AUGUST PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS – Rep. Kim LaSata victor over Rep. Dave Pagel

By DEBRA HAIGHT

BCR Correspondent

It’s on to November after voters cast ballots for party nominations in last week’s August primary election. In addition, area residents voted on a number of proposals, passing most but turning down a few including bond issues for a new Baroda fire station and an addition to the Dowagiac District Library.

The race for the Republican nomination for the 21^st state senate seat now held by John Proos was likely the most contest area race on the ballot. Proos is term-limited from running for another term and 78^th State Rep. Dave Pagel vyed with 79^th State Rep. Kim LaSata for the right to face Democrat Ian Haight in November.

Pagel is term-limited from running again for his current seat after serving three terms, while LaSata decided to run for the state senate seat after just one term in Lansing.

LaSata ended up the victor, getting 55 percent of the vote to Pagel’s 45 percent. Pagel was strong in his home area of Berrien Springs and a number of nearby townships, but LaSata pulled ahead with strong showings in other parts of Berrien County as well as Cass and St. Joseph Counties.

The unofficial vote in Berrien County posted by the county clerk’s office showed LaSata with 9,821 votes and Pagel with 8,321 votes. In Cass County, LaSata also came out on top with 2,654 votes to Pagel’s 2,206. Overall, LaSata had 15,343 votes to Pagel’s 12,761 with St. Joseph County votes included.

The race for the Republican nomination for the 78^th state house district seat ended up not being close although there was a crowded field of six candidates. Niles resident Brad Paquette was the clear winner with 49 percent of the vote. David Mann of Niles was second, followed by Kelly Priede of Sawyer.

Paquette received 4,272 votes and was strong in all parts of the district which includes central and southern Berrien County and four Cass County townships. Paquette, a Niles teacher, will now face Democrat Dean Hill of Niles in November. Hill, a retired school teacher, ran unsuccessfully against Pagel two years ago.

In the 79^th state house district covering the northern half of Berrien County, there were contested primaries in both parties in the race to see who will succeed LaSata. Pauline Wendzel won a five-way race for the Republican nomination, while Joey Andrews won a two-way race for the Democratic Nomination.

Winners in contested Berrien county board primary races were Republican Jon Hinkelman in the second district, Republican Robert Harrison in the seventh district and Republican Chris Heugel in the sixth district.

In Cass county board primary races, Republican Dixie Ann File won in the second district, Republican Dwight Dyes in the third district, Republican Robert Benjamin in the fifth district, Republican Michael Grice in the sixth district and Democrat Clark Cobb in the seventh district.

In ballot proposals, most proposals asking for renewals of support for schools, police and fire departments, libraries, roads and museums were approved but two asking for new millages were defeated.

Baroda Township voters approved millages for fire equipment for the fire department and for police services, but rejected a bond issue proposal to build a new fire station. The township was asking for a 30 year bond issue with a 1.57 annual millage levy in order to build a $2.8 million new fire station to replace the current one that is 60 years old.

The fire department equipment millage was approved with 401 yes votes to 230 no votes, while the police millage was approved with 353 yes votes to 243 no votes. The fire station bond issue proposal was defeated with 324 no votes to 308 yes votes.

In Dowagiac, early returns had the Dowagiac library proposal passing but final returns from one precinct in Van Buren County sent the millage down to defeat. The library district covers the city of Dowagiac as well as townships in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.

The one mill levy would have run for 20 years to pay off a $7.4 million bond issue. The project would have paid for an addition that would nearly double the library’s space and make other improvements in the library.

In other races, Berrien County voters were in step with others across the state as they voted to nominate Republican Bill Schuette and Democrat Gretchen Whitmer for Governor, Republican John James and Democrat Debbie Stabenow for U.S. Senator and Republican Fred Upton and Democrat Matt Longjohn for the 6^th district seat in Congress.