MEA announces candidate recommendations for Nov. 5 general election
EAST LANSING — MEA is proud to announce candidates who have earned the recommendation of MEA members through the union’s Screening & Recommendation process. The process, which looks at candidates’ positions on education and labor issues, is decided by everyday educators who serve on S&R committees, based on policies and procedures adopted by members elected to the governing bodies of MEA and the MEA-PAC.
Other than statewide races (which are decided by MEA’s Statewide S&R Committee composed of educators from across the state), decisions about MEA candidate recommendations are made at the local level. Recommendations for federal offices are subject to final approval from the NEA Fund for Children & Public Education. If a local S&R committee chose not to make a recommendation in a federal or state race, it is noted below.
MEA S&Rs will continue for the next few weeks, especially in local races like school and community college boards. This list will be updated at MEA.org/media as new recommendations are received.
MEA recommended candidates for the Nov. 5 general election include:
Statewide and Federal
President & Vice President – Kamala Harris & Tim Walz
U.S. Senate – Elissa Slotkin
Michigan Supreme Court – Kyra Harris Bolden & Kimberly Ann Thomas
State Board of Education – Theodore Jones & Adam Zemke
Michigan State University Board of Trustees – Rebecca Bahar-Cook & Thomas Stallworth III
University of Michigan Board of Regents – Denise Ilitch & Shauna Ryder Diggs
Wayne State Board of Governors – Rasha Demashkieh & Mark Gaffney
Congressional Districts
U.S. House – District 1 – Callie Barr
U.S. House – District 2 – No Recommendation
U.S. House – District 3 – Hillary Scholten
U.S. House – District 4 – Jessica Swartz
U.S. House – District 5 – No Recommendation
U.S. House – District 6 – Debbie Dingell
U.S. House – District 7 – Curtis Hertel
U.S. House – District 8 – Kristen McDonald Rivet
U.S. House – District 9 – Clint St. Mosley
U.S. House – District 10 – Carl Marlinga
U.S. House – District 11 – Haley Stevens
U.S. House – District 12 – Rashida Tlaib
U.S. House – District 13 – Shri Thanedar
State Legislature
State House – District 1 – Tyrone Carter
State House – District 2 – Tullio Liberati, Jr.
State House – District 3 – Alabas Farhat
State House – District 4 – No Recommendation
State House – District 5 – Regina Weiss
State House – District 6 – Natalie Price
State House – District 7 – Tonya Myers Phillips
State House – District 8 – Helena Scott
State House – District 9 – Joe Tate
State House – District 10 – Veronica Paiz
State House – District 11 – Donavan McKinney
State House – District 12 – Kimberly Edwards
State House – District 13 – Mai Xiong
State House – District 14 – Mike McFall
State House – District 15 – Erin Byrnes
State House – District 16 – Stephanie Young
State House – District 17 – Laurie Pohutsky
State House – District 18 – Jason Hoskins
State House – District 19 – Samantha Steckloff
State House – District 20 – Noah Arbit
State House – District 21 – Kelly Breen
State House – District 22 – Matt Koleszar (MEA Member)
State House – District 23 – Jason Morgan (MEA Member)
State House – District 24 – Ranjeev Puri
State House – District 25 – Peter Herzberg
State House – District 26 – Dylan Wegela
State House – District 27 – Jaime Churches (MEA Member)
State House – District 28 – Janise O’Neil Robinson
State House – District 29 – Kyle Wright
State House – District 30 – No Recommendation
State House – District 31 – Reggie Miller
State House – District 32 – Jimmie Wilson, Jr.
