'Guilty by association': Can the Ottawa County GOP pull together after the primary?

OTTAWA COUNTY — Ask Benjamin Genser whether he supports Ottawa Impact and he'll tell you, as a candidate for treasurer, it's inappropriate to answer.

For the same reason, he isn't endorsed by, hasn't signed a contract with, and — he insists — would return any money donated to him by the PAC.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't need their supporters. And, he argues, so does the rest of the Ottawa County GOP.

"Do I have supporters who support Ottawa Impact? Of course," Genser told The Sentinel in a recent interview. "I'm a Republican candidate. I'm pro-limited government, I'm pro-gun. These are key priorities of Republicanism in this country.

"So, to say I don't agree with any of the Ottawa Impact priorities or anything they say, that's just dishonest. But just because I have supporters who may resonate with those candidates doesn't mean I'm affiliated or endorsed.

"I don't think it's appropriate to run as a slate with commissioners, because our roles are very different. Being treasurer is about holding the board accountable from a fiscal responsibility standpoint, which is about doing the right thing, so some distance is arguably important."

Genser has run for office before — recently, in fact. Last year, he ran for mayor of the city of Grand Haven. He lost to former mayor Bob Monetza.

"I likely fell into the most conservative role," Genser admits. "I learned quite a bit; what it really means to run for office. I think it put me in a position to run for larger office — and I believe this particular role is more suited to my skillset and experience."

He's not wrong. Genser is a private client advisor and vice president of investments for J.P. Morgan. Before that, he spent six years as a vice president and multi-site manager with Chase. He has a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration and a master's degree in business administration, both from the University of Michigan.

There's public service on his record, too. Genser sits on the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission and Ottawa County’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee.

Although his focus remains on the treasurer race, Genser is also trying to be a bellringer for peace in the Ottawa County GOP — a near-impossible feat, as ten Republican candidates face Ottawa Impact-backed or incumbent commissioners on the Ottawa County Board in August, most running on a platform of criticism for the grassroots PAC.

"I'm concerned (that) we have Republican candidates running on this anti-OI message," Genser said. "I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel for the betterment of the party if that's how we're campaigning. I don't want to ostracize or alienate any Republican."

Genser would like to see all Republican candidates back their primary winners; a traditional symbol of party unity. But the candidates themselves aren't so interested.

'The reason I'm running in the first place'

"I agree the Republican party in this county, if not the nation, is in disarray," Dick Van Dop, who faces Ottawa Impact incumbent Alison Meidema and real estate agent Sara Bajema in District 11, wrote to The Sentinel in response to a question about whether he'd support the winning candidate, should he lose in August.

"Ottawa Impact … (has) a very narrow ideology and (refuses) to play well with others. Those of us who fail to prostrate ourselves before them are called liberal Democrats masquerading as Republicans. … OI is fracturing the Republican party with their antics and making us all look bad."

Van Dop said, should Bajema win the primary, "I am prepared to support her." However, he added, "I will not support Alison Miedema or any OI candidate that continues to misbehave in the way they have. They are the reason I am running in the first place."

Bajema, for her part, wrote: "I would support any Republican candidate who won the primary election."

Like Van Dop, District 5 challenger and Hudsonville Mayor Mark Northrup frames his disapproval in ethics.

"This is a different kind of county commissioner race," Northrup, who faces Board Chair Joe Moss, wrote in a statement to The Sentinel. "I don't see this as a battle between conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats — it's a conflict between tyranny and the Constitution.

"As a veteran who took the oath to the Constitution personally and administered the oath many times, I cannot support Ottawa Impact and their agenda. From a lack of transparency and cronyism to neglecting local issues to flame the fires of national divisions, they do not represent the spirit or practice of governance our founders sought.

"I would not support Joe Moss in the general election."

In District 10, where Republican Josh Brugger faces OI-backed Jason Koert, it's clear where Brugger stands.

"I will not be endorsing or supporting any candidate endorsed by or affiliated with Ottawa Impact."

Jordan Jorritsma, who faces the recently recalled Lucy Ebel in District 2, is also worried about Ottawa Impact's antics, but stresses party loyalty.

"I have dedicated my career to electing Republicans and supporting the conservative movement," he wrote. "While I continue to have strong concerns with the character and competence of Ottawa Impact’s slate, I am eager to support every conservative candidate as these concerns are resolved."

The answer is complicated for incumbent District 1 Commissioner Gretchen Cosby, a member of Ottawa Impact, who wrote, "If I am not selected in the August primary, my commitment to serving the needs of the people who have elected me will be my principal focus for the following four months."

She added: "Throughout my campaign and tenure, I have worked closely with the Ottawa County Republican Party to draft policies and positions that genuinely reflect the values and priorities of our constituents. I believe it is essential for District 1 to be represented by a candidate who truly aligns with these principles …"

Cosby said she is "prepared to support the Republican nominee" with "the expectation that the party will promote candidates who are genuinely aligned with the established policies and the best interests of our constituents."

The Sentinel did not receive responses from any of the remaining Republican candidates, with the exception of David Lee Morren, who faces Vice Chair Sylvia Rhodea in District 8. No contact information was available for Morren at the time of publication.

'The only people winning, in the long run, are the Democrats'

Genser's involvement with the Ottawa County GOP began with his race for mayor. He now serves as a precinct delegate.

