Kent County

Kent County:
Location – West Michigan, Grand Rapids area
Population – 574,335 (2000 Census)
Demographics – 83.13% White, 8.93% Black, .52% American Indian, 1.86% Asian, 3.34% Some other Race, 2.16% Two or more races, 7.00% Hispanic or Latino(of any race)
County Seat – Grand Rapids (pop 197,800)

Kent County is the 4th largest county in the state, and is the largest outside of the Detroit Area.

Government Officials Representing area:
Congressmen:
2nd District – Pete Hoekstra (R) – Alpine, Sparta, and Tyrone Townships, part of Solon Township
3rd District – Vern Ehlers (R) – Rest of County

State Senators:
28th District – Ken Sikkema (R) – Ada, Algoma, Alpine, Bowne, Byron, Caledonia, Cannon, Courtland, Gaines, Grand Rapids, Nelson, Oakfield, Plainfield, Solon, Spencer, and Tyrone Townships. Cedar Springs, East Grand Rapids, Rockford, Walker, and Wyoming Cities.
29th District – Bill Hardiman (R) – Cascade, Grattan, Lowell, and Vergennes Townships. Grand Rapids, Lowell, and Kentwood cities.
30th District – Grandville City and Sparta Township.

State Representative:
72nd District – Glenn Steil Jr (R) – Caledonia, Cascade, and Gaines Townships, Kentwood City.
73rd District – Tom Pearce (R) – Algoma, Cannon, Courtland, Nelson, Oakfield, Plainfield, Solon, Sparta, Spencer, and Tyrone Townships. Cedar Springs and Rockford townships.
74th District – William Van Regenmorter (R) – Alpine Township and Grandville City.
75th District – Jerry Kooiman (R) – Part of Grand Rapids
76th District – Michael Sak (D) – Part of Grand Rapids
77th District – Kevin Green (R) – Byron Township, Wyoming City
86th District – Dave Hildenbrand (R) – Ada, Bowne, Grand Rapids, Grattan, Lowell, and Vergennes Townships. East Grand Rapids, Lowell, and Walker Cities, part of Grand Rapids City.

1998 Results Countywide:(Winners overall in bold)
Governor - John Engler (R) – 76.58%, Geoffrey Fieger (D) – 23.42%
Secretary of State - Candice Miller (R) – 78.50%, Mary Lou Parks (D) – 20.40%
Attorney General - John Smietanka (R) – 62.98%, Jennifer Granholm (D) – 37.04%

Congress:
3rd District – Vern Ehlers (R) – 73.60%, John Ferguson (D) - 24.16%

State Senators:
30th District – Glenn Steil Sr (R) – 62.48%, Carol Hennessy (D) – 37.52%
31st District – Ken Sikkema (R) – 79.93%, Jason Robert May (D) – 20.07%

State Representative:
72nd District – Mark Jansen (R) – 77.27%, Judy Crandall (D) – 22.73%
73rd District – Doug Hart (R) – 74.82%, Dennis Brown (D) – 25.18%
74th District – James Koetje (R) – 71.34%, Bonnie Reffitt (R) – 28.66%
75th District – William Byl (R) – 63.30%, Janice Hanley (D) – 36.70%
76th District – Steve Pestka (D) – 54.47%, James Kozak (R) – 45.53%
77th District – Joanne Voorhees (R) – 60.00%, Karl Holzhueter (D) – 38.10%

2000 Results Countywide
US Senate - Spence Abraham (R) – 61.21%, Debbie Stabenow (D) – 36.57%
Congress:
3rd District – Vern Ehlers (R) – 65.15%, Timothy Steele (D) – 32.96%

State Representative:
72nd District – Mark Jansen (R) – 73.58%, Christopher Vogt (D) – 26.42%
73rd District – Doug Hart (R) – 71.47%, Dennis Brown (D) – 28.53%
74th District – James Koetje (R) – 68.05%, Alton Nielsen (D) - 28.74%
75th District – Jerry Kooiman (R) – 53.45%, Janice Hanley (D) – 46.55%
76th District – Steve Pestka (D) – 65.96%, Patrick Miller (R) – 31.54%
77th District – Joanne Voorhees (R) – 59.93%, Levi Rickert (D) – 40.07%

