By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
By all indications, the 2022 state and congressional elections are shaping up to be unusual. Not only are incumbents being challenged by newcomers, redistricting will likely cause more than one incumbent to face off against another incumbent.
Berrien County residents will decide a variety of races in both the August and November elections this year. Positions open this year include those for judge, county commissioners, state senate and state representative, village posts and school board.
People can find the filing deadlines for the different positions on the Michigan website at https://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/2022_Election_Dates_Booklet_738675_7.pdf.
Last week brought one ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court related to redistricting and coming weeks are likely to bring more rulings before the dust settles and candidates know what the official state house, state senate and congressional district boundaries are.
Michigan voters approved the establishment of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in November, 2018. They gave the independent commission the power to set congressional and state house and senate district boundaries rather than the state legislature.
The suit dismissed by the Michigan Supreme Court is one of three challenging the district boundaries set by the independent commission. It was brought by Detroit area officials who claimed that the maps approved by the commission violated the federal Voting Rights Act.
The remaining two lawsuits are challenging the commission’s state house map based on partisan fairness and the new congressional maps based on population differences between districts as well as splitting counties and municipalities between districts. The former lawsuit is in state court while the latter is proceeding in federal court.
Having redistricting for the 2022 elections in limbo is creating havoc throughout the state and here in Berrien County. As Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler told County Commissioners last month, she expects the 2022 elections to be confusing for voters and for local clerks if the new district maps stand up in court.
She noted that redistricting has now made Berrien County part of two state senate districts rather than one and three state representative districts instead of two. She said the state redistricting effort has also changed congressional district boundaries with Michigan losing one congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
One of the biggest changes comes with the congressional map. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton is now in the same congressional district as fellow U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga of Zeeland. Upton has yet to announce whether he is running for re-election or not, while Huizenga is running for re-election.
Upton is currently representing the sixth congressional district which covered all of Southwest Michigan including Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.
The new fourth congressional district covers the north half of Berrien County as well as all or parts of Van Buren, Allegan, Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Ottawa counties. The southern half of Berrien County along with Cass County will be in the fifth congressional district that runs east to Lake Erie along the state’s southern border.
That change has resulted in Republican candidates who had vowed to challenge Upton to have to decide what district they want to run in. State Rep. Steve Carra who had been considered by many to be Upton’s leading challenger has decided to run in the fourth congressional district against both Upton and Huizenga.
Other candidates who had planned to run against Upton in the Republican primary have now decided to challenge Rep. Tim Walberg who is now in his seventh term in Congress representing south central Michigan. Those candidates are Dr. Sherry O’Donnell and Berrien County Commissioner Ezra Scott.
South County Republican Club President Carla Johnson said her organization will continue its tradition of hosting state and local candidates at their March 6 meeting. Rep. Walberg will speak at Lehman’s Farmhouse in downtown Buchanan from 3-4:30 p.m. that day.
Johnson said another grassroots candidate has already spoken to the South County Republican Club and will speak again Feb. 27 from 1-3 p.m. at the Secret Garden in St. Joseph. That candidate is Jonathan Lindsey from Branch County who is planning to challenge State Sen. Kim LaSata. Lindsey is a Green Beret and Bronze Star recipient.
The new state senate district boundaries split Berrien County in half as well. The current 21st state senate district which LaSata represents covers Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph Counties along the state line.
The new 20th state senate district covers the northern half of Berrien County, most of Van Buren County and parts of Allegan and Kent Counties. The new 17th state senate district covers the southern half of Berrien County, all of Cass, St. Joseph and Branch Counties and parts of Calhoun, Jackson and Hillsdale Counties.
LaSata has said she will move to the 17th state senate district so as to not have to run against fellow incumbent State Sen. Aric Nesbitt.
The state house districts are not immune to the changes. Berrien County will be home to three rather than two districts with the creation of a new lakeshore district that runs from New Buffalo to Saugatuck. That district will be the 38th state house district.
The current 78th state house district which Brad Paquette is seeking a third term will now be the 37th state house district and cover southeastern Berrien County and western Cass County. The current 79th state house district represented by Pauline Wendzel will now be part of the 39th state house district that covers northern Berrien County north to Allegan County.
While some area leaders have said that the new district maps will dilute Berrien County’s power and influence in Lansing and in Washington, D.C. as the county will be in multiple districts, Johnson takes a different view.
“I’m hearing complaints about the redistricting division of Berrien County,” she said. “However, I founded the South County Republican Club because our demographics and political loyalties differ from those to the north.”
“We favor the conservative grassroots candidates such as Matt DePerno (running for Michigan Attorney General in 2022),” she added. “We share values with the voters of Cass, St. Joseph, Branch and Hillsdale counties. The new senatorial District 17 and Congressional District 5 resonate with us.”
Johnson and the South County Republican Club have also hosted the Berrien County Parents for School Freedom organization. She said that group will soon be announcing candidates for local school boards.
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