Schor and Kelsea Hector secure top spots in Lansing mayoral primary

Lansing Regional Chamber PAC-endorsed candidates sweep City Council race

(Because of a reporting error, an earlier version of this story said 25,000 votes were cast in Lansing. That number is for Ingham County. The correct Lansing turnout was 15,000, City Clerk  Chris Swope said.)

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 6 — Kelsea Hector will face off against incumbent Mayor Andy Schor in November’s election, following a primary election yesterday with a better-than-usual turnout.

City Clerk Chris Swope said the turnout was “2,000 over the past several  mayoral primaries.” He said 15,000 votes were cast, including 83.7% by absentee ballot.

Schor’s victory as he seeks a third term was expected, but Hector’s second-place finish over better-known incumbent Councilmember Jeffrey Brown was something of a surprise.

Meanwhile, the at-large City Council race will pit grassroots candidate Julie Vandenboom against the Lansing Regional Chamber Political Action Committee’s three picks: current 2nd Ward Councilmember Jeremy Garza, and newcomers Clara Martinez and Aurelius Christian.

In the 4th Ward, two-term At-Large Councilmember Peter Spadafore, also endorsed by the LRC-PAC,  and  Heath Lowry will face off. Zacharie Spurlock, who finished 3rd with 17.6% of the vote, said Tuesday night that he would endorse Lowry.

Spurlock was one of few candidates who responded to requests for comment following the election results, likely due to results coming in late at night. It was nearly midnight when the results were announced. At an election watch party at the Avenue Cafe, Vandenboom gave a tentative victory speech with only 3% of the vote announced “because I know people are starting to want to go home and get some sleep.”

“Lansing has come out for me in a way that I did not anticipate and can never repay,” Vandenboom said. “And I want to be able to represent all of us, and everybody else that is not on Moores River Drive.”

“It’s going to be an uphill climb,” she said, adding her three then-likely opponents were all endorsed by the LRC-PAC. “They’re going to have that Chamber money with them, but they don’t have the same people-power that we have.”

Money spoke loud in the Council election. The top four vote-getters had the biggest campaign chests. Garza secured over $48,000, mostly from union donations, according to campaign finance reports. He received 20% of the vote. Clara Martinez, with over $21,000, got 17.63%. Vandenboom and Aurelius Christian, whose reports each showed around $14,500, received 17.65% and 9.66%, respectively.

But looking through those reports makes clear a difference between Vandenboom and the rest: Her war chest was filled entirely by individuals. She said in an interview that was on purpose.

“The local government should focus on the people who live here,” she said. “And I intentionally did not ask the Chamber of Commerce or sitting politicians for an endorsement, because I want to be able to go into this and not be beholden to anyone except the people of Lansing.”

While Vandenboom, Garza and Martinez were head-and-shoulders above the rest, Aurelius Christian’s lead over runner-up Olivia Vaden was more tenuous: only about 400 votes. That’s notable in part because Christian is the only candidate so far to have been targeted by a negative ad campaign.

A controversy over Martinez’ spending hundreds of dollars of campaign funds on a trip to Philadelphia failed to hinder her victory. She said in an interview last night that the trip was for campaign training from the National Education Association, which she was eligible for because of her membership in the Michigan Education Association.

Martinez, a dance instructor and the chair of Everett High School’s Visual & Performing Arts Department, said issues affecting her students would remain a focus for her.

“I felt like it was time to step up and make sure they had a voice at the table,” she said.

Schor’s victory in the mayoral race was to be expected. The two-term incumbent secured 63.38% of the vote, with Hector trailing at only 15.88%.

But Hector’s victory was less so. The former teacher and current executive director of Punks With Lunch Lansing seemed poised to be an also-ran, with  Brown the likeliest opponent for Schor. Brown, whose singular message to “Uplift Lansing” offered little in the way of proposed policy, seemingly expected name recognition to carry him through the primary. Then there was Brett Brockschmidt, the retired accountant who filed first to run against Schor and riled up an anti-Schor crowd on Facebook.

Hector managed to pull through, but she has a steep climb ahead if she wants to have a chance against Schor. Schor has raised nearly $100,000 in 2025 and has been endorsed by Gov Gretchen Whitmer, Senator Gary Peters, Pete Buttigieg and a procession of local politicians. Hector did not file a campaign finance report, and told the Lansing State Journal last week that she had not passed the $1,000 mark.

Schor said in an interview last night that he felt “great” going into the primary.

“I’m very confident that we’ve been able to talk to and hear from the voters, and talk about my vision and things we’re going to do in the next four years,” he said.

Schor endorsed two candidates, Martinez and Spadafore.

David Ellis, who finished last in the mayoral race, said he would endorse Hector for mayor. Neither Brown nor Brockschmidt replied to a request for comment.

“She knows what she’s talking about, and she doesn’t ignore people that she disagrees with,” he said.

Also on the Lansing ballot was a proposal to renew a millage that has funded parks and recreation since 1990. It passed with 73% of the vote.

The only item on Lansing Township’s ballot, a proposal to confirm the township’s franchise agreement with the Lansing Board of Water and Light, did not pass. Confirming the agreement would have helped the township avoid legal troubles for the franchise fee it charges BWL electric customers, which is similar to a BWL franchise fee in East Lansing that was declared an illegal tax by the state Supreme Court.

Two millages in Meridian Township to fund a proposed Community and Senior Center needed to both pass to take effect. Neither did.

The 2nd Ward City Council race did not appear in the primary because only two candidates filed. Erik Almquist and Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, who was endorsed by the LRC-PAC, will face off in November.

While Hector’s spot in the mayoral primary shows anything is possible, an LRC-PAC and endorsement and a hefty war chest seem to be the biggest indicators of success in Nov. 4’s general election.