Challengers elected to Eastpointe school board as Gruenberg loses seat

EASTPOINTE/ROSEVILLE — After serving on the Eastpointe Community Schools Board of Education for almost 22 years, Jon Gruenberg was defeated in the school board election Nov. 5, according to the Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office.

Five candidates ran for four four-year terms. Newcomer Darlene Whitby was the top vote-getter with 8,558 votes. Challenger Shelly Cioppa was the second-highest vote-getter garnering 8,026 votes.

Incumbents Edward Williams and Robert Roscoe were reelected to the Eastpointe Community Schools Board of Education with 6,789 and 6,282 votes, respectively. Gruenberg received 5,391 votes, failing to get reelected. 

In the Roseville Community Schools Board of Education race, five candidates ran for the three open seats. The terms are for four years. Incumbents Michelle Williams-Ward and Theresa Genest were reelected; Williams-Ward received the most votes with 8,201, and Genest received 7,184 votes. 

Denise Brun, who was appointed to the board in April 2023 after board member Michael Anderson moved out of state, was elected to the school board with 7,218 votes. The incumbents beat challengers Mason Brudzinski, who received 5,566 votes, and A.C. Spears, who received 3,960 votes.

It was status quo in the Macomb Community College Board of Trustees race, where five candidates ran for two six-year terms. Incumbents Roseanne DiMaria and Joan Flynn were reelected to the board. DiMaria received 135,647 votes while Flynn received 117,414 votes. 

Joseph Backus, Eugene Groesbeck and Jon Lafferty failed to receive enough votes to get elected to the board. According to the Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office, Backus received 111,710 votes, 89,942 voters supported Groesbeck and Lafferty received 77,972 votes.