LANSING, Mich — Four candidates are vying to become Lansing's next mayor, each highlighting different priorities for the city's future as the primary election approaches.
• Incumbent Mayor Andy Schor is focusing on downtown development and vibrancy initiatives.
• Candidate David Ellis, 26, emphasizes the need to address housing shortages in the city.
• Brett Brockschmidth prioritizes proper maintenance of Lansing's parks and recreational spaces.
• Councilman Jeffrey Brown says if elected, he will focus on community and unity in Lansing.
WATCH: Lansing mayoral candidates share their visions for the city's future
we met with each candidate at locations they chose to represent their top priorities for Lansing.
Incumbent Mayor Andy Schor selected downtown Lansing, specifically the intersection of Grand and Washington, to highlight his focus on development and vibrancy.
"In about a year, year in the half - in our southern downtown, we are going to have a performance arts center called the Ovation. Right across the street from a new service center that will help our community," Schor said.
David Ellis, the youngest candidate in the race at 26, brought me to an empty parking lot on Pine and Kalamazoo that once contained homes, illustrating what he sees as a missed opportunity for the city.
"We could talk about the Black and white emotion of the huge tax revenue we are losing from not having homes here... but we are also in a housing crisis and we could have more homes in parking lots like that to help people," Ellis said.
Brett Brockschmidth chose to meet at Debbie Stabenow Park, emphasizing the importance of maintaining public recreational spaces.
"Part of a vibrant city, especially people with low income to have somewhere recreational to go that's free... and we could do that by taking care of our park," Brockschmidth said.
Councilman Jeffrey Brown took a more personal approach, meeting at his childhood home to connect his background to his campaign priorities.
"My top priorities are community, neighborhoods and the families of Lansing," Brown said.
As the primary election approaches, each candidate offered closing messages to voters.
"I want to see growth is really what I talk about a lot," Brown said.
"There are some good candidates out there, but I am the only one with business management experience," Brockschmidth said.
"I am not new to this, I have been doing this for almost a decade at this point," Schor said.
"If you care about Lansing, let's take Lansing in our hands and uplift Lansing together," Ellis said.
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