David LaGrand, Senita Lenear win primary race for Grand Rapids mayor

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids voters on Tuesday, Aug. 6, narrowed the field of candidates vying for a chance to be the city’s next mayor.

Former state Rep. David LaGrand, D-Grand Rapids, and Senita Lenear were the top vote-getters in the primary election, beating out two other candidates who were running, according to unofficial results from the Kent County Clerk’s Office.

LaGrand overwhelmingly came in first place with 18,282 votes (59.80%), and Lenear placed second with 6,134 votes (20.06%).

The two will now advance to a run-off election in November. The city’s current mayor, Rosalynn Bliss, is term limited and unable to seek re-election. Bliss was the city’s first female mayor and has held the seat since 2016.

The other two candidates in the race were Steve Owens, who came in third place with 4,198 votes (13.73%), and Hailey Lynch-Bastion who earned 1,850 votes (6.05%).

The Kent County Clerk’s Office website initially had all 74 precincts reported by 11:20 p.m. Tuesday, but had incomplete vote totals for the four candidates. The results were updated with the full votes by midnight.

Primary election results are considered unofficial until they are certified.

LaGrand, 57, was endorsed by both Bliss and former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell in the primary race.

LaGrand is an attorney who previously worked as a Kent County assistant prosecutor. He served as the state representative for the 75th District from 2015 to 2022. He was a member of the Grand Rapids City Commission from 2007 to 2010, and he also served as a Grand Rapids school board member from 2012 to 2015.

Lenear served two terms on the Grand Rapids City Commission representing the city’s Third Ward from 2014 to 2022. She also served more than five years on the Grand Rapids Public School Board, including two years as board president.

Lenear has 16 years of corporate experience, over 10 years of business ownership experience and over 15 years of service on public bodies. She co-owns Genesis Consulting Group, with her husband, Dallas. The company provides consulting to businesses, nonprofits and ministries and is located on the city’s southeast side.