Alex Fernandez (Michigan)

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Alex Fernandez

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Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1979 - 1985

Personal
Profession
Pastor, Upper Room Bilingual Ministries

Alex Fernandez was a candidate for an at-large seat on the Grand Rapids Public Schools school board in Michigan. Fernandez was defeated in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.

Biography

Fernandez served in the U.S. Navy from 1979 to 1985 and 1989 to 1995. He has been the pastor of Upper Room Bilingual Ministries since 1997.[1]

Elections

2016

See also: Grand Rapids Public Schools elections (2016)

Four of the nine seats on the Grand Rapids Public Schools school board were up for general election on November 8, 2016. Incumbents Raynard Ross and Jen Schottke filed for re-election, while fellow board members Monica Randles and Nathaniel Moody opted against seeking new terms. Ross and Schottke were joined on the ballot by challengers Walter Burt, Ryan Davis, Michael Farage, Alex Fernandez, Kristian Grant, Matthew Helak, and Katherine Downes Lewis. Ross, Schottke, Grant, and Lewis won in the general election.[2]

Results

Grand Rapids Public Schools,
At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Kristian Grant 16.43% 25,780
Green check mark transparent.png Katherine Downes Lewis 15.28% 23,975
Green check mark transparent.png Jen Schottke Incumbent 15.07% 23,650
Green check mark transparent.png Raynard Ross Incumbent 11.57% 18,159
Alex Fernandez 10.42% 16,344
Walter Burt 9.81% 15,397
Ryan Davis 8.51% 13,348
Michael Farage 7.26% 11,399
Matthew Helak 5.65% 8,867
Total Votes 156,919
Source: Election Magic, "Kent County Election Returns," accessed December 14, 2016

Funding

See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2016

School board candidates in Michigan were required to file pre-election campaign finance reports with their county election offices by October 28, 2016. Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016.[3]

In Michigan, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions from corporations or labor organizations. Within 10 days of becoming a candidate, candidates must form a candidate committee. Following the creation of the committee, candidates have an additional 10 days to register the committee with the school district filing official by filing a statement of organization. A candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election, and annual campaign statements.[4]

October 28 filing

Candidates received a total of $17,155.54 and spent a total of $11,167.36 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Kent County Clerk.[5]

Candidate Contributions Expenditures Cash on hand
Raynard Ross (incumbent) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Jen Schottke (incumbent) $11,525.54 $8,215.37 $3,310.17
Walter Burt $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Ryan Davis $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Michael Farage $4,500.00 $1,968.98 $2,534.02
Alex Fernandez $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Kristian Grant $1,130.00 $983.01 $146.99
Matthew Helak $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Katherine Downes Lewis $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Campaign themes

2016

Fernandez provided the following responses for the voter guide compiled by MLive.com:

Why are you running for office?
I am running for office to help all students receive a world-class education through the Grand Rapids Public Schools.

What are your top three priorities?
1. Safety of all the students and GRPS employees. 2. World-class education for all students. By increasing academic achievement. 3. Raising the graduation rates in our district.

What is the most pressing issue for this office?
The most pressing issue for this office, in my opinion, is getting everyone working together so our students may receive a world-class education. This includes the community at large beginning with the students, parents, teachers, administrators and a board that always put the students in the best environment to learn.[1][6]

—Alex Fernandez (2016)

Recent news

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See also

External links

Footnotes