Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles profiling Lansing's six candidates for mayor.
Lansing mayoral candidate Gerald Rowley doesn't have large lawn placards for his supporters to display. He's not slapping stickers on cars or passing out pins or badges.
Rowley, 42, does most of his campaigning by driving around in his gray Volvo station wagon with two "Rowley for mayor" fliers posted in the back windows. When asked how much his campaign cost him, Rowley chuckled.
"I've only invested $216 for my campaign, and $100 was the (application) filing fee," he said.
The remaining $116 bought him 500 red and white fliers he's been taking with him door-to-door every weekend, talking with neighbors and residents, making his voice heard - and he says his method is working.
"I'm running a low budget, high-profile campaign, if you can believe that," he said. "I don't consider myself a politician by any means."
Rowley will be competing against five other candidates for a spot on the November ballot at the primary election Aug. 5, the top two candidates from that race will compete for Lansing's top position at the general election, held Nov. 4. Candidates will finish out the remaining two years of former Mayor David Hollister's four-year term. Councilmember Tony Benavides filled in as mayor when Hollister left office to work in Gov. Jennifer Granholm's administration.
Rowley's plans, if elected, would to be establish better relationships between police and community members. He said he'd also work to bring more people to the Oldsmobile Park, home of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team and work to draw more independent businesses into Lansing's downtown area.
But more than anything, Rowley said he wants to eliminate the condemned houses and vacant properties found in neighborhoods like his.
Rowley said he'd also want to change the way the city is run, in terms of community input.
"Lansing's a cool town, a diverse town, it's a good area to live in," Rowley said "But as far as citizens having any say in town, it ain't happening - period."
Rowley has never held political office before, but he said that doesn't make him nervous.
"What this town needs is a mayor who's going to take charge of the neighborhoods, to put money into people versus buildings downtown," he said. "That's what's going to make us a better city."
Former Lansing City Councilmember Howard Jones described Rowley as an "open and honest" worker and manual laborer in the community. But it may be rough for candidates like Rowley to compete with a small campaign budget, Jones said.
"Money is very important in our society and I guarantee if you notice who the winners are, they'll be the ones with the most money," Jones said.
A husband and father of a 7-year-old daughter, Rowley works as a drywall finisher and served 20 years as a mechanic with the Michigan National Guard.
Rowley first came to Lansing at age 22 with "a $50 car and half a bag of clothes." He worked to buy a house and raise a family, now he sees the Aug. 5 primary as his next big feat.
Rowley describes himself as "the working man's man," and said he'd even offer to take a 50-percent pay cut if elected. Lansing's top job pays $107,000 a year.
"That's way too much for me in that position," he said.
