Erin Graham Resigning From County Seat; New East Lansing Rep Will Be Appointed
With the resignation of Erin Graham from the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, East Lansing will see another local elected official relinquish their seat before the end of their term and be replaced with an appointee.
Graham — the former President of the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education — was elected in November 2020 to serve a two-year term starting in January 2021, but with her resignation taking effect on Sept. 27, she will have served less than nine months in that office.
As a County Commissioner, Graham represents Ingham County District 9, including a significant section of East Lansing: voting precincts 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and a portion of precinct 9. The district includes sections of the Bailey and Old Whitehills neighborhood, a portion of what is called “East Village,” and MSU’s main campus. (See the Ingham County District 9 map here.)
Graham did not explain the reason for her resignation, citing only “personal reasons.” Asked by ELi for a statement, Graham wrote by email, “It has been a great honor to work with my colleagues on the Ingham County Commission and to serve the community for the past six plus years. I encourage community members who have considered public service to apply for the position.”
To replace Graham, the County Board will select and appoint a new Commissioner. This process is similar to the one that has repeatedly played out in East Lansing over the past 13 months as City Council replacements for Ruth Beier, Mark Meadows, and Aaron Stephens have all been appointed in that span.
According to the announcement, “The Board of Commissioners’ Democratic Caucus will interview candidates for the position and will recommend an applicant for appointment to the full Board of Commissioners.”
“Commissioner Graham has been an effective and efficient County Commissioner and we wish her the best” said Bryan Crenshaw, Chairperson of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners in a press release on the resignation. “We plan on an open and orderly process for filling this vacancy.”
The person appointed must live in District 9. The Board has announced that “Applications with resumés will be accepted through Friday, October 1, 2021 at 5 p.m. Applications are available online at www.ingham.org, or by contacting the Board of Commissioners’ Office at (517) 676-7200.” (To go directly to the application page, click here.)
Graham was elected as a Democrat in an overwhelmingly Democratic district. In the August 2020 primary, Graham beat out Pam Weil by only 25 votes, with Graham obtaining 833 votes to Weil’s 808.