With two-thirds of the popular vote, Grand Rapids Commissioner Rosalynn Bliss becomes the city’s first female mayor on January 1.
"I believe that there's still a lot of work that we need to do, and I want to be part of that. I want to be part of making that happen," Bliss says. "We have worked hard to get the city moving in the right direction, and I want to make sure that continues."
Bliss says her top priority is strengthening neighborhoods.
"I know I have a lot of relationships to build," Bliss says. "I want to get out into the community, I want to listen to people. And we’ll have a new commission too.”
That new commission comes after term limits put in place by city voters last November.
Half of the six city commissioners will be new faces, with First Ward Commissioner Walt Gutowski and Third Ward Commissioner Elias Lumpkins ineligible to seek re-election.
The commission will also appoint a replacement for Bliss, who was first elected in 2006. Her second ward seat is up for election in 2018.
Mayoral candidate Robert Dean, a former city commissioner and state representative, received 30 percent of Tuesday’s vote.
Overall city turnout was 15.7 percent.