By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
BUCHANAN, MI – The 2026 election season is already in full swing with a special election set in a number of local municipalities on May 5 and last week’s filing deadline for state, county, and local candidates.
Items on the May 5 ballot include a police millage renewal in the city of Watervliet, fire equipment and public safety millage renewals in Baroda Township, bond issue proposals for the Bridgman, Coloma and Eau Claire school districts, and non-homestead millage renewals for the Bridgman, Eau Claire and River Valley school districts.
In the city of Buchanan, five people met last week’s filing deadline to run for three city commission seats. Incumbents Raquell George, Dan Vigansky and Mark Weedon will face off in November against John Backus and Tony Hauser. The seats are all for four years.
George is seeking her first full term on the commission after being appointed to the commission in 2024 after Sean Denison’s resignation. Vigansky has served two non-consecutive terms on the commission, having been elected in 2014 and 2022. Weedon is seeking his third term, having been elected in 2018 and 2022.
Buchanan City Clerk Kalla Langston-Weiss reported that no August primary election will be required to narrow down the field for the general election in November. There would have been an August primary election if more than six people had filed by last week’s deadline.
Last week was also the filing deadline for those seeking other offices, ranging from governor and senator, U.S. representative, state representative, county judge and local municipalities.
The city of Niles has four of eight council seats up for election. There are contested races in the First, Second and Fourth Wards. Incumbents face opposition in the Second and Fourth Wards, while two newcomers will face off to represent the First Ward and one newcomer has filed to run for the Third Ward seat.
There are a number of contested races to decide party nominees for governor, senator, U.S. representative, state representative and state senator. Three Democrats and two Republicans are running for U.S. Senator to succeed Democrat Gary Peters who is retiring.
There is also a crowded field in both parties in the race for governor to succeed Democrat Gretchen Whitmer. Three Democrats including Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson are running for the Democratic nomination while six Republicans including State Sen. Aric Nesbitt are running for the Republican nomination.
For U.S. Representative, there is a primary race for the fourth congressional district which includes the northern half of Berrien County. Incumbent Republican Bill Huizenga faces a challenge in the Republican primary while two Democrats are vying for the Democratic nomination.
Incumbent Fifth District Congressman Republican Tim Walberg does not face any opposition in August for the Republican nomination while the Democrat challenger is also unopposed. The fifth congressional district runs across the southern edge of the state from Lake Michigan to Lake Erie.
There will be primary challenges in one area state senate race and in three area state representative races. 17th State Senate District incumbent Jonathan Lindsey does not face a Republican challenger in his primary, but three Democrat challengers are facing off in the Democratic primary with the winner facing Lindsey in November.
Incumbent 37th State House District Representative Brad Paquette faces a challenger in the Republican primary with the winner facing Democrat Angela Jones in November. Incumbent 38th State House District Representative Joey Andrews faces a Democratic challenger in the primary with the winner facing Republican Mark Krieger in November.
Incumbent 39th State House District Representative Pauline Wendzel faces a Republican challenger in August, while two Democrats will face off in the Democratic primary.
The 37th State House district covers central and southern Berrien County and parts of Cass County. The 38th State House district covers lakeshore communities in Berrien and Van Buren Counties, while the 39th State House district covers northern Berrien County and parts of Van Buren and Allegan Counties.
In Berrien County, there will be a contested race with three people running for two Berrien County Fifth District judgeships. Incumbent Gordon Hosbein is running as are attorneys Jennifer Fields and Myrene Koch.
Elsewhere in Berrien County, a number of townships have someone running for partial terms where a person was appointed to a post after the November 2024 election.
While the main filing deadline has passed for public offices, there is still a couple of other filing deadlines coming up this summer. The deadline for non-partisan candidates for partisan offices is July 16, while the deadline for local school board and village candidates is July 21.
Ballot proposal deadlines are May 12 for the August ballot and Sept. 4 for the November ballot.
People can find the full list of candidates and ballot proposals on the www.berriencounty.org/156/Elections website.