Lansing Council: Donor Cheat Sheet
Contents
Corrected April 2, 2026
The previous version of this article listed Adam Hussain as Ward 2 and Deyanira Nevarez Martinez as Ward 3. Their wards were reversed. Hussain represents Ward 3; Nevarez Martinez represents Ward 2. The table and member cards below have been corrected.
LANSING, Mich. — Campaign finance records show that two organizations account for the majority of institutional money flowing to Lansing City Council members: the Lansing Regional Chamber PAC (LRC-PAC, MiTN Committee 000516) and the UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 333 PAC (MiTN Committee 507652). Together, the Chamber's PAC and the pipe trades union have given a combined $134,750 to seven of the eight sitting members.
The following tables compile cumulative campaign contributions from key institutional donors to each council member, drawn from MiTN filings and the Ingham County campaign finance portal. All figures are lifetime totals through the most recent available filings.
Overview
| Council Member | LRC-PAC | Local 333 | LRC-PAC + 333 | Date Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Garza (At-Large) | $1,000 | $74,500 | $75,500 | 2017–2025 |
| Peter Spadafore (Ward 4) | $6,500 | $13,000 | $19,500 | 2017–2025 |
| Tamera Carter (At-Large) | $9,850 | $5,000 | $14,850 | 2023 |
| Trini Pehlivanoglu (At-Large) | $7,900 | $2,500 | $10,400 | 2023 |
| Clara Martinez (At-Large) | $4,000 | $5,000 | $9,000 | 2025 |
| Adam Hussain (Ward 3) | $0 | $4,000 | $4,000 | 2015–2019 |
| Deyanira Nevarez Martinez (Ward 2) | $1,500 | $0 | $1,500 | 2025 |
| Ryan Kost (Ward 1) | $0 | $0 | $0 | - |
| Total | $30,750 | $104,000 | $134,750 |
Sources: LRC-PAC expenditures from MiTN Committee 000516 expenditure search, retrieved 2026-03-16. Local 333 PAC expenditures from MiTN Committee 507652 expenditure search, retrieved 2026-03-16. County-level contributions from the Ingham County campaign finance portal (search by candidate name under "Campaign Finance"), retrieved March 2026.
How to verify these numbers
- MiTN (state-level PAC filings): Go to cfrs.michigan.gov/publicReports. Click "Expenditures." Enter the committee ID (000516 for LRC-PAC, 507652 for Local 333). Search by payee name (e.g., "Garza" or "Spadafore"). All transactions, dates, and amounts are listed.
- Ingham County portal (local filings): Go to ingham.easyvoteportal.com. Click "Campaign Finance" in the top menu. Search by candidate name. Click the candidate's filings to see Schedule 1A (contributions received) and Schedule 1-IK (in-kind contributions).
- Schor Leadership Fund: Search MiTN expenditures for Committee 516396.
Member-by-Member Breakdown
Jeremy Garza
At-Large · Term 2026–2029
Email: jeremy.garza@lansingmi.gov · Council office: (517) 483-4177
Vice President of UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 333. His 2025 pre-primary filing (MiTN Committee 46714, receipts) lists 16 itemized contributions totaling $48,050. All 16 are from unions or PACs. Not one individual donor.
| Donor | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| UA Local 333 PAC | $74,500 | 9 transactions, Apr 2017–Feb 2025 |
| Sheet Metal Workers 7 | $7,500 | 2025 pre-primary |
| Pipefitters 636 | $2,500 | 2025 pre-primary |
| MI Laborers | $2,500 | 2025 pre-primary |
| IBEW | $2,000 | 2025 pre-primary |
| Monroe Plumbers | $2,000 | 2025 pre-primary |
| Operating Engineers 324 | $1,500 | 2025 pre-primary |
| MI Carpenters | $1,000 | 2025 pre-primary |
| LRC-PAC | $1,000 | Sep 2021 |
| IUPAT (Painters) | $1,000 | 2025 pre-primary |
| W. MI Plumbers 174 | $1,000 | 2025 pre-primary |
| Sprinkler Fitters 669 | $500 | 2025 pre-primary |
| Teamsters 243 | $500 | 2025 pre-primary |
| Lansing Firefighters | $500 | 2025 pre-primary |
| Schor Leadership Fund | $200 | 2 transactions, Jun 2017 |
Sources: Local 333 transactions from MiTN 507652 expenditures. LRC-PAC from MiTN 000516 expenditures. Schor Leadership from MiTN 516396 expenditures. 2025 pre-primary donors from MiTN 46714 receipts.
