Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Joanna VanRaaphorst
Joanna VanRaaphorst was a 2014 Democratic candidate for District 45 of the Michigan House of Representatives.
Biography
VanRaaphorst is a partner in her husband's periodontal practice, which the two purchased in 1991 and expanded to a full-time office. She has over twenty years of experience in sales and marketing, working for Holiday Inn, Sheraton, the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Crittenton Hospital Medical Center.[1]
VanRaaphorst, a 1977 graduate of Romeo High School, has a B.A. in business marketing from Central Michigan University (1981).[2]
Campaign themes
2014
VanRaaphorst's website highlighted the following campaign themes:
| “ | Our Public Schools & Higher Education
VanRaaphorst knows that the recent funding cuts have hurt our local schools. She has attended 12 different RCS PTA/PTSA meetings to learn how the decisions, (or in-decisions) made in Lansing have hurt our schools ability to plan for and educate our children, VanRaaphorst will stand up for our local schools. Your children’s education is worth the investment and our property values depend on maintaining great schools. In contrast, Michael Webber is endorsed by GLEP, a Devos run group that wants to privatize schools into profit making industries The high cost of college and universities are a huge concern for most families. Vanraaphorst knows that affordable higher education is key Michigan’s economic Fix Our Roads The number one complaint voiced by our residents is securing proper funding to properly fix our crumbling roads. Yet our Republican lead House, Senate and Governor did not get this job done and instead, gave up and took a three month summer vacation. This lack of inaction would not be accepted in the corporate world. As a strong business leader, VanRaaphorst will work until the job is done with Republicans to determine a REAL solution to the problem. Oil & Gas Drilling in Our Area? No Way! With the stark reality of a new oil rig up in Shelby Township at Dequindre and 25 Mile Road, VanRaaphorst knows that the State should not allow high density residential drilling. Meanwhile, Michael Webber, other city council members and Mayor Barnett voted, WITHOUT the consent of Rochester Hills residents, to allow for potential oil and gas drilling in three Rochester Hills city-owned parks. As a result, a new grass roots, bi-partisan group called Don’t Drill the Hills has been formed to educate local residents about the poor decisions of City council and to push to stop drilling in our neighborhoods. VanRaaphorst will work with local residents at the state level to help prevent this type of intrusive drilling that will lower our home values.[3][4] |
” |
2012
VanRaaphorst's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[5]
Business and Jobs
- Excerpt: "As our state representative, I will focus of my time on working for a strong local and Statewide economy. We need to continue to streamline government to make it friendly for new businesses as well as existing businesses."
Public Schools
- Excerpt: "I will support our public schools as it is critical to the success of our children, community and our State. My focus is to support legislation that provides adequate, stable funding for early childhood through college or technical school education."
Less Government and More Local Control
- Excerpt: "I believe communities should have control over laws that govern us. We need a strong advocate in Lansing who will fight for our right to self govern. It is critical that local communities have the resources needed for safety and infrastructure needs."
Elections
2014
Elections for the Michigan House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 22, 2014. Joanna VanRaaphorst was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Michael Webber defeated Mark Avery and Lana Mangiapane in the Republican primary. Webber defeated VanRaaphorst in the general election.[6][7][8][9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Michael Webber |
56.2% | 18,369 | |
| Democratic | Joanna VanRaaphorst | 43.8% | 14,336 | |
| Total Votes | 32,705 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Michael Webber |
46.5% | 4,026 |
| Mark Avery | 42.7% | 3,702 |
| Lana Mangiapane | 10.8% | 939 |
| Total Votes | 8,667 | |
2012
VanRaaphorst ran in the 2012 election for Michigan House of Representatives District 45. She defeated Ted Golden and Douglas Wilson in the August 7 Democratic primary and was defeated by incumbent Tom McMillin (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[10]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom McMillin Incumbent |
56% | 25,972 | |
| Democratic | Joanna VanRaaphorst | 44% | 20,408 | |
| Total Votes | 46,380 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Joanna VanRaaphorst |
78.2% | 3,542 |
| Douglas Wilson | 13.4% | 606 |
| Ted Golden | 8.4% | 382 |
| Total Votes | 4,530 | |
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
VanRaaphorst's husband, Paul, is a periodontist; they have a son who graduated from Oakland University in 2012, and a daughter studying at Albion College. She lists swimming, biking, tutoring, and cross-country skiing as activities.[1][2]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Joanna + VanRaaphorst + Michigan + House"
See also
- Michigan House of Representatives
- Michigan House of Representatives District 45
- Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2014
- Michigan State Legislature
External links
- Official campaign website
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Joanna VanRaaphorst on Facebook
- Joanna VanRaaphorst on YouTube
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Committee to Elect Joanna VanRaaphorst, "About Joanna," February 17, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Facebook, "JoAnna Van Raaphorst," accessed August 6, 2012
- ↑ Committee to Elect Joanna VanRaaphorst,
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ "joannaforrochester," Official Campaign Website
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Representative in State Legislature," accessed August 6, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Representative in State Legislature," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2014 Official Michigan Primary Candidate Listing," accessed May 27, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2014 Official Michigan General Candidate Listing," accessed September 8, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Department of State, "2012 Official Michigan Primary Candidate Listing," accessed June 6, 2012
