'This is not my party': Deputy Health Director Marcia Mansaray will challenge Slagh

OTTAWA COUNTY — Ottawa County Deputy Health Director Marcia Mansaray wants to bring much-needed change to state government.

That's why she's running for the 85th District in the Michigan House of Representatives.

More: Our go-to guide for races in Ottawa, Allegan counties

"I'm excited about it," she said. "When I considered: Should I run? Could I run? What should I run for? I got super excited about this opportunity. Things need to be addressed, and there's the need for it to happen at the state level. There are some laws I want changed."

Unsurprisingly, those laws largely include updating the state's transparency regulations and the public health code. Mansaray wants to use her experience working in the health department — and defending it — to help citizens everywhere.

"I've never been interested in party politics, except when it was important, like a president or governor," she said. "And I have to humbly admit that I wasn't as invested or paying as much attention as I should have been — 2016 definitely got my attention, but then I wasn't really thinking about what's happening where I live ... until 2022."

That's when Ottawa Impact, a far-right fundamentalist group that formed in 2021 over frustrations with county and state COVID-19 mitigation measures, assumed a majority on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. In January 2023, the group championed a series of controversial decisions that led to a brief investigation from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel as well as four lawsuits — one involving the health department.

In their first meeting, OI commissioners attempted to demote Administrative Health Officer Adeline Hambley in favor of a candidate who aligned more with their political views, particularly over how local and state health officials handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hambley prevailed and remains in her job, as does Mansaray, but the litigation dragged on for over a year and the cost to the health department was severe — the budget approved by commissioners this year slashed millions in funding.

More: Ottawa County Board votes unanimously to retain Hambley as health officer

"The health department, where I work and where my career is, and where the people I love work with me, became the chess piece Ottawa Impact candidates were using to build their case for winning," Mansaray said.

"Their strategy now appears to be to not let any agenda items make the light of day for public health, so we're having a hard time getting anything through and the people don't know, because it's not even on a committee meeting agenda or a board meeting agenda."

Mansaray, 60, says the board's current majority doesn't display the three things she looks for in elected officials: character, competence and courage.

She said true public service is about selflessness.

"If you're courageous enough to demonstrate that you're willing to lose things yourself to get the job done, then I think you could be a public servant, which is what I think an elected official is," she said.

Mansaray is running as a Democrat and will face Republican incumbent Brad Slagh, who is seeking a third term. Slagh originally served the 90th District before Michigan's congressional and legislative boundaries were redrawn in 2022.

The district now includes Zeeland, Zeeland Township, Georgetown Township, Hudsonville and a portion of Jamestown Township.

Mansaray said she originally considered running for county commissioner "because it's close to the life I live, and it's the pain that I felt. I can see its impact right now in my community and to my neighbors."

But supporters suggested going higher, thanks to the breadth of knowledge acquired during her 18 years with the health department.

Mansaray was raised in a Republican family, she said, but over the past decade has felt disconnected from the party.

"What I've watched over the last eight years, and especially over the last two here, totally changed," she said. "When I see people with the name Republican next to them, and they've attempted to destroy our counties, public health services, and lots of other things — this is not my party.

"They've moved away from the beliefs that I've held about what community should be like and what the leaders of communities should want and tried to do. So, I'm very happy to be welcomed with open arms by this Democratic Party here, and they share my values."

She said toxic politics have infiltrated state and local government.

"I don't think the Democratic Party or the Republican Party should be a block of people who only think one thing and follow their leader no matter what," she said. "I think there should be separation ... where there's tension. We don't want to fight these wars, we want to argue them out."

She said it's disappointing that lifelong public servants aren't pushing back against groups like Ottawa Impact.

"Elected officials, who have tremendous influence and opportunity to make change, have been silent ... including Bradley Slagh," she said. "He was a treasurer here in Ottawa County; he worked with county employees. This should be hurting him, but I'm not hearing a word about it.

"If that party is going to survive, it's got to change. It's not going to make it this way."

She said even if she loses, it's important voters have choices at the ballot box.

"I've gained some social capital over COVID and I don't want to waste it and it won't last forever; it will be gone, like a puff of smoke," she said. "Right now, I'd like to use it for good. I don't want anybody else to feel the pain I felt in '22 when I looked at my ballot and I only had one choice for commissioner — and I desperately wanted someone else to choose from."

If elected, Mansaray's top three priorities would be reforming the state's sunshine laws, updating the public health code, and ensuring robust air and water quality regulations.

"We need to increase transparency in state and local government. Jan. 3 was my first really clear example of seeing a lack of transparency. Dana Nessel investigated, and she said this is a clear, dramatic violation of the spirit of the Open Meetings Act, but not a technical one, and I don't want that to happen again, and especially now that there's sort of a playbook for it, and they keep doing it. They're just sneakier about it."

In the health code, she wants to protect health workers who have a duty to protect communities.

"Communicable diseases don't regard your freedoms," she said. "You don't really have a whole lot of choice about whether you're going to get one or not when you don't participate in helping protect yourself or others."

She said the attempted removal of Hambley last year highlighted the need to draw clear boundaries around health officers and their duties.

"Public health works by best practices and scientific methods, not by political favoritism or ideology," she said. "You need people making these really hard decisions and enforcing them who are apolitical, are informed in the science and who live in their communities. You can remove them, but you have to have a reason — and it needs to be a good one and it needs to be backed up by evidence."

A member of Pillar Church in Holland, Mansaray said she wants to serve her community and her faith.

"I want to serve everyone. I loved our county's slogan or motto, 'Where You Belong.' I was all in on that," she said. "I want whoever wants to live here to be able to live here. I want to serve everyone and I literally want everyone to know that they're cared about and loved. That's my gospel: God loves everyone."

Mansaray has been married to her husband, Alpha, for 10 years. The couple share six children and two grandchildren.

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Dates to know

• Tuesday, April 23: Filing deadline for Ottawa County candidates

• Tuesday, May 7: Special recall election for District Two

• Tuesday, Aug. 6: Michigan primary election

• Tuesday, Nov. 5: Michigan general election

— Sarah Leach is executive editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'This is not my party': Deputy Health Director Marcia Mansaray will challenge Slagh