Peter Spadafore
Ward 4, Council President · Term 2026–2029
Email: peter.spadafore@lansingmi.gov · Council office: (517) 483-4177
Longest-serving member of the current council. Executive Director of the Michigan Association of School Officers.
| Donor | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| UA Local 333 PAC | $13,000 | Jul–Oct 2017 (MiTN) + county portal |
| LRC-PAC | $6,500 | 4 transactions, Jun 2017–Sep 2025 |
| Steve Japinga (Chamber SVP, personal) | $500 | Apr–Sep 2025 (county portal) |
| Dick Peffley (BWL GM, personal) | $1,050 | Mar 2025 (county portal) |
| Schor Leadership Fund | $200 | 2 transactions, Jun 2017 |
| Total | $21,250 |
Sources: Local 333 from MiTN 507652 expenditures (search "Spadafore") and Ingham County portal (search "Peter Spadafore" under Campaign Finance). LRC-PAC from MiTN 000516 expenditures (search "Spadafore"): $2,500 (Jun 2017, to Cmte to Elect Peter Spadafore), $1,000 (Sep 2017), $1,500 (Oct 2021), $1,500 (Sep 2025). Japinga and Peffley personal contributions from Ingham County portal (appear as contributors on Spadafore's filing Schedule 1A).
Tamera Carter
At-Large · Term 2024–2027
Email: tamera.carter@lansingmi.gov · Council office: (517) 483-4177
Highest LRC-PAC total of any sitting council member.
| Donor | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| LRC-PAC | $9,850 | 6 transactions, Mar–Sep 2023 |
| UA Local 333 PAC | $5,000 | 2 transactions, Sep 2023 |
| Total | $14,850 |
Sources: LRC-PAC from MiTN 000516 expenditures (search payee "Carter") and Ingham County portal. Local 333 from MiTN 507652 expenditures (search payee "Carter").
Trini Pehlivanoglu
At-Large, Vice President · Term 2024–2027
Email: trini.pehlivanoglu@lansingmi.gov · Council office: (517) 483-4177
Works at the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Put $3,300+ of her own money into her 2023 campaign as in-kind contributions (Ingham County portal).
| Donor | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| LRC-PAC | $7,900 | 5 transactions, May–Sep 2023 |
| UA Local 333 PAC | $2,500 | 2023 (county portal) |
| Steve Japinga (Chamber SVP, personal) | $100 | May 2023 (county portal) |
| Total | $10,500 |
Sources: LRC-PAC from MiTN 000516 expenditures (search "Pehlivanoglu") and Ingham County portal. Local 333 and Japinga from Ingham County portal (search "Trinidad Pehlivanoglu" under Campaign Finance, Schedule 1A).
Clara Martinez
At-Large · Term 2026–2029
Email: clara.martinez@lansingmi.gov · Council office: (517) 483-4177
Teacher, Lansing School District.
| Donor | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| UA Local 333 PAC | $5,000 | 2025 (county portal) |
| LRC-PAC | $4,000 | 2025 (county portal) |
| Dick Peffley (BWL GM, personal) | $100 | Jun 2025 (county portal) |
| Total | $9,100 |
Sources: All from Ingham County portal (search "Clara Martinez" under Campaign Finance). Local 333 and LRC-PAC appear as contributors on her filing Schedule 1A. Peffley personal contribution also on Schedule 1A.
Adam Hussain
Ward 3 · Term 2024–2027
Email: adam.hussain@lansingmi.gov · Council office: (517) 483-4177
Teacher, Waverly Community Schools. No LRC-PAC money.
| Donor | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| UA Local 333 PAC | $4,000 | 3 transactions, Aug 2015–May 2019 |
| LRC-PAC | $0 | - |
| Total | $4,000 |
Sources: Local 333 from MiTN 507652 expenditures (search payee "Hussain"). Three transactions: $1,500 (Aug 2015), $1,500 (Sep 2015), $1,000 (May 2019).
Deyanira Nevarez Martinez
Ward 2 · Term 2026–2029
Email: deyanira.nevarezmartinez@lansingmi.gov · Council office: (517) 483-4177
Assistant professor, Michigan State University. One of two members (with Kost) who received no Local 333 money.
| Donor | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| LRC-PAC | $1,500 | 2025 (county portal) |
| Steve Japinga (Chamber SVP, personal) | $250 | Oct 2025 (county portal) |
| UA Local 333 PAC | $0 | - |
| Total | $1,750 |
Sources: All from Ingham County portal (search "Deyanira Nevarez Martinez" under Campaign Finance, Schedule 1A).
