LANSING, Mich. — Dr. Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, a Michigan State University professor and current Lansing School District board member brings a blend of academic insight, policy experience, and community-rooted leadership positions her as a compelling candidate in the November 4, 2025 general election race for Lansing City Council in Ward 2. Erik Almquist will be her opponent for the open seat.
From the Classrooms to Council Chambers
Dr. Nevárez Martínez brings substantial policy expertise to the campaign from her role as an assistant professor in MSU’s Urban and Regional Planning Program and as core faculty in Chicano/Latino Studies. With a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, she specializes in housing precarity, homelessness, and the criminalization of poverty—research areas that resonate deeply with Lansing’s current urban challenges.
“Growing up in migrant camps,” she reflects, “I understand firsthand the precarity and inequity many families face. Now, I want to help shape inclusive policies that address those challenges.”
Dr. Nevárez Martínez’s work extends beyond the university. As founder of the HOPE (Housing, Organizing, Policy, and Equity) Housing Justice Lab at MSU, she leads interdisciplinary research aimed at dismantling structural barriers to housing access. She’s also lent her expertise to state agencies, like Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, on updating outdated migrant housing standards.
Serving on the School Board
In September 2023, the Lansing School District Board of Education appointed Dr. Nevárez Martínez to fill a vacancy. Board leadership praised her policy expertise, passion for equity, and dedication to community—qualities she continues to exemplify in her current role as Secretary of the board.
Her time on the board has strengthened her commitment to equity in schooling and demonstrated her capacity for governance and collaboration at the local level.
Endorsements and Electability
The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee recently endorsed Dr. Nevárez Martínez as part of its “pro-growth” slate. The chamber cited her expertise in urban planning, commitment to inclusive development, and ability to foster smart policy as key reasons for their backing.
Campaign Message & Vision
In her campaign messaging, Dr. Nevárez Martínez emphasizes that City Council wields significant power over budgeting, land use, zoning, and development—areas that have direct effects on Lansing’s affordability and livability. She frames her dual identity as scholar and mother, a daughter of immigrants, as foundational to her mission: to uplift working families, renters, and young people who often feel sidelined in local politics.
“I bring both lived experience and policy expertise,” she says. “When council votes on budgets or zoning changes, they must reflect the needs of neighborhoods, not just developers.”