Ottawa Co. commissioner running for US Senate
GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Ottawa County Commissioner Rebekah Curran confirmed to News 8 Friday she will run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat as a Republican.
“America has always been a land where diverse people can come together and create a unique and wonderful bond,” Curran told News 8. “(That) allowed each American to live their life by their own conscience, without any interference from their government. That is no longer the case, and it concerns me deeply. This is my country, and I will not sit idly by while others try to destroy it.”
She originally filed Federal Election Commission papers establishing a campaign committee on Feb. 19.
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She represents District 7 in Ottawa County, with precincts in Georgetown Township. Curran said she was initially vetted by Ottawa Impact, the conservative group led by Chairman Joe Moss, and signed their contract but withdrew her affiliation in May 2022 and chose to run an independent campaign.
Ottawa Impact then secured a majority on the board in January 2023.
Curran has often been a swing vote on the board between the Ottawa Impact majority and ideological opponents.
“I would call me a wild card,” she told News 8. “I vote based on the conscience and what is brought up and what I’m hearing from my constituents.”
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The board has been marked by several controversies during her tenure, including a more than yearlong legal fight over an attempt to oust health officer Adeline Hambley. Lawyers for both sides finally ended their dispute this week, allowing Hambley to remain in her role with protections going forward.
Just Thursday, the board voted 10-1 to fire County Administrator John Gibbs over a slew of claims about his behavior in the workplace, which he has denied.
“Don’t you feel like you’re in D.C. in Ottawa County?” Curran said. “I know I do. If Ottawa County is not preparation for Washington, D.C., I don’t know what is.”
Curran said her goal as commissioner and as a potential senator is to bring people together.
“Show them we have far more in common than we do that divides us, while dealing with the issues,” she said.
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Curran said she still plans on fulfilling her duties as a commissioner and serving the remainder of her term. She did not say whether she would run again as commissioner if her Senate campaign is unsuccessful, saying, “I plan on going to D.C.”
Curran is seeking to fill the Senate seat vacated by Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who announced in 2023 she would not seek reelection. She joins a crowded GOP primary field that includes former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer and former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash.
When asked how she will separate herself from those high-profile candidates, Curran replied, “The people will separate me. The people will choose me, and they will decide they want to work with me.”
“This is something I feel called to do,” she said. “That’s why I’m making a jump.”
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The commissioner said she was also driven to run because of the situation at the border, as well as high inflation.
“The economy … everything is outrageous,” she said. “I don’t know how people are living right now. There are people working one, two and three jobs to put food on the table. Now everything is absolutely outrageously priced.”
According to her online biography, Curran was a sales and marketing professional but began working in politics and fundraising in 2012. She has worked for The Family Foundation, Amanda Chase for Virginia State Senate and Governor, Ben Carson’s Presidential Super PAC and Trump Victory, her biography says.
Curran must collect at least 15,000 signatures by April 23 to get on the ballot. The Republican primary is set for Aug. 6.
— News 8’s Katie Rosendale contributed to this report.
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