In November of last year, then state senator Peter MacGregor won election to the position of Kent County Treasurer, returning to work nearer his Rockford home after more than a decade of public service in Lansing as a state representative and then a senator.
Just after his election, when he resigned his senate seat and was sworn in as Treasurer, MacGregor told WKTV the duties of state senator and county treasurer were very different in most ways but that the common ground fits in with his skill-set and his personal outlook when it comes to taxpayers and use of their taxes.
Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor. (WKTV)
In early April, Kent County Treasurer MacGregor visited WKTV Journal In Focus to talk about his job transition, the sometimes little-known duties of the county treasurer, and where he now sees his public service priorities lay — including sometimes knocking on the door to help homeowners behind on their taxes.
Oh, ya, and we also asked how long it took him to stop answering the phone with “This is Senator MacGregor”?
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
At Government Matters meeting sponsored by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce and broadcast by WKTV, then State Sen. Peter MacGregor (right) talks with other legislators. (WKTV)
It was a holiday season of change and challenges for new Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor.
The two-term State Senator representing Wyoming and Kentwood won a countywide election in November 2020 with the shadow of term limits set to end his time in Lansing in two years. He was sworn in to the Kent County office in mid-December and officially resigned his 28th District seat on Dec. 31 — but not before helping to push through state government a series of “essential” COVID-19 related bills.
Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor (Supplied)
Last week, as he prepared to take over the county position this week, he talked with WKTV about his plans for his new public service duties and what he will miss about serving in state government. He also expressed concerns about how and when the constituents of his old senate district will again have representation — a process which he hopes will not be driven by partisan politics.
“I am gong to miss the friendships, the working relationships that I have with the people there,” MacGregor said. “I am going to miss my staff — I had five staff members. I am going to miss my colleagues. … (and) the policy people who are dedicated to making our state the best place to live and play and work. … That is what I am going to miss. I am not going to miss the politics.”
Replacement for senate seat driven by Governor
The currently Republican-held senate seats vacated by MacGregor and one-time Macomb County Sen. Pete Lucido, who won the Macomb County’s prosector position in November, leave the current balance of political power in the state senate at 20 Republicans and 16 Democrats.
State senators are all elected in the same years as the governor, with the last election one being in 2018. So for the two now open senate seats to be filled, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would need to call for a special election — which MacGregor hopes will occur.
At this point, the local senate seat “will be unfilled by an elected official, (but) there is still staff there that will help out the people of the 28th District, in fact it is my former staff,”MacGregor said. “But the sooner it is that the Governor calls for an election, the better it is for the people to have representation in the 28th District. … My hope is that the seat stays vacant for as little time as possible.”
The new Senate leadership will have Sen. Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) serving a second term as majority leader while Sen. Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway) will replace MacGregor as majority floor leader. MacGregor was also chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.
According to a spokesperson for the Kent County Clerk’s office, which controls county elections, filing the local seat is “completely at the mercy of when the Governor calls for the special election.”
When WKTV this week asked Gov. Whitmer’s office for its plans for calling a special election, a spokesperson in the office said the Governor was “reviewing possibilities.”
But the Kent County Clerk’s spokesperson noted that there could be a ripple effect no matter what she does.
“In both (open) seats you’ll likely see House members running for the special senate elections, so if she called the special for the August/November 2021 election dates, then that has the potential to leave a House seat vacant. It’s likely that she leave the Senate seat vacant for the final two years and not deal with the potential of the domino effect in the House.”
MacGregor wraps up work in Lansing
As Michigan’s 2020 Legislative session wrapped up in December, a spate of bills signed by the Governor (and a few vetoed) had Sen. MacGregor’s name attached. Some of them were sponsored by him and some had his name attached due to his role in Senate leadership.
“As the floor leader (as the session came to an end), I can control what moves, and towards the end, when we were running out of time, it made more sense to the leadership team to put some of these bills in the name of leadership because we just have a better way of moving the bills,” MacGregor said.
Many of the bills were COVID-19 related and, he said, “Timing was essential . … We needed to get those done before the session ended.”
