Meet Rep. Grant

Kristian Grant was born and raised in the heart of the 82nd House District in Grand Rapids, where she is serving as a first term state representative and the first Black woman to ever be elected to a state seat in Kent County. Rep. Grant has dedicated over 15 years to community and economic development. In addition to six years on the Grand Rapids Public Schools board, she has previously served on a variety of boards and committees with a specific focus on development. They include Grand Rapids City Master Plan, Promise Zone Authority, SmartZone, the Corridor Improvement Authority and many others. Outside of her appointed boards, Grant also finds it important to be active in her community, and she does so through mentoring programs, vision board events for business owners, annual community Christmas dinners for families of the Third Ward of Grand Rapids and more. Grant is the owner of a small-scale real estate development firm that focuses on rehabbing abandoned properties in urban areas to provide housing and attract businesses. 

Grant values the necessity of grassroots work and understands the importance of pairing it with effective policy that makes generational change. She believes tangible, constructive progress at the community level is contingent on three pillars: affordable housing, economic development and education.

The first pillar — quality, affordable housing — is central to Grant’s work. She believes families deserve to have a home that is safe, clean and affordable. She is dedicated to working with colleagues in the Legislature and those at the local level to find solutions that provide residents with viable housing options, including pathways to home ownership.

As a prior local business owner, Grant understands the importance of the second pillar: having a thriving and growing economy in West Michigan and all across the state. She supported economic development strategies through her past work on the boards of Southtown CID, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., SmartZone, the Grand Rapids City Master Plan and others. As a legislator, she identifies policies and initiatives that work to create wealth, careers and a better quality of life for all Michiganders.

Finally, serving as president of the board of education through two groundbreaking years — including the hiring of a new superintendent and the beginning of the COVID pandemic — solidified her fierce support for public education. She brings this experience and passion to her legislative work, as she focuses on funding all levels and types of education in Michigan, keeping students safe and encouraging innovation in schools.