Marcia Mansaray
Marcia Mansaray (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 85. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on August 6, 2024.[source]
Mansaray completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Marcia Mansaray was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She graduated from Grandville High School. She earned a bachelor's and a graduate degree from Grand Valley State University.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
The primary will occur on August 6, 2024. The general election will occur on November 5, 2024. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 85
Marcia Mansaray is running in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 85 on August 6, 2024.
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 | Marcia Mansaray  | |
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 85
Incumbent Bradley Slagh is running in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 85 on August 6, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Bradley Slagh | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Marcia Mansaray completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mansaray's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Marcia was born and raised where eastern Ottawa County meets Kent County. That’s where her mother’s grandparents — Louis and Nellie Zondervan — chose to settle after immigrating from the Netherlands. She started delivering the Grand Rapids Press seven days a week when I was 13. She worked summer jobs in food service and in manufacturing at Steelcase during high school and college. She earned a four-year, full-ride scholarship to Grand Valley State University and graduated with a teaching certificate and a degree in science. She worked part-time for more than a decade as an adjunct professor in GVSU’s science lab while home-schooling three children. Finally, she has spent the last two decades in public health — as a health educator, an epidemiologist, and ultimately as the deputy health officer for the Ottawa County Department of Public Health. Marcia’s public health career actually started with a political campaign she led to pass a county-wide smoke-free indoor air regulation in public spaces and the workplace. In a matter of 18 months, “Smoke-Free Ottawa” accomplished their task with a 7-3 victory. This winning vote of an all-Republican Board of Commissioners – the first county-wide smoke-free regulation on the west side of the State of Michigan – was a bellwether that led to a statewide law. In the 16 years since, youth cigarette smoking went from 18% in 2005 to just 1% in 2023. An example of the power of good policy. She can do it again!
- Several things motivated Marcia to run for elected office for the first time in her life. First, she feels an ethical duty to ensure that there is always more than one choice on the ballot in November, and also a choice for a State Representative who will prioritize restoring character, competence, and courage to Ottawa County elected office. In 2024, there was no one willing to step up to run against the current incumbent. That made this big decision an easy "yes" when she was asked to run. She will take the baton to Lansing where she can use the wisdom and insight gained by her front seat view of the harm caused to her community by incompetent officials who prioritize revenge politics.
- Marcia’s public position during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then in 2022 through 2024 as she stood strong defending public health in Ottawa County and in Michigan, has given her unique public standing in this moment. She wishes to leverage that influence and experience for the common good by advocating for courage in elected officials to speak up about abuses of power in office, to introduce legislative changes that increase transparency at all levels of government in Michigan, and strengthen the public health.
- Marcia is running for a specific reason, which is to use the checks and balance built into our democratic form of government to significantly reduce the future likelihood that an ideologically aligned group, intent on undermining local government services, is successful. Marcia has been publicly tested. As Deputy Health Officer in one of Michigan's fastest-growing counties, Marcia Mansaray earned the public’s trust and appreciation — for her integrity, her experience, and her heart for people.
• Strengthening the Sunshine Laws – the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act – to ensure transparency in local and state government. Attorney General Dana Nessel admonished the behavior of certain Ottawa County board members for their lack of transparency and good governance, and for violating the trust placed in them as elected officials by their constituents. The people of Ottawa County agree.
• Strengthening the Public Health Code so that a duly appointed local Health Officer cannot be terminated merely for political reasons. There must be both evidence of cause and full due process, including the judgement of a neutral third party or panel of such persons.
• Diligently protect our clean air and our fresh water.
Marcia's political philosophy began slowly evolving in 2016, and then most acutely since 2022. The book "Jesus and John Wayne" first gave voice to what Marcia was experiencing socially and politically. What actually happened, though, is probably best captured in national, state, and regional media coverage of Ottawa County beginning in January of 2023 when a new majority on the county board, who signed a contract of fealty and campaigned under the name "Ottawa Impact", took their first actions following their oaths of office. Like many others who grew up in west Michigan, Marcia was raised Republican and voted Republican most of her life. But national and state politics — and her front-row seat to the attempted destruction of her county’s public health services under Ottawa Impact — has changed that. She’s running as a Democrat for the 85th Michigan House because the Republican party has moved away from her long-held beliefs about the kinds of communities we want to build. Marcia is happy to be welcomed into a local party that shares her values: transparency, governance for the common good, diversity of thought and people, community belonging, fiscal responsibility. Marcia has demonstrated that she will bring a courageous voice to Lansing. Her Republican opponent, who worked at Ottawa County for over a decade before becoming a State Representative, has not done or said anything about the disrespectful, secretive, financially wasteful and unlawful actions of the Ottawa Impact majority on the Board of Commissioners.
Elected officials, or candidates running for office, must possess character first of all, demonstrated through honesty, integrity, humility and a true care & concern for the residents they represent. If character is not present, it doesn't matter what else they possess or do. Full stop. The second characteristic is competence. The candidate/elected official should possess some demonstrated experience or leadership that indicates they have sufficient knowledge to do the job and an ability and willingness to learn what they don't yet know. With competence comes an ability to work with others and communicate well to fellow elected officials, and more importantly, to those they represent. Lastly, if they possess both character and competence, they should also possess courage. There are a lot of things that masquerade as courage but are only arrogance, pride, anger or narcissism. True courage is the ability to do the right thing even when it comes at a personal cost. One can't get to courage without already possessing the other two C's of character and competence. Courage speaks up when no other voice will. Courage acts when no one else wants to, but action is required. These qualities became very real to Marcia as a public health official during the COVID pandemic.. As an elected official, one has times where a decision must be made and/or an action must be taken. To not make a decision or take any action is really a decision not to act in order to protect oneself. One must if it is one's job, one's responsibility at that moment or in that situation. Since 2020, more than once Marcia faced significant points of responsibility that required a decision that could cost her career and livelihood - and potentially others' lives. Marcia has already counted the cost and accepted it. Marcia Mansaray can and will do that again.
The core responsibilities are first to adhere to the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Michigan in one's personal and professional life and in execution of the elected office of State Representative. Secondly, one is to represent the interests of the residents of their home district and also keep in mind the good of all the people of Michigan. The first and second responsibilities are demonstrated through the sponsoring and voting on of legislation and the appropriation of taxes for the operation of the State of Michigan for the safety and welfare of the people of Michigan.
The first political and historical thing that I can remember happening is the Watergate scandal that former President Nixon was involved in. In those days there was no presidential immunity for acts done in one's official capacity. He resigned from office of President of the United States and his vice-president, who was born in my area of Michigan, took office. A new U.S. Supreme Court ruling has granted Presidential immunity for acts done in the official capacity of president. I disagree with that ruling and stand by the American principle that no one is above the law.
They both must each serve as checks that help balance the power of the other. This also goes for the political parties. If the governor is of the same party of members of the state legislature, they should not be in lock step with one another, but still providing reasonable and responsible oversight for one another to avoid too much power being located in one branch.
Growing social, cultural and political division; safe, sustainable housing; environmental sustainability to ensure healthy air and clean water. If we neglect the last, successfully addressing the first two will be short-lived victories.
As someone with two decades of local government experience in the area of health with progressively responsible leadership roles, Marcia would appreciate sitting on any of: Health, Oversight, and/or Appropriations committees. Serving as a State Representative is an honor, and Marcia is honored to serve on any House committee.
Marcia is solidly in favor of financial transparency and government accountability at all levels and during all phases, including campaigning. It is one of her core issues and something she is campaigning to address.
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Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 9, 2024
