Campaign: Business, Plus Public Safety Background, Sets Lee Apart
Laura Lee, an administrative professional at the Midland County Law Enforcement Center hopes to be the next Midland County Sheriff, replacing embattled Midland County Sheriff Scott Stephenson, who has indicated he will not run for reelection.
“I started in the Sheriff’s office in 2011 as a corrections officer,” Ms. Lee told the City Paper. “So, I’m a trained, certified, deputized corrections officer. I have boots on the ground, front-line, inmate security, critical public safety experience.”
Ms. Lee started her career under former Midland County Sheriff Jerry Nielsen.
Ms. Lee says she understands the nature of the race, citing that she knows her fellow candidates and that they’ve all worked together in mutual agencies or partnering agencies.
She is facing former Midland Deputy Police Chief Rodney L. Roten, Midland County Sheriff deputy Myron Greene, and former corrections officer Art Beagle in the Aug. 4, 2020 primary. Ms. Lee spoke to the City Paper about the partisan and nonpartisan aspect of the position of Sheriff.
“The sheriff’s office is there to enforce the laws as they are,” she said. “So, when I was a corrections officer at the jail, you leave a lot of your personal beliefs and opinions at the door, and you do the job. I mean, you’re not there to control the entire criminal justice system, you’re there to protect the inmates, run a secure facility and take care of the laws as they are. You’re not there to legislate.”
What she believes sets her apart from the other candidates is her diverse background in both the law enforcement side as well as the business side.
“The sheriff’s position is an administrative position with the responsibility of overseeing the administration of law enforcement services and programs. And part of that includes the constitutionally mandated responsibility of managing and operating a safe and secure jail, which you need to incorporate business principles and practices to be able to manage a multimillion dollar budget. And I have both of those between law enforcement experience and private sector experience,” she told the City Paper.
The Lee Campaign had a bit of a hiccup this past summer, as it was assessed a $500 fee for filing a late financial report. Ms. Lee’s campaign treasurer, Scott Haines, told the City Paper that he takes full responsibility for the oversight.
Of the four announced candidates, Ms. Lee has been keeping a steady pace in fundraising, with reported cash-on-hand of $9,731.41 last quarter. She finished second in the cash race, behind Mr. Greene, in both the second and third quarters of 2019.
Ms. Lee’s donors include Dow, Inc. President and Chief Financial Officer Howard Ungerleider, who contributed $1,000.
She announced her candidacy back on April 16 at the Midland Center for the Arts. She has a Bachelor’s in business administration and management from Northwood University. She was born and raised in Midland. She’s on the Midland County Project DARE Board as well as the board for Midland County Senior Services. She is also a member of the Zonta Club of Midland and the Midland 100 Club.
A.J. Hoffman contributed to this report.
Correction: This article has been changed to reflect the following: Ms. Lee is a member of the Zonta Club of Midland and the Midland 100 Club, not, as previously reported, the Botanical to Midland Club.
Michael Westendorf is the chairman and executive editor of Chemical City Paper. As Executive Editor, he leads the City Paper’s news coverage and editorial team.