Note: This story uses unofficial election result numbers, and will be updated accordingly as results are confirmed.
While several incumbents were able to hold onto their seats, yesterday’s primary election saw several surprises across the Thumb-area, including the defeat of several members of a Tuscola County family.
With Tuscola County Sheriff’s Sergeant Ryan Robinson claiming victory in the primary race, outpacing his opponents by at least 1,500 votes, one member of the Putman family was defeated, as Brandon J. Putman finished third on the Republican ballot. However, he wasn’t alone in defeat, as five members of his family were rejected by Ellington Township voters, having run for four open delegate spots. While the four non-related candidates earned at least 250 votes each in the delegate race, the votes earned by the five Putmans, when combined, only total to 171 votes altogether.
Regarding Tuscola County, voters there passed four millage proposals, including the newest, which will fund a senior citizen home delivered meal program. Other proposals approved by the voters concerned recycling, senior citizen programming, and the county sheriff’s road patrol.
Meanwhile, Sanilac County voters also approved a senior citizen related millage, and decided to pick current Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mark Davidson as the next county prosecutor. Davidson defeated Lexington Attorney Robery Heyboer, with Heyboer finishing about 714 votes behind Davidson, according to unofficial counts. Another close race in Sanilac County was that between incumbent county surveyor John Millitics, who defeated challenger Ben Tank by less than 500 votes.
In Lapeer County’s Republican races, the incumbent Register of Deeds, Drain Commissioner and Road Commissioner faced off against challengers, with one incumbent ultimately losing his seat. While Road Commissioner Jim Novak defeated his opponent Justin Vincenzetti handily, incumbent Register of Deeds Amy Stearns had a closer battle with her opponents, finishing only a few hundred votes ahead of challenger Meggen M. Lang. Meanwhile, Drain Commissioner Joseph Suma was defeated by challenger Andy Wagner, who outpaced him by over 800 votes.
In addition to the candidate races, Lapeer County voters approved the renewal of two millage proposals, one for emergency medical services and the other for veterans affairs.
While three out of four of the proposals were accepted by voters, St. Clair County ultimately rejected a proposed millage for additional parking funding. The Additional Parks and Recreation Millage would have required approval for a .4944 mill to be levied for three years as a means to raise money for acquiring, developing and maintaining parks and other related facilities around the county, but it was firmly rejected, with about 54% of St. Clair County voters voting against the measure.
Meanwhile, county official incumbents Sheriff Mat King and Clerk Angie Waters both won their respective races, with Waters earning almost twice the number of votes as her opponent, Debbie Rhein, did.
In Huron County, voters were asked to renew a millage for road funding, with the plan being to renew the millage at a rate of 1 mill over five years. Voters agreed to the proposition, voting 4,532 to 1,658 in favor of the measure.
