OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — The organization spearheading the recall of an Ottawa County commissioner has unveiled its selection for District 2's seat. On Wednesday, Christian Kleinjans declared his candidacy for District 2, and will be the Democratic candidate in the May 7, 2024 recall election against Lucy Ebel.
“I am honored and very happy to accept the Ottawa County Dems’ endorsement as the party’s candidate to run against Commissioner Ebel in the upcoming recall election,” Kleinjans said. “I’m thrilled that the voters of the second district will have a new opportunity to weigh in on how they want their district represented. I’m excited about the future of both this district and this county.”
This recall election comes after Ebel voted in favor of a motion that would have reversed Adeline Hambley’s selection as the county’s health officer on December 13, 2022.
County Clerk Justin Roebuck reported that his team meticulously reviewed 3,000 signatures over hundreds of hours, approving 2,575 signatures to proceed with the recall election.
Ebel is among several commissioners supported by Ottawa Impact, a conservative group holding a majority on the board. In the August 2022 primary election, Ebel secured 1,560 votes, surpassing incumbent Joe Baumann's 1,228. In the November election, Ebel garnered 5,089 votes compared to Democratic challenger Joe Spaulding’s 4,511 votes.
“District 2 is the crossroads of the county, with a high degree of diversity in many aspects,” Kleinjans added. “With that comes an understanding of what it takes to strive for a better future. We know how to work, and we know what works. People with this much hustle and this much strength deserve representation equal to their aspirations.”
Kleinjans has a history of working in the nonprofit sector. The announcement shows Kleinjans is part of the Ottawa County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a member of the board of Community Mental Health of Ottawa County (CMHOC) and the Advisory Board of Ottawa Food. Kleinjans is also a member of the American Legion and VFW.
FOX 17 reached out to Ebel for comment but has not heard back.