2002 Results Countywide
Governor – Dick Posthumus (R) – 60.63%, Jennifer Granholm (D) – 38.53%
Secretary of State - Terri Lynn Land (R) – 69.88%, Butch Hollowell (D) – 28.44%
Attorney General – Mike Cox (R) – 62.67%, Gary Peters (D) – 35.20%
US Senate - Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski (R) – 51.83%, Carl Levin (D) – 46.90%
Congress:
2nd District – Pete Hoekstra (R) – 70.46%, Jeffrey Wrisley (D) – 26.88%
3rd District – Vern Ehlers (R) – 70.86%, Kathryn Lynnes (D) – 27.49%

State Senate:
28th District – Ken Sikkema (R) – 73.15%, Michelle Berry (D) – 25.48%
29th District – Bill Hardiman (R) – 53.82%, Steve Pestka (D) – 44.74%
30th District – Wayne Kuipers (R) – 72.29%, John O’Brien (D) – 25.85%

State Representative:
72nd District – Glenn Steil Jr (R) – 72.76%, Christopher Vogt (D) – 25.26%
73rd District – Doug Hart (R) – 69.94%, Fred Clowney (D) – 28.26%
74th District – Willam Van Regenmorter (R) – 71.80%, Beverly Barringer (D) – 26.61%
75th District – Jerry Kooiman (R) – 53.85%, Peter Van Meulen (D) – 44.71%
76th District – Michael Sak (D) – 60.70%, Mark Kubik (R) – 37.21%
77th District – Joanne Voorhees (R) – 70.66%, Virginia Smith (D) – 27.60%
86th District – James Koetje (R) – 68.94%, James McDonald (D) – 28.99%

2004 Results Countywide
Congress:
2nd District – Pete Hoekstra (R) – 68.82% vs Kimon Kotos (D) – 28.65%
3rd District – Vern Ehlers (R) – 66.60%, Peter Hickey (D) – 31.59%

State Representative:
72nd District – Glenn Steil Jr (R) – 68.42%, Thomas Burke (D) – 30.00%
73rd District – Tom Pearce (R) – 68.04%, Fred Clowney (D) – 29.67%
74th District – William Van Regenmorter (R) – 67.87%, Dawn Sloboda (D) – 30.36%
75th District – Jerry Kooiman (R) – 52.22%, Christopher Vogt (D) – 47.78%
76th District – Michael Sak (D) – 67.42%, Holly Zuidema (R) – 30.77%
77th District – Kevin Green (R) – 66.10%, Albert Abassee (D) – 28.96%
86th District – Dave Hildenbrand (R) – 67.18%, James Turner (D) - 31.00%

2000, 2004 Presidential Results
First number Bush, Second number Democrat
Areas that flipped are in Bold.

KENT COUNTY
2000 – Bush - 148602 (59.36%), Gore – 95442 (38.13%)
2004 – Bush – 171201 (58.85%), Kerry – 116909 (40.19%)

Ada Township
2000 - 3909 (68.59%), 1658 (29.09%)
2004 – 4933 (69.07%), 2157 (30.20%)

Algoma Township
2000 - 2426 (68.85%), 1130 (31.14%)
2004 – 3455 (68.08%), 1577 (31.07%)

Alpine Township
2000 - 3321 (57.79%), 2252 (39.19%)
2004 – 3722 (57.74%), 2658 (41.23%)

Bowne Township
2000 - 1108 (75.99%), 330 (22.63%)
2004 – 1327 (76.57%), 387 (22.33%)

Byron Township
2000 - 6518 (77.71%), 1777 (21.19%)
2004 – 8086 (77.71%), 2264 (21.76%)

Caledonia Township
2000 - 3626 (72.67%), 1239 (24.83%)
2004 – 4662 (74.26%), 1570 (25.01%)

