'When it's convenient to be Latina': Hispanic leaders doubt claims Ebel recall is race-based
OTTAWA COUNTY — Supporters of Ottawa County Commissioner Lucy Ebel claim the recall effort launched against her this month is racially motivated.
Supporters of the recall, however, say that couldn't be further from the truth.
More: Recall paperwork filed against Ottawa Impact District 2's Lucy Ebel
On Monday, July 3, Park Township resident Larry Jackson filed a petition to recall Ebel, who represents the county's second district.
“Since taking their oaths of office in January, the six members of the board of commissioners associated with the Ottawa Impact PAC have revealed their intention of dismantling those elements of county government they feel threatened by, regardless of public opinion,” Jackson wrote in a statement to local media.
Ebel is a member of Ottawa Impact, a group formed in 2021 over outrage at the county and state responses to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Hudsonville businessman Joe Moss and self-described “parents' rights advocate” Sylvia Rhodea founded the group.
Ebel did not respond to a request to comment from The Sentinel on Monday, but she did attend an impromptu press conference Wednesday in front of the West Olive Fillmore Complex, where board meetings take place.
“Jesus is Lord over Ottawa County,” Ebel said to about a dozen supporters Wednesday. “I speak life to Ottawa County."
Ebel did not answer media questions afterward, FOX-17 reported.
The conference was organized by Cindy Amante, executive director of Propósito Michigan, a self-proclaimed Hispanic outreach group formed in February by Brighton resident Jeffrey Alan Vega.
"The Democratic Party has targeted Lucy Ebel for recall as their low-hanging fruit," Amante wrote in a July 3 statement, hours after the recall was filed. "Commissioner Ebel is Ottawa County’s first duly elected Christian Conservative Latina. Her historic and well-earned victory in 2022 is met with disdain by the party of quotas and affirmative action hires."
That's not true, according to Jackson.
Jackson, the current Ottawa County Democratic Party treasurer and a former candidate for Michigan's 86th House seat, said the idea the recall effort is based on race is a desperate attempt to distract voters from the controversial actions and decisions Ebel and Ottawa Impact have made.
"People will say anything to cling to power. None of it will stop District Two voters from exercising their First Amendment right to petition for recall," Jackson said. "We are confident our language is clear and factual.”
Amante said the recall aims to "take away the Latino voice in Ottawa County," adding "Ebel’s votes keep our ideals and culture in mind." But some local Hispanic leaders say Ebel has never reached out to their organizations to connect with voters or learn what her constituents care about.
"Despite speaking for over three minutes, at no time did Lucy Ebel, 'the first duly elected Christian Conservative Latina,' identify, proclaim or advocate for the Hispanic/Latino community, culture, or people, much less her brown self," said Tim Marroquin, director of diversity, equity and inclusion and Title IX coordinator for Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School.
Marroquin, chair of the Latino Caucus of the Ottawa County Democratic Party, wrote in a social media post Thursday the idea the recall is based on race is "fear mongering."
"Arguably, both parties have ignored or dismissed the Hispanic/Latino community along the lakeshore in various forms ... yet, this was nothing more than pandering to a growing demographic that can (and will) influence and impact county politics," he wrote on Facebook on July 6. "Fear mongering and Christian nationalism, dressed up in red, white and blue, with an accent over the é."
Marroquin said the needs of the Latino populations are important, but are often warped to fit political narratives.
"Representation matters. Invitations matter. Equity matters," Marroquin said. "We, those who identify with or embrace our Hispanic or Latino heritage, don't need soundbites or charity. We simply need access and opportunity."
Ottawa County's largest Hispanic outreach group, Latin Americans United for Progress, works to connect with the Latino population locally.
"We help empower Latinos to participate in creating a better community for all through advocacy, celebration and education," said Executive Director Johnny Rodriguez.
He said it's unfortunate that Ebel's heritage has been ushered into the spotlight only after her position was threatened.
"It was something that was very concerning for me and almost puzzling," Rodriguez said. "I don't think anybody knew Lucy was Latina. And I don't think it was ever mentioned in her campaign.
"To me, it seems like when it's convenient to be Latina, now she's Latina. As an Ottawa County commissioner, if you truly wanted to engage the Latino community, why wouldn't you start with the oldest Latino organization in the state of Michigan that operates in our county and in Holland? It's smoke and mirrors."
Rodriguez said he's never been contacted by Ebel or Amante.
"Lucy and Cindy never once have even engaged with LAUP to say, 'Hey, what are the needs in the Latino community?'" Rodriguez said.
Amante serves on the Family, Life and Welfare committee of She Leads Michigan, an organization comprised of Christian women who "provide a framework to link interdisciplinary perspectives, centered in the Bible," according to the group's website.