State House – District 33 – Morgan Foreman
State House – District 34 – No Recommendation
State House – District 35 – Don Hicks (MEA Member)
State House – District 36 – No Recommendation
State House – District 37 – No Recommendation
State House – District 38 – Joey Andrews
State House – District 39 – Kerry Tapper
State House – District 40 – Matt Longjohn
State House – District 41 – Julie Rogers
State House – District 42 – Austin Marsman
State House – District 43 – Danene Shumaker
State House – District 44 – Jim Haadsma
State House – District 45 – Doug Murch
State House – District 46 – Daniel Mahoney
State House – District 47 – Carrie Rheingans
State House – District 48 – Jennifer Conlin
State House – District 49 – No Recommendation
State House – District 50 – No Recommendation
State House – District 51 – No Recommendation
State House – District 52 – No Recommendation
State House – District 53 – Brenda Carter
State House – District 54 – Shadia Martini
State House – District 55 – Trevis Harrold
State House – District 56 – Sharon MacDonell
State House – District 57 – Aisha Farooqi
State House – District 58 – Nate Shannon (MEA Member)
State House – District 59 – No Recommendation
State House – District 60 – No Recommendation
State House – District 61 – Denise Mentzer
State House – District 62 – Michelle Levine-Woodman (MEA Member)
State House – District 63 – No Recommendation
State House – District 64 – John Anter
State House – District 65 – No Recommendation
State House – District 66 – Shawn Almeranti-Crosby
State House – District 67 – No Recommendation
State House – District 68 – Matt Schlinker
State House – District 69 – Jasper Ryan Martus
State House – District 70 – Cynthia Neeley
State House – District 71 – Mark Zacharda
State House – District 72 – No Recommendation
State House – District 73 – Julie Brixie
State House – District 74 – Kara Hope
State House – District 75 – Penelope Tsernoglou
State House – District 76 – Angela Witwer
State House – District 77 – Emily Dievendorf
State House – District 78 – No Recommendation
State House – District 79 – No Recommendation
State House – District 80 – Phil Skaggs
State House – District 81 – Stephen Wooden
State House – District 82 – Kristian Grant
State House – District 83 – John Fitzgerald
State House – District 84 – Carol Glanville
State House – District 85 – No Recommendation
State House – District 86 – Abby Klomparens
State House – District 87 – Will Snyder
State House – District 88 – Tim Meyer
State House – District 89 – Lois Maassen
State House – District 90 – No Recommendation
State House – District 91 – No Recommendation
State House – District 92 – Tim Odykirk
State House – District 93 – No Recommendation
State House – District 94 – Amos O’Neal
State House – District 95 – No Recommendation
State House – District 96 – Rudy Howard, Jr.
State House – District 97 – No Recommendation
State House – District 98 – No Recommendation
State House – District 99 – No Recommendation
State House – District 100 – No Recommendation
State House – District 101 – No Recommendation
State House – District 102 – Kathy Pelleran-Mahoney
State House – District 103 – Betsy Coffia
State House – District 104 – No Recommendation
State House – District 105 – No Recommendation
State House – District 106 – Trina Borenstein
State House – District 107 – Jodi Decker
State House – District 108 – No Recommendation
State House – District 109 – Jenn Hill
State House – District 110 – No Recommendation
School Board:
Allendale School District Board Member – Aaron Brauschneider & Troy Lampen
Allen Park School District Board Member – Kyle Waligora
Anchor Bay School District Board Member – Michael Moses & Brian Powers
Ann Arbor Public Schools Board Member – Torchio Feaster, Megan Kanous, Ernesto Querijero (MEA member) & Leslie Wilkins
Armada School District Board Member – Michele Meerschaert, Chad Nikkel & Susan Neiman
Battle Creek Public Schools Board Member – Ryan Hoaglin-Jackson & Jamesia Nordman
Bark River-Harris Schools Board Member – Jeanette Peltier
Bay City Public Schools Board Member – Wendy Legner, Mason Pressler & David Welch
Berkley Schools Board Member – Keith Logsdon & Jon Heger
Birmingham Public Schools Board Member – Amy Hochkammer, Jennifer Rass & Jason Tejani
Bloomfield Hills Public Schools Board Member – Jason Abel, Michelle Southward & John VanGemert
Brighton School District Board Member – Roger Myers, Matt Morneault, Glenn Hodges, & Ken Stahl
Byron Center Public Schools Board Member – Brenda Hondorp, Rob Hughs, Nathan Jeruzal & Brad Wierchertjes
Chippewa Valley School District Board Member – Donald Kuntz & Talitha T. Mahome
