Muskegon Mayoral Race Up To Three Candidates

Andrew Trzaska | January 8. 2013

Muskegon’s 2013 mayoral race just got crowded.

Just a few weeks after current mayor Steve Gawron announced he would seek another term as mayor, two candidates publicly announced their candidacies within 24 hours of each other.

Muskegon residents Zawdie Abiade and DeMario Phillips formally announced campaigns for the office on Monday and Tuesday this week, respectively. Longtime mayor Steve Warmington vacated the seat in 2012 and Gawron served as both acting mayor and then actual mayor since summer.

Demario Phillips appeared during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s city commission meeting to announce his candidacy.

The 23-year old candidate previously ran unsuccessfully for the Muskegon Board of Education in 2011 and 2012.

Phillips only stated at Monday’s meeting that he would be running; city commission meetings have a rule against political campaigning during meetings.

Last night, Lakeside United Methodist Church pastor Zawdie Abiade launched his campaign, long in the works and focused on the themes of getting neighborhoods working together.

While there is still time to apply for the race, this is already the most crowded race for mayor in over a decade, when Warmington first won office in a five-person race in 2001.