One of those bills was SB 1258, which was signed by the Governor, dealt with “good employment practices both for employers and employees,” MacGregor said. “If the employees are doing every thing they were told to do, following the guidelines the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has issued, they can’t be fired.”
The law also includes protections for the employer in these times of COVID-19, when it comes to work environments.
“It protects workers from being discharged if they are sick and it also mandates that, if the employers follows all the rules the they are supposed to, especially for essential workers, the the essential workers can’t retaliate,” MacGregor said. “Everybody needed this bill to protect (the state) moving forward” in the pandemic.
Skill-set and goals for new new county position
MacGregor, in comparing his change in duties from state senator to county treasurer, says they are very different in most ways but that the common ground fits in with his skill-set and his personal outlook when it comes to taxpayers and use of their taxes.
Peter MacGregor, in the WKTV studios in 2019. (WKTV)
“The financial aspect is probably where the similarities are,” he said. “I am going from a policy position to more of an administrative position, but working with the people’s tax dollars, making sure that you are a good steward of those tax dollars, I’ve done that since I was a supervisor in Cannon Township.”
In between serving as a township supervisor and a state senator, MacGregor served two terms as a state representative.
And as in the past, he sees a priority of his new position “is that you have got to put faces to those tax dollars.”
Pointing out that one of the duties of the treasurer is dealing with property foreclosures, he said he wants to work to help people who are threatened with foreclosure.
“You got to work with those people. They are not just addresses … you have to help those people as soon as possible,” he said.
MacGregor, who lives in Rockford, is a lifelong Michigan resident and was a small business owner before serving in Lansing. He is a graduate of Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business. He and his wife, Christie, have three sons.
The 2020 election cycle, the August primary and the November general elections, will have a wide spectrum of officeholders for Wyoming and Kentwood voters to decide upon.
The 2020 election cycle, the August primary and the November general elections, will have a wide spectrum of officeholders for Wyoming and Kentwood voters to decide upon — from Kentwood’s District Court judge to President of the United States.
As the candidate deadline for the filing for partisan positions on the fall primary and November ballots passed today, April 21, at 4 p.m., a review of the Kent County Elections Office list also includes three local developments of special note.
Three candidates will vie for the Kent County Board of Commissioners 8th District seat, which is entirely in the boundaries of the City of Wyoming, but current commissioner and long-time public servant Harold Voorhees will not be one of them.
And current State Sen. Peter MacGregor (Republican, 28th District) is running for Kent County Treasurer, an action that if successful would require him to resign from his senate seat two years before term limits would force him to do so.
Both Commissioner Voorhees and Sen. MacGregor talked to WKTV briefly today about their decisions.
For Commissioner Voorhees, this is just the right time.
Commissioner Harold Voorhees
“At the end of 2020, I will have served 30 years in elected office. I think this is the right time for someone else,” Voorhees said. “I have been blessed to be able to serve people in three different elected offices … (and) my wife and I are in our 80s and we are blessed with good health. So why not spend more time with our six children, 19 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. We have lots of visiting to do.”
The new county commission’s 8th District commissioner, to be decided in November, will be either the sole Democrat to file, Sarah Chatterley of Wyoming, or the winner of an Aug. 2 Republican Party primary between current City of Wyoming City Council Member-at-large Dan Burrill and Grandville’s Denise Kolesar.
Additionally, in the county commission’s 13th District (Kentwood), incumbent Democrat Betsy Melton filed early but then removed her name late in the process, so fellow Democrat Michelle McCloud and Republican Levi Cipcic, both unopposed in the primary, will face off in November.
As far as Sen. MacGregor’s decision, he told WKTV that his love of public service — he has more than 11 years as a state representative and now state senator — and looming term limits are what drove him to the decision.
State Sen. Peter MacGregor (R-28th District)
“I truly love serving the people” of Kent County, he said. “Maybe I can use my skill set to continue serving this way … (and) this is kind of a free shot to test that.”
If he does not win the treasurer seat, Sen. MacGregor would continue to serve his final two years in the senate.
Also seeking the county treasurer job, and running in the Democratic primary, are José L. Reyna and Beth White, the winner of which will face MacGregor in the general election.
