Ramiro Garcia, a Lansing schools graduate and Michigan House staff member, is running for the Lansing School District Board of Education in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Five candidates are competing for three six-year seats in the nonpartisan contest, according to the League of Women Voters’ candidate guide. The other candidates are Aurora Lemieux-McKissic, Caitlin Cornell, Heidi Frei and Ryan Smith. Voters may choose up to three candidates and can check their ballot through the Michigan Voter Information Center.

The following responses come from The Lansing Letter’s candidate questionnaire. Direct quotations are Garcia’s own words and have been excerpted for length. Additional information is attributed to public sources throughout.

Asked why he is running, Garcia emphasized his connection to the district and his concerns about federal decisions affecting public education.

“Lansing schools helped raise me, and I believe this moment calls for people who are willing to protect public education and fight for our students,” he wrote.

“I do not want Lansing to simply react to those changes. I want us prepared, organized, and willing to advocate.”

Candidate information

Education: Garcia reported graduating from Eastern High School in 2016 after attending Lansing schools from kindergarten through graduation. He said he used the Lansing Promise to attend Lansing Community College before earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Central Michigan University.

He later earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, according to his questionnaire.

Family: Garcia described a family history shaped by migration and agricultural work.

“My father’s side has a long history of migrant farm labor, moving from place to place and earning just enough to reach the next farm and the next crop in season,” he wrote.

He said that history informs his interest in education and economic opportunity.

Political affiliation: Although the school board contest is nonpartisan, Garcia identified himself as affiliated with the Democratic Party.

“The Lansing School Board is a nonpartisan office, and I am running to represent the entire district,” he wrote.

Prior elected or appointed office: Garcia reported that he has not held elected office. He said he served on the University of Michigan’s Government Relations Advisory Committee.

Experience and public service

Garcia said he currently works as a chief of staff and legislative director in the Michigan House of Representatives. His responsibilities include legislation, state budgets, appropriations, negotiations and constituent issues.

He previously served as a director of constituent relations in the House and worked for the Michigan Retailers Association, according to his questionnaire.

Garcia also reported teaching undergraduate public policy at the University of Michigan, serving as a policy fellow with the Aspen Institute and working on a U.S. Department of State Diplomacy Lab project.

He said his legislative work has prepared him to collaborate with people who hold different views.

“In the Legislature, I regularly work with people I disagree with, bring stakeholders together, negotiate policy, and find a path forward on issues that affect real people,” he wrote.

On the issues

Educator retention and school funding: Garcia identified recruiting, paying and retaining educators as the district’s most pressing challenge.

“We cannot talk about student achievement without talking about the people doing the teaching,” he wrote.

He said he would review district spending, protect classroom resources and advocate for adequate state funding.

“I would push for a serious review of the district budget, protect classroom resources, prioritize educator retention, and ask whether spending decisions are producing better outcomes for students,” he wrote.

Student support and safety: Asked how the district should balance academics, mental health, school safety and staffing, Garcia said those needs are connected.

“Students cannot achieve academically if they do not feel safe, supported, or mentally ready to learn, and we cannot retain great teachers if educators do not feel respected and supported,” he wrote.

Community participation and accountability: Garcia said the district should make board meetings and other opportunities for participation more accessible, seek input in schools and neighborhoods, and use data to evaluate decisions.

“The board should set clear goals, align the budget with those goals, and regularly ask whether our policies are improving safety, learning, educator retention, and opportunity for students,” he wrote.