizations. As noted previously, some are connected to the Democratic Party machine, but it is also troubling that LaGrand took money from the GR Chamber of Commerce, the Rental Property Owners Association and the Michigan Realtors PAC. This entities are all against housing justice, especially for people who rent. Then there is money from the Brann family, which has zealously supported the GRPD. Lastly, there are other members of the GR Power Structure, like Michael Jandernoa and Sam Cummings, both of which support the kind of politics that will make them more money, as opposed to policies that benefit working class and BIPOC communities.

Of course, people have to actually vote next week, but it seems pretty clear that those who run this city would rather have LaGrand than Lenear.