Ryan Kost
Ward 1 · Term 2024–2027
Email: ryan.kost@lansingmi.gov · Council office: (517) 483-4177
State of Michigan employee. The only member with zero PAC money from either source. Funded entirely by small-dollar individual donors.
| Donor | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| LRC-PAC | $0 | - |
| UA Local 333 PAC | $0 | - |
| Schor Leadership Fund | $0 | - |
| Total | $0 |
Sources: Verified by searching MiTN 000516 expenditures (payee "Kost," zero results), MiTN 507652 expenditures (payee "Kost," zero results), and MiTN 516396 expenditures (payee "Kost," zero results).
How to Read This
These are cumulative lifetime totals from public filings, not single-cycle numbers. Every contribution listed here is legal and disclosed. Lansing City Council races are low-budget. A candidate who raises $15,000 in a cycle is doing well. A single $5,000 PAC check can be a third of that.
LRC-PAC is the political arm of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. Chamber CEO Tim Daman is the PAC's treasurer (IRS 990, EIN 38-0745180). Chamber SVP Steve Japinga is its operational contact. The Chamber lobbies for development projects before the same officials the PAC funds.
UA Local 333 is a building trades union whose members do construction on projects the Council approves. Council member Jeremy Garza is the union's Vice President.
Seven of eight members took money from one or both.
Methodology
All figures are compiled from publicly available campaign finance records. Anyone can verify them using the two free databases linked below.
State-level filings (MiTN): The Michigan Campaign Finance Reporting System publishes committee registrations, receipts, and expenditures for all state-registered PACs. To verify LRC-PAC spending, search expenditures for Committee 000516 by payee name. For Local 333, search Committee 507652. For Schor Leadership Fund, search Committee 516396. Data retrieved March 16, 2026.
County-level filings (Ingham County): The Ingham County campaign finance portal publishes local candidate filings not captured in MiTN. To verify, click "Campaign Finance," search by candidate name, then open individual filings to see Schedule 1A (monetary contributions) and Schedule 1-IK (in-kind contributions). Data retrieved March 2026.
What's included: LRC-PAC and Local 333 figures are based on expenditure records from the PAC's perspective (money going out). County portal figures are based on contribution records from the candidate's perspective (money coming in). Personal contributions (Japinga, Peffley) are from candidate filings on the county portal. "LRC-PAC + 333" totals in the overview table count only those two sources. "Total" rows in individual member cards include all listed donors.
Contact information: Email addresses follow the standard City of Lansing format (firstname.lastname@lansingmi.gov). The council office phone is the Lansing City Council office.
More from Government
All Government →Public Housing Commission Conflict-of-Interest Standards
Rhinoceros NewsroomApr 26, 2026
Federal and Michigan rules that govern conflicts of interest on a public housing commission cluster around four authorities: HUD's mixed-finance development standard at 24 CFR §905.604, the federal-award procurement standard at 2 CFR §200.318(c), Michigan's public officer conflict statute at MCL 15.321 et seq., and the Lansing Housing Commission's own bylaws. Each rule names a specific prohibited conduct, a required disclosure or recusal, and a specific body authorized to act when conditions covered by the rule appear in the public record. HUD's Office of Public Housing Investments (working through the HUD Detroit Field Office for Michigan) and the Michigan Attorney General's Public Integrity Unit hold the federal and state authority respectively.
What Is the Lansing Housing Commission?
Rhinoceros NewsroomApr 26, 2026
The Lansing Housing Commission is the City of Lansing's public housing authority, chartered in 1964 under MCL 125.651 and governed by a five-member volunteer board appointed by the Mayor. As of 2025 LHC operates 66 public-housing units (down from 833 in 2020), administers 2,252 federal Section 8 vouchers and 253 project-based vouchers, and acts as development partner on a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit pipeline of more than $200 million in active project cost. Three of the people sitting in LHC's governance hold paid positions at organizations that earn fees from LHC's deals: Board Chair Emma Henry at Capital Area Housing Partnership ($123,787/year per its FY2025 IRS Form 990), Commissioner Ashlee Barker at Cinnaire (the standing purchaser of LHC's tax credits), and Executive Director Doug Fleming as agent of the General Partner LLCs collecting developer fees on LHC LIHTC partnerships.
Lansing's First Flock Briefing
Rhinoceros NewsroomApr 25, 2026
On April 23, 2026, Lansing Chief Robert Backus gave the city's first sustained public description of LPD's Flock surveillance program, in a 32-minute committee discussion with no written materials. The chief disclosed 52 personnel with platform access, 391 vehicles or vehicle parts recovered with 97 arrests, and six "not concealed" intersections. The minutes record two contradictions: no data-sharing MOUs but MOUs for emergency help, and a 90-day written retention policy versus 30-day practice.