Ken Johnson (Mayor of Muskegon, Michigan, candidate 2025)
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Ken Johnson is running for election to the Mayor of Muskegon in Michigan. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. He was on the ballot in the primary on August 5, 2025.[source]
Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Ken Johnson provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2025:
- Birth date: July 15, 1981
- Birth place: Muskegon, Michigan
- High school: Muskegon High School
- Bachelor's: The George Washington University, 2003
- Gender: Male
- Profession: Financial Planner
- Prior offices held:
- City Commissioner, At-large (2014-2021)
- Incumbent officeholder: Yes
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
- Campaign Instagram
Elections
General election
General election for Mayor of Muskegon
Bob Garretson and Ken Johnson are running in the general election for Mayor of Muskegon on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Bob Garretson (Nonpartisan) | ||
Ken Johnson (Nonpartisan)  | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Muskegon
John Richard Allen, Bob Garretson, and Ken Johnson ran in the primary for Mayor of Muskegon on August 5, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| John Richard Allen (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Bob Garretson (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Ken Johnson (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ken Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Johnson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Mayor Ken Johnson’s roots run deep in the community he serves. He's a fifth generation resident, whose family first arrived in Muskegon in 1881. Ken’s a proud K-12 graduate of Muskegon Public Schools, who went on to earn a dual BA in International Affairs & Political Science from the George Washington University.
Ken served eight years as an at-large city commissioner before being elected mayor. Notably, he has the distinction of being Muskegon's first openly gay mayor.
Mayor Johnson is honored to preside as Chair of the most diverse City Commission in Muskegon’s history and to work with a great team of competent and caring staff. His priorities include: - transparency, accountability, and good governance - robust public communications and engagements - high quality parks and recreational programming - fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem and supporting small businesses - environmental stewardship - properly staffed public safety - expanding quality and affordable housing options - fiscal sustainability - public access to waterways and natural resources
During Ken's first term, considerable progress has been made on all these priorities. However, there's more work to do, potential to achieve, and challenges to overcome.- Promises made, promises kept. Progress has been made in every area highlighted in Ken's 2021 campaign for mayor. He follows through on his promises. Although not every outcome is perfect, Ken diligently strives for progress, recognizing that incremental progress is still progress.
- For the love of Muskegon. As a fifth-generation resident who came up through Muskegon Public Schools, he intimately knows Muskegon, its history, and its peoples. Every action and decision made by Ken is rooted in serving the citizens of Muskegon and working for their betterment.
- Collaboration over competition. Ken recognizes that collaboration cultivates community and propels it forward. Ken appreciates how collaboration across the public, private, and non-profit sectors has contributed greatly to Muskegon's revitalization. He maintains and promotes a collaborative mindset in his work as mayor and on the City Commission. His collaborative endeavors include: - serving on his neighborhood association board - being actively involved in the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership - working with community partners within the Social Justice Commission - participating in the Urban Core Mayors group of the Michigan Municipal League - serving on the Board of Directors for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
Youth development and education.
Good governance and community engagement.
High quality parks and robust recreational opportunities.
Earnestly serving the community's interests, not one's own interests.
Having compassion for others.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