Clarkston Community Schools Board Member – Greg Need (Term Ending 12/31/26), Stefanie Crane (6 Year Term) & Jaclyn Sivers (6 Year Term)
Clio Area Schools Board Member – Robert Love, Carrie Ammons, Robert Love Jr, Robert Gaffney & Dawn Renkiewicz
Comstock Public Schools Board – Pamela Dickinson, Paul Lamphear, Karen Howes, & Kristie Poulson
Dewitt Public Schools Board Member – Brad Weaver & Hana Carpenter
Eaton Public Schools Board Member – Melissa Eckman
Evart Public Schools Board Member – Jamie Hulliberger
Farmington Public Schools Board Member – Claudia Heinrich & TR Carr
Flint Public Schools Board Member – Chad Schlosser
Forest Hills Public School District Board Member – Kelly Kermode & Shawn Colley
Fowlerville School District Board Member – Tony Coln & Lindsey Redinger
Fraser School District Board Member – Kathleen Moco
Grand Haven Public Schools Board Member – Kristal Boyd & Cyndi Casemier
Grand Ledge Public Schools Board Member – Coban Holmes, Matthew Oppenheim, & Kali Stevens
Grand Rapids Public Schools Board Member – Jordoun Eatman, Amber Kilpatrick, Eleanor Moreno & Ismailis Nuñez
Grandville Public Schools Board Member – Jason Heyboer & Sally VanEck
Grosse Pointe Public Schools Board Member – Clint Derringer, Laura Hull, Tim Klepp & Colleen Worden
Harper Woods Public Schools Board Member – David Calus, Ramona Dunn-Simmons, Diana Nimmons & Stacey White
Hartland Consolidated Schools Board Member – Jeff Campbell, Cindy Shaw & Julie Tucker
Hazel Park School Board Member – April Beaton (four-year term), Nate Becker (four-year term), Chris Johnston (four-year term), & Darrin Fox (four-year term)
Holland School Board Member – Liz Colburn & Diane Ybarra
Howell Public Schools Board Member – Crystal Zurek
Hudsonville School Board Member – Jaime Fleming
Huron Valley Schools Board Member – Lindsay Cotter & Laura Dodd
Jenison School Board Member – Jennifer Postema & William Waalkes
Lake Orion School District Board Member – Danielle Bresett, Susan Flaherty, Birgit McQuiston, Scott A. Taylor, & Jeff Faber (MEA)
L’Anse Creuse School District Board Member – S. George Icsman & Andrew Parski
Lansing Public Schools Board Member – Deyanira Nevarez Martinez (Partial Term), Josh Crim & Cirea Strode
Lapeer Community School Board of Education – Casey Carpenter & Summer Putnam
Livonia School District Board Member –Karen M. Bradford, Crystal Dawn Frank, Madelin Acosta & David J. MacFarland
Lowell School District Board Member – Jessica Curtis, Annie McMahon-Whitlock, Brian Krajewski, Laurie Kuna
Ludington School District Board Member – Michael Winczewski & Alan Neushwander
Mason Public School Board Member – Matt Bennett & Matt Hall
Mason County Central School District Board Member – Nicole Bernadette Birkett (MEA) & Nicole Sherretz
Marysville School District Board Member – Nicole Winston, Amanda Kettlewell-Busch, & Jen Settel
Mount Pleasant School District Board Member – Melissa Isaac & Nathan Tomson
Muskegon School District Board Member – Kwame Kamau James & G. Lynnette Marks
New Haven School District Board Member – Mark Goralczyk & Val Pod
Northville Public Schools Board Member – Ron Frazier, Jena Mabrey, Meredith Maurer & Lisa McIntyre
Novi Public Schools Board Member – Mary Ann Roney, Tom Smith & Jamie VanderMass Kliebert
Owosso Public Schools Board Member – Adam Easlick & Marlene Webster
Oxford Community Schools Board Member – Ann Acheson (2-year seat) & Any 3 of Erin Reis (write-in candidate), Randal Kreger, Mike Aldred, and Shane Gibson for the three 4-year seats
Port Huron Public Schools Board Member – Laurie Oldford & Matthew Ruiz
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board Member – Patti McCoin
Ravenna School District Board Member – Jon Swenor & Cory Kraai
Richmond School District Board Member – Sarah Gillies & David Mangune
Rochester Community School District Board Member – Barb Anness (2 year term), Michelle Bueltel (2 year term), Julie Alspach (6 year term), Jayson Blake (6 year term) & Richard Kaczanowski (6 year term)
Rockford Public Schools Board Member – Tricia Anderson, Jake Himmelspach, Kelley Freridge & Andrea Jackson
Romeo School District Board Member – Christy Seitz, Jason Smith & Wayne David Conner II
Royal Oak School District Board Member – Erica Alexander, Tim Ciechorski, Maryanne VanHaitsma, & Matt Wickey
Saginaw Township Community Schools Board Member – Marianne Burd & Janice Collison
Saline Area Schools Board Member – Darcy Berwick, Brad Gerbe, Jason Tizedes & Jennifer Steben
South Haven School District Board Member – Malissa Acosta, Graaflower & Doug Ransom