City of Wyoming City Council
City of Wyoming voters will have three seats on the City Council to be voted on, all three on the November ballot and two of the three unopposed at this point. Incumbents Marissa K. Postler and Robert Postema have filed for the 2nd Ward and the 3rd Ward council seats, respectively. Rob Arnoys and John Fitzgerald have filed for a Commissioner-at-large seat.
Kent County Board of Commissioners
In other Kent County Board of Commissioners contests, in the 7th District (Grandville/part of Wyoming), Republican incumbent and Grandville resident Stan Ponstein and Democrat and Grandville resident Jane Newton will run unopposed in August and face off in November.
In the 9th District (Byron Twp./part of Wyoming), incumbent Republican Matt Kallman will be opposed by Keith Courtade (D) of Wyoming, while in the 12th District (Kentwood/part of Wyoming and Grand Rapids) incumbent Democrat Monica Sparks of Kentwood and Grand Rapids Republican Ryan Malinoski will run unopposed in August and face off in November.
Kent County-wide elections
Current Kent County District Attorney Chris Becker (R) will run for reelection unopposed this election cycle, but current Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young (R) will be opposed Democrat Marc Burns.
Current county Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R) will also be opposed, by Wyoming resident Devin Ortega-Furgeson (D). And current Drain Commissioner Ken Yonker (R) will be opposed by Elaine Isely (D).
Part of the Kent County Court System, Kentwood’s current 62 B District Court Judge William G. is bared from running again due to a state law setting an age limit of 70. Running for the non-partisan seat is Amanda Sterkenburg and Joe Jackson, both of Kentwood.
According to the Kent County Elections Office, local judicial candidates will only be on the November candidate listing unless they are forced into a primary (if more than twice the number of candidates file for the number of seats to be elected). If that happens, there will be a primary on the August ballot.
Wyoming’s and Kentwood’s state, federal elected positions
In the Michigan State House of Representatives 72nd District, which includes Kentwood, incumbent Rep. Steven Johnson (R) of Wayland will run unopposed in the primary but in November will face the winner of a Democratic primary between Lily Cheng-Schulting of Grand Rapids and Cade Wilson of Kentwood.
The state house 77th District (which includes Wyoming) will have incumbent Tommy Brann of Wyoming running unopposed in the Republican primary and, in November, he will face the winner of an August Democratic primary field of Bob Smith of Byron Center and Dana Knight of Wyoming.
In Michigan’s 2nd U.S. Congressional District (which includes Wyoming and Kentwood) incumbent Rep. Bill Huizenga (R) and Rev. Bryan Berghoef (D) will also run unopposed in August and face off in November.
Wyoming and Kentwood voters will in November also select between incumbent U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D) two Republicans running in the August primary, John James and Bob Carr.
According to the Kent County Elections Office, “Candidates without party affiliation have until 4 p.m. on July 16 to file petitions to appear on the November ballot.” So independents could still file for offices.
The 26th District of the State Senate includes the City of Kentwood along with all of Allegan and Van Buren counties. For a district map, click here.
Three men are running in the Aug. 7 Republican primary. Two of them were term-limited out of State Representative positions then worked in public service at either the county or state level. Also running is a career dentist. The three are looking to replace the also term-limited Republican Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker. The eventual Republican Party primary winner will then face the lone Democratic candidate Garnet Lewis and Libertarian candidate Erwin Haas in the general election Nov. 6.
Note: Primary candidates are show in alphabetical order. Only seats with primary opposition were invited to participate in We The People at this time.
Name: Bob Genetski
Party: Candidate, Republican
Occupation: Allegan County Clerk and Register of Deeds (Former State Representative)
Why did you decide to run for the 26th District State Senate seat?
I was teaching high school in 2008, I was teaching at-risk students, and I saw how they and their families were effected by the terrible economy and the job-killing Michigan business tax, and I wanted to do something to do something to help those families. As I looked at it, Michigan has come a long way and improved greatly. However their is still a long ways to go. Our roads are crumbling, our infrastructure is crumbling and we have an auto insurance burden that forces a lot of our friends and neighbors to drive without auto insurance.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
We’ve got to improve the roads and we’ve got to do it without increasing the gas tax and registration fees. And we need to come up with an affordable automobile insurance solution, one that allows those drivers who are struggling economically to afford some sort of auto insurance so they are not breaking the law every time they get into their car.
