What you need to know: Kalamazoo’s 2025 municipal election
Kalamazoo voters will head to the polls this November to elect a mayor, vice mayor, and three city commissioners. Here’s a quick guide to what’s on the ballot and how to vote.
Kalamazoo voters will head to the polls this November to elect a mayor, vice mayor, and three city commissioners. Here’s a quick guide to what’s on the ballot and how to vote.
What’s on the ballot?
Incumbent mayor David Anderson, who has held office since 2019 will face two challengers: Robert Gray and Chris Glasser. The mayor serves a two-year term in Kalamazoo.
Also on the ballot are three of the city’s six commission seats, each a four-year term. The commissioner who receives the most votes will serve as vice mayor for the first half of their term.
The ten candidates for the city commission are:
- Stephanie D. Hoffman (incumbent)
- Keshia Dickason
- Drew Duncan
- Thomas Durlach
- Kizzy N. Bradford
- Jessica Thompson
- Soloman J. Carpenter
- Bernard Dervan III
- Sara L. Schlack
- Jacqueline Slaby
Kalamazoo staggers its commission elections, so three of the six seats are up this year, with the remaining three on the ballot in 2027. This year’s openings include Stephanie Hoffman’s seat, the only incumbent seeking reelection, along with seats currently held by Dan Cooney and Qianna Decker, both of whom are not running again.
When is the election?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th with the polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find their assigned polling location through the city’s election portal.
Early voting
Early voting will run from Saturday, October 26th through Sunday, November 3rd. Voting sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voters may cast ballots at any of the designated early voting locations in Kalamazoo County (except Pavillion Township residents). Location sites and further information can be found here.
No ranked choice voting
In 2023, Kalamazoo voters approved a charter amendment to implement ranked-choice voting (RCV) for local races. However, the system is not in place for the 2025 election.
Michigan state law currently prohibits municipalities from using RCV, and Kalamazoo has not yet acquired the necessary voting equipment or received approval from its election commission. Until those conditions are met, Kalamazoo will use the traditional voting method: voters select one mayoral candidate and up to three commissioners, with the top vote-getters winning their seats.
Updated, 10:34 p.m. July 29: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that Qianna Decker was running for re-election. Decker did not file for re-election and does not appear on the certified list of candidates for the 2025 election. The article has been updated to reflect that.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer with Watershed Voice.
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