Mayor’s race expands

Brown Clarke expected to announce run this week

Posted

MONDAY, Feb. 27 —Lansing City Councilwoman Judi Brown Clarke is expected to announce this week that she will run for mayor of Lansing.

“I’ve made my decision,” Brown Clarke said tonight. “I will be making an announcement this week.”

Brown Clarke

Her decision followed the surprise announcement earlier today that three-term incumbent VirgBernero will not seek reelection.

State Rep. Andy Schor, D-Lansing, announced last week he would seek the post. With Bernero out of the race, Schor is the clear leader with financial support.

Brown Clarke confirmed that a fundraiser held on her behalf by attorney EdwarZeineh last week raised “over $20,000.” However, Brown Clarke’s campaign owes nearly $12,000 to her and her husband, 54-A District Judge Hugh Clarke.

At the beginning of December, Schor had nearly $70,000 on hand,according to campaign finance reports on file with the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office. He has since held his annual beer tasting fundraiser event, so that nest egg is likely higher now.

Bernero’s exit from the race shakes up the fundraising landscape. His campaign finance reports showed he raised much of his money from developers and city of Lansing employees. His last report showed his campaign with $142,000 on hand

Brown Clarke, 56, is the diversity director for the National Science Foundation's Bio-Computational Evolution in Action Consortium Center at Michigan State University.. She won a Silver Medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics in the 400-meter hurdles.

She was elected to her current post on City Council in 2013. The day after her election, which she won with Bernero’s backing, she indicated her interest in being mayor.

“There is nothing off the table right now,” she saidin n interview on the radio show“City Pulse on the Air.” “I’m very candid with that. We’ll see how this plays.”

Brown Clarke cannot run for both City Council and mayor.

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