Ottawa Impact incumbents officially file for re-election

Mitchell Boatman, Holland Sentinel
·3 min read
With just a week until the filing deadline for the August primary, the controlling majority of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners has officially filed for re-election.
With just a week until the filing deadline for the August primary, the controlling majority of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners has officially filed for re-election.
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OTTAWA COUNTY — With just a week until the filing deadline for the August primary, the controlling majority of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners has officially filed for re-election.

On Tuesday, April 16, six incumbent Republican commissioners affiliated with Ottawa Impact filed to run for a second term. They are Gretchen Cosby in District 1, Lucy Ebel in District 2, Joe Moss in District 5, Sylvia Rhodea in District 8, Roger Belknap in District 9 and Allison Miedema in District 11.

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

Ottawa Impact is a far-right Republican group formed by Moss and Rhodea, now the board chair and vice chair, respectively.

Prior to the August primary, Ebel is facing a recall special election on May 7.

Commissioner Lucy Ebel, who faces a recall election May 7, has filed to run for re-election in the August primary.
Commissioner Lucy Ebel, who faces a recall election May 7, has filed to run for re-election in the August primary.

The Sentinel will publish separate profile articles on all candidates who respond to interview requests.

The slate of incumbents filed just days after Ottawa Impact posted an updated “Contract with Ottawa” for commissioner candidates. The group's website says vetted candidates — those that sign the contract — will be published soon.

Moss posted a press release on his campaign site after filing Tuesday.

“As your county commissioner, I will continue to lead with courage, promote freedom and American values, deliver conservative politics and make Ottawa County a place where freedom rings for everyone,” Moss wrote.

Ottawa Impact candidates won a majority of seats on the board in 2022.

Shortly after being sworn in Jan. 3, 2023, the newly elected commissioners made sweeping changes through agenda items added during the meeting. They included closing the county’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department, changing the county’s motto, hiring Kallman Legal Group as corporation counsel, firing administrator John Shay and replacing him with John Gibbs, and attempting to fire Health Officer Adeline Hambley.

More: A year after the Ottawa Impact controversy, here's what the commissioners accomplished

Those actions, and others, have directly or indirectly led to four lawsuits. Residents sued the board for Open Meetings Act violations, a case possibly heading to the Michigan Supreme Court; Hambley sued the board in February 2023, the beginning of a year-long legal battle; Gibbs was sued for age discrimination after selecting an executive aide over another, more qualified, candidate; and Gibbs is now suing the county for wrongful termination after he was fired at the end of February.

Other actions taken by the board, and highlighted by Moss in his press release, include a series of resolutions — a Constitutional County Resolution, a Resolution to Protect Childhood Innocence, an Adoption Day Resolution (an annual action by the board), a Heroes of Freedom Resolution and a Resolution on Childhood Vaccine Waivers.

Commissioner Roger Belknap will officially seek a second term on the Ottawa County Board.
Commissioner Roger Belknap will officially seek a second term on the Ottawa County Board.

Moss highlighted the establishment of a Department of Veteran Affairs and rejecting “unneeded and sometimes harmful” grant funding.

The board has also adjusted meeting times to enable further public participation, expanded committees before reverting back to five-member groups, moved a broadband connectivity project forward, and cut the health department’s budget by millions.

Three other incumbents — Democrat Doug Zylstra in District 3, Republican Jacob Bonnema in District 4 and Republican Kendra Wenzel in District 6, who was appointed in December and is also an OI member —  filed to run earlier this year.

Rebekah Curran in District 7 and Roger Bergman in District 10 are not seeking re-election. Curran is instead running for U.S. Senate.

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As of Wednesday, April 17, every incumbent Republican commissioner except Bonnema is set to face a primary challenger.

The deadline to file for the Aug. 6 primary is Tuesday, April 23. Commissioners elected in November will serve from January 2025 until December 2028.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ottawa Impact incumbents officially file for re-election