Rodgers Running for Midland City Council

MIDLAND, Mich. — Jeremy Rodgers is running once again to represent Ward 1 on the Midland City Council.

Mr. Rodgers, 25, hopes to unseat incumbent Pam Hall, who beat him in 2018 by just 28 votes in an election that saw over 2,200 votes.

The young staffer who now works for State Sen. Jim Stamas in Lansing has positioned himself as an up-and-comer in Republican politics. The Midland City Council is elected on a nonpartisan ballot and recently changed its elections to even years, when more voters are at the polls due to presidential and mid-term races.

In just two years since he last ran, a flurry of life changes has impacted Mr. Rodgers. He is now married — his wife’s name is Olivia — and they’ve welcomed their son, Andrew, into the world. He also now serves on the Midland Planning Commission, having been appointed in 2019 by the City Council.

“Everything’s going really well. Olivia and I, and Andrew, are happy and love living in Midland and we think it’s a great community, and Olivia and I want to raise our family here in Midland,” Mr. Rodgers told the City Paper in an exclusive interview announcing his campaign.

Mr. Rodgers says that his campaign will focus on local affairs in Midland such as infrastructure, roads, sidewalks, and parks.

Jeremy Rodgers is a donor to the City Paper. Please read our Editorial Independence policy to see how our sponsors, donors, and advertisers never influence our journalism.

“Those are all important to the residents of Ward 1. I know that from speaking with many of them last time I ran and so I think we need to make sure that we’re continuing to focus on improving and maintaining our roads and making sure that the sidewalks and parks are clean and well-maintained,” Mr. Rodgers told the City Paper.

Ward 1 is the city’s largest ward by area, and encompasses the southeast side of the city, stretching into downtown. The ward has seen recent development, such as the incoming Costco Wholesale complex as well as the Savant Group’s new headquarters and the Waldo Plaza development at the corner of Waldo Avenue and Bay City Road.

“Another issue that I really want to focus on is continuing to make sure that we have business growth and developments in our city that provides opportunities for the families and the people that live in our city and then the other thing that I also want to make sure we maintain continue to maintain is fiscal responsibility and that’s important to everybody,” Mr. Rodgers told the City Paper.

Mr. Rodgers said that the COVID-19 pandemic made it challenging to obtain the signatures needed to be placed upon the ballot, but that he was able to meet the original deadline while practicing social distancing. A federal judge has extended the deadline to May 8 due to the pandemic. Ms. Hall told the City Paper that she is running for reelection and that she has the signatures needed as well.

In 2018, Mr. Rodger’s City Council campaign was endorsed by U.S. Rep. John Moolennaar. Since then, Mr. Rodgers has worked as a paid staff member of the Bill Schuette for Governor campaign as well as the Michigan G.O.P. In 2014, he was a paid campaign staffer for former State Rep. Gary Glenn.

“I think it’s important for the City of Midland to have Representatives that listen—that are solution-oriented that have common sense and really crucially are focused on local issues and I’m also running because I do have a passion for local and state government,” Mr. Rodgers told the City Paper. “Another reason I’m running is because I’m raising my family in this community and I want to ensure that it continues to be a great place to work live and raise a family.”

Michael Westendorf

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.