Bulkowski Ousts Frantz in Grand Rapids Comptroller Race

Community organizer David Bulkowski won the Grand Rapids comptroller seat, defeating incumbent Max Frantz, who is suing the city over changes to the office.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bulkowski Ousts Frantz in Grand Rapids Comptroller Race

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Should city managers be able to take over duties of elected officials like the comptroller?

David Bulkowski defeated incumbent Grand Rapids Comptroller Max Frantz in the city comptroller election, winning 57.9% of the vote. Frantz, who had served since 2019, had sued the city in early 2026 over the reassignment of comptroller duties.

Why it matters

The result removes an incumbent who had challenged the city's restructuring of the Comptroller's Office, and the lawsuit over those changes remains pending. The outcome shapes how Grand Rapids oversees its finances going forward.

Bulkowski won 57.9% of the vote in the Grand Rapids comptroller race, unseating Max Frantz, who had served since 2019. Frantz's lawsuit over the restructuring of the office has not yet been resolved in court.

The players

David Bulkowski

A community organizer and attorney who serves as executive director of Disability Advocates of Kent County, and who received endorsements from Mayor David LaGrand and two former mayors.

Max Frantz

The former Grand Rapids city comptroller who held the office from 2019 and sued the city over the reassignment of its duties.

The details

Frantz sued the city in early 2026, naming City Manager Mark Washington and Chief Financial Officer Molly Clarin, after the city downsized the comptroller's office and created a new accounting department answering to the city manager. His legal team asked a Kent County Circuit Court judge to revoke the changes, arguing they violate the Grand Rapids City Charter, the Home Rule City Act, and the Uniform Budgeting and Accounting Act.

Early 2026: Frantz sues the city over reassignment of comptroller duties.
Late October 2026: Frantz's legal team moves for summary disposition.
Nov. 4, 2026: Bulkowski defeats Frantz in the election.
Nov. 20, 2026: Frantz is scheduled to return to court.

Political Context

Frantz's lawsuit argues that voters previously rejected proposals to change the Comptroller's Office, placing the restructuring against the city's own charter provisions. The challenge rests on the Grand Rapids City Charter and the Home Rule City Act, which govern how Michigan cities organize municipal offices.

Residents now have a new comptroller, and the city's finance functions have been reorganized under a department reporting to the city manager. The court's ruling on Frantz's challenge will determine whether those changes stand.

The takeaway

Local comptroller races can carry consequences beyond the ballot when the office itself is being restructured. Voters and observers should watch the Nov. 20 court date, since its outcome will shape how Grand Rapids finances are overseen.

What happens next

Frantz is scheduled to return to Kent County Circuit Court on Nov. 20, when the court will take up his challenge to the changes made to the comptroller's office.