Kent Vanderwood
Mayor of Wyoming, Michigan
Assumed office
December 5, 2022
City Council of Wyoming
In office
2006–2022
Personal details
Alma materGrand Valley State University
Western Michigan University

Kent Vanderwood is an American politician who is the mayor of Wyoming, Michigan, previously serving as a city council member for four terms from 2006 to 2022. In July 2023 he was charged for his participation in the Trump fake electors plot during the 2020 United States presidential election.[1] As a result, calls for his recall or resignation were advanced.[2][3] Mayor Vanderwood says he will not resign.[4]

Early life and education

Vanderwood has lived in West Michigan his entire life.[5] He received degrees in education from Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University.[5]

Political career

City Council

Since the 1980s, Vanderwood has been involved in political campaigns.[6] In 1995, Vanderwood moved to Wyoming, Michigan.[5] He was elected to the Wyoming city council in 2005 and re-elected in November 2009.[5][7]

He was re-elected for his third term on August 6, 2013.[8][9] In 2013, he opposed recommendations of a consolidated metropolitan police force representing Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Wyoming, saying that the departments have separate union contracts and that the closure of Wyoming's police station would result in the consolidated force focusing more on Grand Rapids.[5][10]

In 2018, he was re-elected to the city council.[11] While serving his fourth term, he voted for the prohibition of short-term rental properties, such as Airbnb, within Wyoming.[12] After a small group of residents said that the regulation was not strictly enforced, Vanderwood suggested that citizens form neighborhood associations.[13]

Mayor

On December 5, 2022, Vanderwood was sworn in as mayor of Wyoming, citing goals of maintaining low taxes and increased public safety funding.[14] He had won 5,635 votes (56%) in the city's primary election on August 2, 2022.[15]

2020 United States presidential election

Vanderwood served as a delegate to the 2020 Republican National Convention for the Michigan Republican Party, voting to nominate Donald Trump for the 2020 United States presidential election.[16] On December 14, 2020, Vanderwood's signature was included in a list of sixteen signatures casting an electoral vote for Trump presented by Ian Northon, an attorney of the Thomas More Society, at the Michigan State Capitol, who suggested that the list of electoral votes could be used by Michigan legislators if they decided not to use the official electoral vote list provided by the Democratic Party.[17] At the time, expert of constitutional law Richard Friedman of the University of Michigan described the act as a "stunt", summarizing the incident by stating "There's nothing preventing any group of 16 people from getting together and saying 'we're electors,' but it doesn't have any legal force".[17] According to MLive Media Group, the Trump campaign attempted to send the Michigan Republican electoral vote list to be recognized by Vice President Mike Pence during the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count.[18] "During the 2020 campaign, he was chair of the 2nd District Republican Party, according to local press reports."[19]

On July 18, 2023, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Vanderwood and the fifteen other individuals who signed the document with eight felonies, including conspiracy, the forgery of election documents, and counterfeiting records.[1][20][21][22][23] Some citizens called for the resignation of Vanderwood and others supported him following the release of charges,[24][3] while Michigan State Representative John Fitzgerald of Wyoming called on the mayor to recuse himself from official acts until proceedings were finalized.[25] Vanderwood's attorney said that the mayor would not resign, stating "Mr. Vanderwood had no intent to defraud anyone or any organization when he signed the Certificate of Votes of the 2020 Electors from Michigan during the time when lawsuits challenging the 2020 presidential election were pending in Michigan. ... Mr. Vanderwood will be fully vindicated".[3][26][27] Vanderwood pleaded not guilty to the charges in August 2023.[28] A Preliminary Examination hearing is scheduled to take place at 54-A District Court in Lansing Michigan on January 30, 2024 at 8:30am before Judge Kristen Simmons.

