Both District 89 Representative candidates, Patrick Kapenga and Joe Moss, ran on the intent to get rid of government waste, fraud, and abuse. And both are Pro Life. That, however, is where the similarities appear to end.

Voters seem to have valued that when Moss says he’s for local control, it means showing up to stand with residents over projects like the battery energy storage system in Blendon Township and the Silver Maple solar project in Zeeland and Jamestown Townships. ‍

Moss has spoken out against Consumers Energy, the company which he says wants to provide power to AI data centers and centralize decisions at the state level rather than with local townships. And it was Moss who led the efforts of the Board of Commissioners to keep the J.H. Campbell open.

And Kapenga? He claimed to be for local control, yet his campaign finance report shows a Consumers Energy PAC as one of his donors. It appears that donation was a red flag for voters whose homes and livelihoods would be impacted by CE’s energy projects.

As for election conduct, voters seemed to have appreciated that Moss ran a positive campaign. His opponent sunk to mudslinging by sending out mailers that dredged up accusations disproven years ago. Additionally, Kapenga misrepresented himself. In an apparent effort to promote his farm experience, Green Vale Farm’s barns are depicted on his mailer—suggesting they belong to Kapenga. Green Vale called him out on the use of the farm's image without consent.

Kapenga focused much of his website messaging on eliminating income tax and restoring the American dream—defined as getting ahead from skill and hard work. While he claimed these themes were to help families, it would appear he could have just as easily said those broad themes were to help any community member.

Moss, on the other hand, has been deliberate when he talks about family. And it seems that intent resonated with voters. As many local parents, Moss experienced firsthand the impact of government overreach during the Covid pandemic. He, too, thought it should be the parents making the decisions for their children regarding masks, vaccines, their comings and goings. He, too, knows what it was like to have access and education taken away when his family’s decisions didn’t line up with the  mandates of “experts.”  

Also in that time Moss became aware, as did many, that education was no longer about teaching core subjects. It had been infiltrated with a liberal agenda of sexualization and politicization. Parents came out in droves to speak at Board of Commissioner meetings about masks, shutdowns, and DEI, only to have commissioners shorten their time to a minute and restrict their presence in the boardroom. Moss was one of those parents fighting to be heard by commissioners who chose to listen to Lansing over the people who had elected them.

It was Moss who was there through all of it, and it appears that shared lived experience was not forgotten by voters.

Moss not only spoke up during that time; in 2022 he took action and ran for commissioner to fight for freedom at the county level. Inspired by his conviction that parents rights are worth protecting, voters elected him. On his very first day as commissioner, Moss led the effort to abolish the DEI office that was influencing area schools. He also worked to make sure parents understood vaccine waivers. When it came to budgets, vendors, and the endless County decisions, Moss looked through the lens of that parent who had stood fighting for the innocence of children, even passing a resolution to solidify that protection.

With such a background, it appears evident that when Moss speaks about protecting parental rights, he does it from a place of being a fellow parent whose rights were trampled. Winning the Primary, it seems that those convictions and his passion for freedom still resonate.
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Voters chose the candidate who makes sure people get to know him. Moss has been sharing his intent, his observations, whom he supports (such as President Trump), and his beliefs, all in his voice—in first person, through his social media posts and through his blog entries. While he has endorsements, he’s not dependent on them for his constituents to understand who he is, or what he believes, or the issues about which he’s most passionate.

Speaking of endorsements, the one most prominent on Moss’ website? Right to Life. The endorsement most prominent on Kapenga’s site? That of State Rep. Luke Meerman.

Of the two candidates, Moss is the one with a track record of taking the hard road (and the high road) and making things happen—advancing faith, family, and freedom.

As Moss told WZZM, “Strong leadership means taking decisive action, standing firm on principle, and remaining accountable to the people we serve. It means protecting children, preserving childhood, and standing with local communities—so the people, not distant bureaucracies, have a voice in their future. That’s the leadership I’ve brought in Ottawa County, and it’s the leadership I will bring to Lansing.”

At the Primary, voters chose Moss, someone focused on protecting families, someone who has proven he not only will stand beside them but will lead the charge to strengthen communities and defend freedom.

The voters have spoken. Next up, the General Election.

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