Name: Aric Nesbitt
Party: Candidate, Republican
Occupation: Public Service. (Former cabinet member for Gov. Rick Snyder; former State Representative)
Why did you decide to run for the 26th District State Senate seat?
We need to defend Michigan’s comeback. Over the last eight years, through tax reform, through eliminating about 2,300 rules and regulations, eliminating the Michigan business tax, we have come a long way. We have created about 500,000 plus new jobs under Gov. Snyder and Republican leadership. After a lot of prayer with my wife, over the winter months, I decided we still have work to do.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
Protect Michigan’s comeback. Address the cost of car insurance. Double down on rebuilding our roads. We need to pay down our long-term debt — that is huge for our children and grandchildren.
Name: Don Wickstra
Party: Candidate, Republican
Occupation: Dentist
Why did you decide to run for the 26th District State Senate seat?
I read that our current state senator is term limited and I realized that there is an opportunity that would not normally be there. I have not been a political guy my whole life and I’ve not dreamed of this longer than four months. I read that and something clicked in my mind and I said ‘Maybe I could do that and maybe I could make a difference.” … I am not looking for a career. I have a career.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
I am not political and I do not have my own agenda. I have made a point of trying to avoid that (setting legislative priorities). … There are clearly some issues, as I go door-to-door and meet people. The car insurance issue is out there. Roads have been an ongoing issue. Schools are an issue. But I think it might be wrong for the people for me to show up with my agenda.
28th District State Senate
The 28th District of the State Senate includes the City of Wyoming as well as the cities of Walker, Rockford and Cedar Springs. For a district map, click here.
In the 28thDistrict State Senate race, there are three candidates facing off in the primary for the Democratic Party nomination. The winner will then face Republican incumbent Peter MacGregor and Libertarian candidate Nathan Hewer in the general election, Nov. 6.
Note: Primary candidates are show in alphabetical order. Only seats with primary opposition were invited to participate in We The People at this time.
Name: Craig Beech
Party: Challenger, Democrat
Occupation: Retired public-school teacher
Why did you decide to run for the 28thDistrict State Senate seat?
As a public-school teacher, I have been frustrated with government in the treatment of public education, especially the lack of perspective. I want to bring an insight into education, which is what is needed. I believe education is the foundation that provides to our middle class.
After the Parkland Stoneman Douglas High School shootings, I realized I was in the same spot and the same scenario I had been 10 times before and I had nothing to offer. I said to my students, I’m sorry. I failed you. The adults failed you because we have not tackled this problem. That was the straw that determined my future. I needed to take responsibility. America is a great country and the adults should be able to deal with this issue.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
I have four platforms: quality of public education, people before profits, protection of our national resources, and Michigan was recently rated by a non-partisan group as the last for government accountability and transparency and I want to change that.
Name: Gidget Groendyk
Party: Challenger, Democrat
Occupation: Works at Sears
Why did you decide to run for the 28thDistrict State Senate seat?
It started back in the last election. In Plainfield Township, the LGBTQ community didn’t have any rights. Through a series of events, it became apparent that for me to help make a change I needed to be more involved and decided to run for election.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
Transparency through government and government spending. I also want to look at equal pay, due process and legal assistant to immigrants, bullying and gun violence, and elderly rights.
Name: Ryan Jeanette
Party: Challenger, Democrat
Occupation: Student at Grand Rapids Community College
Why did you decide to run for the 28thDistrict State Senate seat?
Over a year ago, I realized there was a fundamental flaw in our government in that government no longer cares about the people it needs to care about the most. Looking around, in the last 30 years, people’s lives have not improved. We are not fighting and fixing the things that need to be fixed and that needs to be changed.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
I would like to look at fixing how we fund education. We need to find innovative ways to fix our infrastructure and this is not just for the highways and roadways, but our railways as well as they are important to our agricultural. I want to look at improving the health care systems and I am looking at several options. We also need to focus on the environment as well. We need to have more coordination between Michigan and other states on protection of our Great Lakes. Also, I want to change how our government is accountable to the people.