"I started attending the executive committee meetings and getting to know delegates, and the party is just fractured," he said. "We have this separation between grassroots Republicans and more traditional Republicans. It's really saddening to me, as a proven conservative. I was hoping I'd walk into a party where there wasn't divide, where we were all on the same page."

He says delegates and leadership simply can't agree on the right path forward.

"The executive committee is half elected officials and half voted in by delegates, and you have a lot of electeds that aren't showing up to the meetings because they're unhappy with grassroots leaders," Genser said. "We, as Republicans, need to realize there's common ground. The only people winning, in the long run, are the Democrats."

Neither side is perfect.

"The unknown always makes people nervous," Genser said of the grassroots faction. "I can resonate with that, because I know what's at stake, and I don't think it's the time to test the waters with things that are unproven when Michigan is in play as a swing state.

"I truly believe Ottawa County is a key piece, arguably the key piece, in Michigan. I want to make sure the grassroots supporters don't stay home in November because of the rhetoric and divisiveness that came from this primary election. I think establishment Republicans need to realize that, although they feel strongly on the way forward, it would be a mistake not to consider what the grassroots movement and those who support it bring to the party.

"(Meanwhile), I think the grassroots supporters need to consider that what happened in Ottawa County happened very quickly. I don't think it has to be one or the other."

None of the infighting, he said, helps with the outright vilification of Republicans.

"I think we all remember when Hillary Clinton made the deplorables comment, and it opened the door to that kind of rhetoric," Genser said. "It's a tool, and an effective tool from the left, to say hey, if we can group all these people in together and negate the fact that some might be more accepting than others, they'll be easier to defeat.

"In Holland and Grand Haven, they'll ask if you support a drag show or Pride Festival, and it's meant to be a yes or no answer — they don't want to give you room to have an opinion that may not be all or nothing. I think that's the danger. It's vilified Republicans to the point where they're afraid to even have the conversation. I wouldn't want any Republican to treat a Democrat that way.

"If you want to be inclusive, you need to respect the families that've been here for generations. You can't say conservatives need to be more inclusive and accepting of certain groups or identities and then tell them to simply not come downtown if they're uncomfortable, or don't live here. It can make people uncomfortable because what's unknown is uncomfortable for some people. That's human nature."

The GOPers, he said, are sick of being grouped together — hence the fracture.

"There may be Republicans who are pro-choice and pro-gun, or anti-choice and anti-gun. Not everybody fits in the same shoebox. What we're seeing now is ingraining this two-party culture even further. Everybody is at each other's throats. I fear this political cycle is going to be a cycle of retribution, where it's all about what happened and how and when to get payback. That's not the way forward. How do we come to the table, win or lose, and represent everybody in the county?"

Is the Ottawa County GOP controlled by Ottawa Impact?

Genser says no.

"Right now, there's a very small number of the dozens of members of the executive committee that are actually Ottawa Impact candidates or officials. This whole guilty by association thing is dangerous."

The argument in favor of Ottawa Impact influence was strengthened by the GOPs choice to hold a primary endorsement convention, breaking a long held tradition of letting local Republican voters decide who should represent the party on the November ticket.

Each commissioner pick matched the list of “vetted” candidates from Ottawa Impact, according to its website. Each received at least 95% of votes from the 187 approved delegates.

"I see the reasoning on both sides," Genser said. "You have one side that's looking for things like a closed primary that only registered Republicans should be able to vote in, or some say it should be the delegates because we're elected and are the most informed voters are out there. I can understand that.

"But, on the other hand, when a party decides to endorse before the primary, it's the belief of some that you're taking it out of the hands of the voters. It's not my place to make that determination on what the right choice was — but in my opinion, I think when you have an endorsement convention like that, you need to make sure every candidate that's declaring as a Republican, whether you think they are or not, has equal opportunity to participate, feels they can participate, doesn't feel like they're being ostracized and doesn't feel as though they're not wanted when they walk through the door."

He said some Republican candidates, feeling certain they wouldn't get the endorsement, decided not to come at all.

"I think, in the grand scheme of things, it hurts the party by not attending," Genser said. "I was there, I saw the voting process. I saw that each individual candidate, even if they hadn't RSVP'd, was given an opportunity to speak, and I just personally have never been scared of a fight because I thought I might lose."

If local Republicans don't like the direction of the party, he said, the easiest solution is to get involved.

"We have a lot of people upset about the change, but they're not setting up and finding delegates," Genser said. "I think rather than complaining and creating controversy, do the work. Get the delegates elected. If we have delegates you disagree with, this is a representative democracy. Get them out of office."

According to the website for the Ottawa County GOP: "A precinct delegate is elected directly by the voters in each precinct … to serve as a liaison between the Republican Party and voters in their neighborhood. Precinct delegates also represent their neighborhood at various Republican meetings throughout their two-year term."

While the opportunity to appear on the ballot in 2024 has passed, write-in candidates may file with the Ottawa County Clerk's Office until Friday, Aug. 2, according to the GOP. Genser says there are currently about 350 delegates, and more than 100 seats to fill. By those numbers, less than 55% of current delegates and less than 42% of possible delegates participated in the endorsement convention.

The party's next executive committee meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Fillmore Complex in West Olive.

"The power of the party is determined through an election, just like the government," Genser said. "Instead of name-calling and suing each other, do the work."

— Cassandra Lybrink is the local editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @CassLybrink.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Can the Ottawa County GOP pull together after the primary?