Cannon Township
2000 - 4621 (70.65%), 1797 (27.47%)
2004 – 5572 (70.80%), 2222 (28.23%)

Cascade Township
2000 – 6523 (71.34%), 2449 (26.48%)
2004 – 7254 (69.11%), 3160 (30.11%)

Cedar Springs City
2000 - 563 (56.41%), 403 (40.38%)
2004 – 764 (62.47%), 446 (36.47%)

Courtland Township
2000 - 2004 (68.09%), 849 (28.85%)
2004 – 2667 (69.51%), 1132 (29.50%)

East Grand Rapids City
2000 - 3865 (59.25%), 2494 (38.23%)
2004 – 3807 (54.68%), 3107 (44.63%)

Gaines Township
2000 - 6690 (72.63%), 2376 (25.80%)
2004 – 8110 (71.19%), 3202 (28.11%)

Grand Rapids City
2000 - 34328 (46.54%), 37187 (50.42%)
2004 – 36115 (43.615), 45794 (55.30%)

Grand Rapids Township
2000 - 5370 (67.42%), 2433 (30.55%)
2004 – 6349 (66.76%), 3077 (32.36%)

Grandville City
2000 - 6094 (72.78%), 2106 (25.15%)
2004 – 6537 (72.54%), 2397 (26.60%)

Grattan Township
2000 - 1174 (63.94%), 606 (33.01%)
2004 – 1357 (63.68%), 756 (35.48%)

Kentwood City
2000 - 11857 (60.81%), 7195 (36.90%)
2004 – 13014 (58.27%), 9126 (40.86%)

Lowell City
2000 - 866 (56.23%), 632 (41.04%)
2004 – 1072 (59.59%), 701 (38.97%)

Lowell Township
2000 - 1552 (63.42%), 833 (34.04%)
2004 – 1885 (63.64%), 1047 (35.35%)

Nelson Township
2000 - 1054 (61.57%), 605 (35.34%)
2004 – 1370 (62.39%), 797 (36.29%)

Oakfield Township
2000 - 1354 (57.84%), 909 (38.83%)
2004 – 1763 (61.71%), 1060 (37.10%)

Plainfield Township
2000 – 9274 (60.56%), 5602 (36.58%)
2004 – 11130 (63.30%), 6265 (35.63%)

Rockford City
2000 - 1383 (62.10%), 791 (35.52%)
2004 – 1708 (62.45%), 1002 (36.64%)

Solon Township
2000 - 1223 (60.88%), 736 (36.64%)
2004 – 1703 (63.90%), 937 (35.16%)

Sparta Township
2000 - 2352 (63.66%), 1264 (34.05%)
2004 – 2686 (63.42%), 1488 (35.14%)

Spencer Township
2000 - 892 (57.59%), 621 (40.09%)
2004 – 1039 (55.62%), 803 (42.99%)

Tyrone Township
2000 - 1162 (64.41%), 611 (33.87%)
2004 – 1384 (67.25%), 654 (31.78%)

Vergennes Township
2000 - 1279 (69.17%), 522 (28.23%)
2004 – 1640 (70.30%), 672 (28.80%)

Walker City
2000 - 6249 (61.82%), 3623 (35.84%)
2004 – 7528 (62.07%), 4472 (36.87%)

Wyoming City
2000 - 15965 (59.15%), 10412 (38.58%)
2004 – 18524 (60.18%), 11979 (38.92%)


Kent County is a solid GOP county, although it took a slight democrat turn in 2004 due to major democrat gains in the heavily minority (35%+) City of Grand Rapids. I suspect Iraq hurt Bush here among many Christians as well as there’s a pacifist streak here. East Grand Rapids is a rich suburb, and followed a similar pattern across the country where the most affluent tilted more democrat. Jerry Kooiman’s seat is going to be very competitive in 2006. He’s term limited out, and John Kerry won that district. Sak’s seat is not impossible, but a major longshot for the GOP. Bill Hardiman’s state senate seat is competitive and marginally GOP. The rest of the districts are solid GOP.