In response, Mayor Vanderwood says the charges are baseless and he will not resign.[4]

Other endeavors

Vanderwood served in positions for West Michigan non-profit, charity and other organizations; he was vice president of development for Mel Trotter Ministries,[29] a member of the Wyoming/Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce,[5][30] chairman of the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance,[31] a board member for the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council[32] and development director of The Potter's House.[33] With real estate agent Rusty Richter, he is a co-owner of Success Partners, a political and non-profit consulting firm.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Cohen, Marshall (August 10, 2023). "Michigan's fake GOP electors arraigned on state charges". CNN Politics. CNN. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  2. ↑ Begay, Melorie (July 20, 2023). "City of Wyoming's mayor faces calls to step down after felony charges in 'false elector' case". East Lansing, Michigan: WKAR-FM.
  3. 1 2 3 "Some call for Wyoming mayor to resign over elector case". Grand Rapids, Michigan: WOOD-TV. August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "WYOMING: Wyoming mayor says Michigan Attorney General's 'fake elector' case against him is 'completely off base'". WZZM. August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023. 'Mr. Vanderwood will be fully vindicated,' an attorney representing Wyoming's mayor said.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vande Bunte, Matt (July 31, 2013). "Primary election: 2 Wyoming City Council incumbents challenged by 2 women, European immigrant". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "About Us". Success Partners Consulting. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Council Member at Large Wyoming Details". AccessKent. County of Kent Michigan. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  8. ↑ Vande Bunte, Matt (August 9, 2013). "Justin Amash helped fund Wyoming Libertarian who got thumped by mainstream Republicans". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Kent Co City of Wyoming Election Results". AccessKent. County of Kent Michigan. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Grand Rapids, Kentwood y Wyoming consideran consolidar policía". El Vocero (in Spanish). July 26, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  11. ↑ "November 6, 2018 Elections Results - Kent County, Michigan". AccessKent. County of Kent Michigan. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  12. ↑ Hansen, Logan T. (March 21, 2018). "Wyoming to add short-term rental restrictions to city code after Airbnb rental complaint". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  13. ↑ Hansen, Logan T. (August 8, 2018). "Citizens urge City Council to do more to regulate Airbnb properties in residential areas". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  14. ↑ Joanne, Bailey-Boorsma (December 13, 2022). "As of Dec. 5, it is officially Mayor Vanderwood". WKTV Journal. Wyoming, Michigan: WKTV. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Wyoming elects Vanderwood as its next mayor - WKTV Journal". WKTV Journal. August 5, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  16. ↑ Barrett, Malachi (August 24, 2020). "Michigan's Republican delegates cast votes to re-nominate President Donald Trump at RNC". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Barrett, Malachi (December 15, 2020). "Michigan Republicans who cast electoral votes for Trump have no chance of changing Electoral College result". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  18. ↑ Kransz, Michael (August 12, 2022). "Trump 'fake elector' claims mayoral seat of large West Michigan city". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  19. ↑ Cohen, Marshall (August 10, 2023). "What we know about the 16 fake electors charged in Michigan". CNN.
  20. ↑ Marley, Patrick (July 18, 2023). "Michigan charges 16 Trump electors who falsely claimed he won the state". The Washington Post.
  21. ↑ "Sixteen Michigan Trump loyalists face felonies in 'false elector' scheme". Bridge Michigan. July 18, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Michigan clerk stripped of election duties after he was charged with acting as fake elector in 2020 election - CBS News". CBS News. July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  23. ↑ Fadel, Leila (July 19, 2023). "Michigan's attorney general charges 16 people in false elector scheme". NPR.
  24. ↑ Dwyer, Dustin (August 8, 2023). "Residents call for Wyoming mayor's resignation over role in Trump elector scheme". Michigan Radio. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Fitzgerald Calls for Mayor Vanderwood to Recuse Himself Following AG's Fake Elector Charges". Michigan House Democrats. July 19, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  26. ↑ Agar, John (August 4, 2023). "Charged in Trump 'fake elector' scheme, West Michigan mayor will be 'vindicated,' attorney says". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Judge delays hearing for former GOP co-chair Meshawn Maddock in false Trump electors case". The Detroit News. August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  28. ↑ Lobo, Arpan (August 10, 2023). "Michigan 'fake electors' charged in election scheme plead not guilty during arraignments". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  29. ↑ Weick, Charlotte (July 27, 2009). "Camp Mel Trotter to close in 2010". MLive. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Kent Vanderwood". Wyoming/Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce. June 6, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  31. ↑ Russell, Matthew (August 22, 2019). "UIX: This city-run nonprofit has been supporting community enrichment for over a decade". Rapid Growth. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  32. ↑ "GVMC Board". Grand Valley Metro Council. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Fundraising with Heart!". The Timothy Group. March 22, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
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