Former Holland mayor and current State House Rep. Nancy DeBoer, a Republican, is the assistant director of the group. DeBoer, who bested Jackson in 2022 for the 86th District seat, also received campaign contributions from Amante.
DeBoer did not respond to The Sentinel's request for comment Friday.
"What would Latinos in this community, in this county, like to see? Immigration, immigration reform, the Drive Michigan Forward bill. I've emailed Nancy (DeBoer) about these issues. Nothing. So, it really, truly is smoke and mirrors," Rodriguez said.
Gloria Lara, executive director of the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance, said it's imperative that Latino voters learn about the issues and candidates wanting to represent them.
"Your vote is where you can make your voice heard. It’s very important that, before you cast your vote, you do research to make certain the person you're voting for shares your values," Lara said. "Don’t always depend on what other people say or on the slogans that are on the billboards and campaign literature. Make your own decision."
Ebel, who represents constituents in Holland Township and Park Township defeated Republican incumbent Joe Baumann by 332 votes in the primary (1,560-1,228). She went on to face Democratic challenger Joe Spaulding in the general election and won by 578 votes (5,089-4,511).
Since taking office Jan. 3, Ebel and other Ottawa Impact-linked commissioners have pushed through a series of controversial motions, including firing the previous county administrator and former corporation counsel Doug Van Essen, demoting the county health officer and eliminating the county's DEI office.
“Ottawa County is historically conservative, but there are limits to what the voters will accept,” Jackson wrote in Monday's statement. “Commissioner Ebel’s allegiance to the Ottawa Impact PAC that elevated her into office has done a disservice to those living in the Second District. Lucy Ebel and Ottawa Impact are too extreme for Ottawa County.”
The recall petition filed Monday states: “On Feb. 28, 2023, Commissioner Lucy Ebel voted for a motion to correct the previous board of commissioners’ December 13, 2022, resolution that appointed Adeline Hambley as administrative health officer for Ottawa County. Commissioner Ebel voted for the motion after Ms. Hambley challenged in court the commission’s designation of her status as interim health officer.”
Hambley sued the board in early February, claiming the OI-linked commissioners have repeatedly interfered with her ability to do her job. Two weeks later, the OI commissioners voted to “revise” the December resolution appointing Hambley to her position — effectively setting up a legal argument for the board to claim Hambley wasn’t properly hired in the first place.
Jackson said the altered resolution was subsequently used by Ottawa County’s new corporate counsel, Kallman Legal Group, on March 1 “in an attempt to declare Hambley’s appointment invalid, expedite her removal, and carry out Commissioner Ebel’s Jan. 3 vote to appoint HVAC Safety Manager Nathaniel Kelly as health officer.”
Hambley’s lawsuit is currently with the Michigan Court of Appeals after commissioners appealed a lower court’s ruling granting Hambley a preliminary injunction.
“The attempt to terminate health officer Hambley’s position was done without the showing of incompetence, misconduct or willful neglect of duty, as required by law," Jackson wrote. "It placed the citizens of the Second District in jeopardy, as, in the words of Judge Jenny McNeill: 'The public is harmed when the law is not followed in terminating a health officer.'"
Jackson said Ebel is not an independent representative and merely follows direction from Moss and Rhodea.
“Commissioner Ebel’s consistent failure to engage with the 75 percent of District Two registered voters that did not vote for her shows that her loyalty is to the Ottawa Impact PAC that helped her, not the people she serves,” Jackson said. “She has served as a rubber stamp to the desires of the board chair, even when those votes did not serve the best interests or wishes of her constituents.”
Monday was the first eligible day for constituents to file recall petition paperwork for the current board of commissioners. Filing the language is the fourth step in a 21-step process outlined by the county clerk’s recall procedures.
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The Ottawa County Election Commission has scheduled a hearing for 8 a.m. Monday, July 17, which will “determine whether each reason for the recall stated in the petition is factual and of sufficient clarity,” according to information provided by the clerk’s office. The hearing will be in the main conference room at the clerk's Fillmore Complex location in West Olive.
If the language is approved, the petition must receive signatures from a minimum of 25 percent of the number of people who voted for governor in the most recent election in Ebel’s district, which equates to 2,480 signatures. Ebel would also have 10 days to appeal the commission’s decision.
If the recall effort gathers enough valid signatures, a special election will be certified and added to November’s general election ballot.
— Sarah Leach is executive editor for The Holland Sentinel. Contact her atsarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter@SentinelLeach.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'When it's convenient to be Latina': Hispanic leaders doubt claims Ebel recall is race-based
