Michigan › Kent County › Michigan House District 78
3 candidates are tracked for Michigan House District 78 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Rachel Gross, Brandon L. Strong and Ben DeJong. Candidate information follows official Kent County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Sitting Rep. Gina Johnsen is the Republican nominee for the open 33rd Senate seat and is not seeking re-election here, per Wikipedia and the Kent County Clerk's candidate list. Democrat Rachel Gross faces Republican Brandon L. Strong and Libertarian Ben DeJong on the November ballot for the open seat.
Rachel Gross is based in Portland, Michigan, and describes herself as a daughter of rural Michigan, per her campaign site. Rachel Gross appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Michigan House District 78, per the county clerk's certified candidate list.
2026 priorities
- Support farmers and small businesses, per the campaign site
- Invest in education and infrastructure, per the campaign site
- Expand rural healthcare access, per the campaign site
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-04.
Campaign site →
Brandon L. Strong is a longtime school leader at Barry County Christian Schools, per his campaign site, with more than 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator and school leader, per The Daily News. Brandon L. Strong appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Michigan House District 78, per the county clerk's certified candidate list.
2026 priorities
- Support parents and constitutional rights, per the campaign site
- Expand educational freedom and strong schools, per the campaign site
- Grow local jobs through workforce development, per the campaign site
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-04.
Campaign site →
Ben DeJong appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Michigan House District 78, per the county clerk's certified candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 4, 2026. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 4, 2026.