South Lake School District Board Member – Ryan Rumohr & Gail T. Weathersby
St. Johns School Board Member – Jessica Parker-Sternburgh & Timothy Jackson
Traverse City School Board Member – Scott Newman-Bale, Josey Ballenger, & Ty Schmidt
Utica Community Schools – Michael Austerman, Kimberly Becker & Kelli Rankin
Vicksburg School District Board Member – Elizabeth Castleberry, Lucas Hillard & Ron Centofanti
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools Board Member – Susie Crafton, Ron Lippitt, Michael Smith & Marc Siegler
Warren Consolidated Schools Board Member – Leah A. Berdy & Brian White
Warren Woods School District Board Member – Scott Hiller, Jenny Nitz, Michael A. Schulte & Nicole L. Spicer
Waterford School District Board Member – Elizabeth McGregor
West Bloomfield School District Board Member – Nick Hersch & Julie Beaty
West Ottawa School District Board Member – Cynthia Martinez, Mary Remenschneider, Cathy Lebster, Tyson Smith
Wyoming School District Board Member – Danielle Burzynski & Jennifer Lewis
Ypsilanti School District Board Member – Celeste Hawkins & Dawn Epsy
Local School Millages:
Carman-Ainsworth School Bond – Vote YES
Coleman Community Schools Bond – Vote YES
Leslie Sinking Fund Millage Renewal – Vote YES
Lincoln Sinking Fund Millage – Vote YES
Milan Sinking Fund Millage – Vote YES
Wayne RESA Enhancement Millage Renewal – Vote YES
Livingston Educational Service Agency Special Education Millage – Vote YES
Community College Board:
Grand Rapids Community College Board of Trustees – Micah Perkins
Jackson Community College Board Member – David Hammontree, Danielle Mackey & Donna Lake
Lansing Community College Board of Trustees – Hope Lovell, Chatum Taylor & Ryan Smith
Mott Community College Board Member – Kenyetta V. Dotson, Anne Figueroa & Perci Whitmore
Oakland Community College Board Member – Meg Lambert & Pam Davis
Schoolcraft Community College Board Member – Candy Little
St. Clair Community College Board of Trustees – Mukund Wankhede, Penelope G. Peck & Patrick Yanik
Judicial:
Court of Appeals – 2nd District (Macomb, Oakland & Genesee Counties) – Randy Wallace and Latoya Willis
3rd Circuit Court – John Larkin
6th Circuit Court – Nicole Sophia-Calhoun Huddleston
16th Circuit Court (Non-Incumbent Position) – Anthony R. Servitto
18th District Court – Mike McNamara
35th District Court – Michael Woodyard
41A District Court (Non-Incumbent Position) – Both Eric Shepherd and Pat Sierawski considered “highly qualified”
46th District Court – Robin Dillard-Russaw
52-3 District Court – Laura E. Polizzi
Macomb County Probate Court (New Position) – Aaron J. Hall
Muskegon County Probate Court Judge – Gregory C. Pittman
County & Municipal:
Eaton County
Delta Township Trustee – Fonda Brewer, Beth Bowen, Andrea Cascarilla & Michelle Hart
Ingham County
County Clerk – Barb Byrum
County Commission – District 5 – Myles Johnson
County Commission – District 6 – Rachel Willis
County Commission – District 7 – Thomas Morgan (MEA)
County Commission – District 10 – Gabrielle Lawrence
County Commission – District 13 – Tanya Pratt (MEA)
County Commission – District 15 – Michelle Rosa
Meridian Twp. Supervisor – Scott Hendrickson
Meridian Twp. Clerk – Angela Demas
Williamston Twp. Trustee – Jim Brinker
Leslie Sinking Fund Millage Renewal – Vote YES
Kent County
County Clerk – Scott Urbanowski
County Commission – District 6 – Nicholas Vander Veen
County Commission – District 8 –Chris Herweyer
Grand Rapids Township – Supervisor – Justin Sheldon
Grand Rapids Township – Treasurer – Krystina Orzechowski
Grand Rapids Township – Clerk – Teresa Stapleton
Grand Rapids Township – Trustee – Lori Kirkhoff, Tim Russ (MEA), Andy Shackelford & Jose Teixeira
Livingston County
Livingston Educational Service Agency Special Education Millage – Vote YES
County Commission – District 1 – Michelle Spisz
County Commission – District 7 – Bob Sexton
Macomb County
Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney – Christina Hines
Macomb County Sheriff – Anthony M. Wickersham
Macomb County Treasurer – Mathew T. Churchwell
Muskegon County
County Commission – District 3 – Sandra Boone-Thomas
Oakland County
County Executive – Dave Coulter
County Treasurer – Robert Wittenberg
County Prosecutor – Karen McDonald
County Clerk – Lisa Brown
Bloomfield Township Supervisor – Dani Walsh
Wayne County
Wayne RESA Enhancement Millage Renewal – Vote YES
Canton Township Supervisor – Anne Marie Graham-Hudak
Canton Township Treasurer – Dian Slavens
Canton Township Clerk – Michael Siegrist
Canton Township Trustee – Ammara Ansari, Kate Borninski, Sommer Foster & Tania Ganguly
Garden City Council – Brendan MacArthur
