Ottawa Impact officially wins county board majority, but sees mixed results in schools

OTTAWA COUNTY — Candidates backed by political group Ottawa Impact have officially secured a majority on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. Eight candidates “vetted” by the group won seats during the Nov. 8, 2022, general election.

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Eleven candidates affiliated with the group ran for various school boards, but saw mixed results.

Ottawa Impact is a Jenison-based political advocacy group formed in 2021 by parents and residents critical of the state and local governments' response to containing the spread of the novel coronavirus. Vetted candidates are required to sign a contract agreeing to uphold the values of the group.

The contract for county commissioner candidates includes removing Ottawa County from the Government Alliance on Race and Equity and discontinuing promotions of topics like racial equity, privilege and oppression and implicit bias, which the group refers to as “divisive teachings.”

The contract also states candidates will actively oppose “unconstitutional orders” put in place during times of crisis, seemingly referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that those orders will not be enforced.

The school board contract states candidates will oppose materials in "social emotional" learning curriculums, the “over sexualization of children through surveys, library and classroom library books” and transgender youth playing sports and using bathrooms that don't align with their birth gender.

It also states they must “oppose teachings aligned with Critical Race Theory."

Just two of Ottawa Impact’s eight candidates running for county board faced Democrat challengers Tuesday, and both won.

Gretchen Cosby defeated Danielle Smith in District 1 by a margin of 8,759 to 5,886. In District 2, Lucy Ebel earned 5,089 votes to defeat Joe Spaulding, who had 4,511 votes.

Jacob Bonnema (District 4), Joe Moss (District 5), Rebekah Curran (District 7), Sylvia Rhodea (District 8), Roger Belknap (9,712) and Allison Miedema (District 11) all ran unopposed after winning their primaries in August.

The remaining three seats on the board will be retained by incumbents. Doug Zylstra, the board’s lone Democrat, won re-election in District 3, while Republicans Kyle Terpstra (District 6) and Roger Bergman (District 10) won re-election as well.

Terpstra was supported by Ottawa Impact in the August primary, but is no longer listed as a “vetted” candidate on the group’s website.

In school board races, six of Ottawa Impact’s 11 endorsed candidates won election. Candidates were successful in Allendale, Grandville and Jenison, but not in Holland or Grand Haven.

For Holland Public Schools, which had three seats available, Lois Mulder received by far the most votes at 7,238. Incumbent Linda Falstad (5,346 votes) and Chris Arendshorst (4,973) also won seats on the board. Incumbent Bree Austin-Roberts finished fourth with 4,480, followed by the two Ottawa Impact candidates Laurie Van’t Hof (4,027) and Katie Staroba (3,703).

Incumbent Liz Colburn, currently board president, ran unopposed for a partial term on the HPS board.

Incumbents took all three board seats in Grand Haven — two full terms and one partial term. Nichol Stack (8,339 votes) and Carl Treutler (7,730) won full seats ahead of Ottawa Impact members Roger Williams (7,086) and Tommy Van Hill (6,952).

The partial seat went to Marc Eickholt, who defeated Ottawa Impact’s Thomas Hoekstra 9,238 to 9,017.

In Allendale, Ottawa Impact-endorsed Liz Ramey was the top vote-getter for two six-year terms at 3,895 votes. Incumbent Josh Thurkettle won the other seat with 2,940 votes, followed by Troy Lampen at 2,053 and Ike Kennedy at 2,017.

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A partial term in Allendale also went to an Ottawa Impact candidate. Corey Mango received 3,175 votes to beat out Incumbent Christopher Breen (1,698) and Aileen VanderSchuur (1,535).

Grandville had two seats available, won by a pair of Ottawa Impact candidates. Incumbent Bob Wondergem (7,178 votes) and Joe Steffes (6,784) won election, followed by Trent Joseph Taylor (6,542), Cameron Zbikowski (6,220) and Erica Abel (4,665).

Ottawa Impact candidates Jennifer Thomas Griffin and Donna Mooney won election in Jenison with 5,662 and 5,420 votes, respectively. Incumbents Mark Richter and William Waalkes fell short of re-election with 5,209 and 4,961 votes, respectively.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ottawa Impact wins county board majority, but sees mixed results in schools