Six Candidates Slated to Run for East Lansing City Council

There will likely be six candidates competing for two open seats on the East Lansing City Council in this November’s election, according to a candidate listing posted on the city’s website. 

With the filing deadline passing yesterday afternoon, Adam DeLay, Kath Edsall, Chuck Grigsby, Joshua Ramirez-Roberts, Liam Richichi and Steve Whelan are slated to appear on the ballot.

The election will see two new members elected to council, as incumbent Mayor George Brookover and Councilmember Dana Watson each declined to seek reelection.

Candidates have until the end of the week, Friday, July 25 to withdraw. Barring no withdrawals, these six candidates will be on the ballot this November.

ELi will reach out to each candidate and write in-depth feature stories to be published closer to the election. For now, here’s an introduction to the candidates. 

Adam DeLay

DeLay came up short in a bid for City Council in 2021 but has remained active in city government, serving on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, including as chair and vice chair. DeLay has also served on the city’s Community Development Advisory Committee, and has worked in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office and as an assistant for Sen. Debbie Stabenow. You can find out more about DeLay by visiting his website. 

Kath Edsall

Edsall has served on the East Lansing Board of Education since 2019, and served another term on the school board before that from 2013-2017. She is currently the vice chair of the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission, a body she has served on since it was created in 2021. Last year, Edsall was chosen as a recipient of a Crystal Award from the city.

Chuck Grigsby

Grigsby fell 280 votes short of winning a seat on council in 2021, finishing as the first runner-up. He has served as the chair of the city’s Human Rights Commission and been through the city’s Emerging Leaders program. He also chaired the study committee that crafted the city’s police oversight commission. More about Grigsby can be learned on his website. 

Joshua Ramirez-Roberts

In 2023, Ramirez-Roberts, then 22, was part of an eight-candidate field for three open seats on council. He finished in sixth. He has served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, Community Development Advisory Committee, University Student Commission and the Bailey Community Association. Ramirez-Roberts was honored with a Crystal Award last year. Find out more about Ramirez-Robert by visiting his website.

Liam Richichi

Just 22 years old, Richichi recently graduated from Michigan State University, majoring in Political Theory. While at MSU, Richichi was the president of the college democrats, helping to bring Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris to East Lansing. Richichi works as the constituent services director for state Rep. Jason Morgan. Read more about Richichi on his website. 

Steve Whelan

Whelan has lived in East Lansing for 29 years. In the coming days, he will retire from the East Lansing Police Department after 25 years of serving the city, including more than 10 years as the liaison officer to East Lansing Public Schools. In 2019, Whelan was honored as Officer of the Year by the department.

This story was updated to include additional information about one candidate.