ELECTION RESULT UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
Last week’s elections brought change to the state as the Michigan legislature is in Democratic control for the first time in decades. In Berrien County, most incumbents won while a countywide millage proposal and the Buchanan schools bond issue proposal were defeated.
State Rep. Brad Paquette, R-Niles, won re-election to a third term in the state house, defeating Democratic challenger Naomi Ludman of Dowagiac as he received nearly two-thirds of the votes cast. The district has changed a bit, it is now the 37th instead of the 78th due to redistricting and does not include any Berrien County lakeshore communities.
Paquette had been in the House leadership this term, serving as the Associate Speaker Pro-Tempore of the House. He said last week that he will not be pursuing a leadership position in the new minority Republican caucus.
He said he expects life to be different in Lansing although his own priorities haven’t changed. As he stated during the fall campaign, issues important to him continue to be energy, education and lowering the state income tax rate.
“I will do my best to advocate with the democrat majority and find ways advocate relentlessly for our state to continue upholding nuclear energy (along with other reliable sources), education choice, and lower income taxes,” Paquette said.
As for what he expects to happen after the Democrats take over, he thinks the emphasis for Republicans will be defense. “I think there will be a lot of defense that needs to be played,” he said. “Democrats have already indicated policy shifts away from reliable energy sources, desire for higher taxes, and preference against school choice.”
“We will need to be vigilant in highlighting unwise policy shifts while offering reasonable alternatives,” he added. “I will also be doing much to highlight the positive strides that we have taken in our school systems from the last two innovative education budgets.”
When asked what factors he thinks led to Michigan having a “blue wave” this year, he cited several including abortion, redistricting and conflict within the Republican party.
“There are many factors, but Republicans have taken stances on abortion that most voters deem unreasonable,” he said. “I think that this has much to do with the Michigan Right to Life Endorsement which I have never been endorsed by due to the rape and incest exceptions.”
“I was dismayed that redistricting carved out districts like the lakeshore district which actually limits the number of voices now advocating for lakeshore issues in the state house and breaks many of the traditional lines that we have had here in Southwest Michigan in the past,” he added.
“There has also been much divide in the Republican Party which does not help in winning important elections,” he said. “Republicans need to be in touch with all of our constituents and have a real ear to the ground as to what voters desire in future leaders.”
He’s hopeful for the future even with this setback. “I think that this is an opportunity for a revival where competent conservative leaders can step up over these next two years to bring confidence back to the GOP, I hope to be a big part of that,” he said.
Paquette doesn’t expect much action during the lame duck session before the first of the year. “I don’t believe so, which is unfortunate as I had initiatives to support American Legions with upgrades to their infrastructure,” he said. “I was working with Post 85 in Berrien Springs to try and help them with their community outreach efforts.”
He also commented on the passage of State Proposal 1 which makes changes to state term limit laws. Previously, he would not have been able to serve another term after this upcoming one. The changes brought about by the passage of that proposal means that is not the case.
“Yes, it enables those who are going into their third term to run for another potential three terms of two years before they are term-limited out of the legislature,” he said. “They would not be able to run for the senate.”
In local races, a five way race for three seats on the Buchanan City Commission resulted in the two incumbents being elected along with a former city commissioner.
City Clerk Kalla Langston reported that unofficial final results had Mayor Sean Denison getting the most votes, 678, followed by former city commissioner Dan Vigansky getting 579. Current city commissioner Mark Weedon came in third, with 536 votes.
Challenger Monroe Lemay had been among the top three most of the evening but ended up with one vote less than Weedon, getting 535 votes. Newcomer Anthony Houser was in fifth place with 513 votes. Lemay has indicated that she is asking for a recount due to the closeness of the vote.
Denison and Weedon are currently finishing their first four-year term on the commission. Vigansky served from 2014 to 2018.
In other Buchanan area races, Harvey Burnett was re-elected to the Buchanan Board of Education and was the top vote-getter in a five-way race for two seats with 1,908 votes. Newcomer Jennie Brackett won the other seat with 1,798 votes.
Buchanan Township voters elected Wendy Heyliger to a two-year term as township clerk and Adam Byrdak and Thomas Gordon to two two-year terms as trustees. The township board became a charter township this year and expanded the board from five to seven members.
The Buchanan $34.97 million school bond issue proposal failed with 53 percent voting no and 47 percent voting yes. The proposal would have built an addition at Moccasin Elementary and made improvements to other buildings.
The only county proposal on the ballot was one to increase the county public safety millage and was defeated. County officials had asked that the current .3496 mill levy be increased to .45 mill and extended to pay for hiring new deputies and buying new equipment.
Voters cast 29,814 no votes, or 52.06 percent, to 27,458 yes votes, or 47.94 percent. The defeat keeps the current public safety millage which runs through 2024 in place.