PRIMARY ELECTION UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
Races are now set for the November general election after last week’s August primary election. In Berrien County, most incumbents were victorious and millage requests were approved.

Statewide, Tudor Dixon of Lansing won the Republican nomination for governor over a field of four other candidates. She easily outdistanced her rivals, garnering 40.57 percent of the vote. In Southwest Michigan, she was also the top vote-getter in Berrien and Cass Counties.
Last week’s primary election did feature one major upset with State Sen. Kim LaSata losing her primary

race for re-election to newcomer Jonathan Lindsey of Bronson. Other incumbents were victorious after primary challenges and will go on to the November general election.
Redistricting approved earlier this year changed the boundaries of LaSata’s state senate district and forced her to move from Bainbridge Township on the north end of Berrien County to Niles Township to be in the new district.
Redistricting also expanded the district’s area to include parts of Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale and Jackson Counties. The former 21st state senate district covered Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph Counties. The new 17th state senate district includes the southern half of Berrien and all of Cass and St. Joseph Counties as well as the four mentioned above.
Unofficial results showed that Lindsey won the Republican nomination with 61.44 percent of the vote to LaSata’s 38.56 percent. LaSata didn’t even win her home county of Berrien, getting 46.28 percent of the vote to Lindsey’s 53.55 percent. That margin expanded in other parts of the new state senate district.
LaSata, a former elementary teacher at what was Lake Michigan Catholic Schools in St. Joseph, has served one two-year term as a State Representative before being elected to a four-year term in the State Senate in 2018.
Lindsey fought an aggressive campaign, using his war chest of donations to run radio ads touting his background in the military, his commitment to America First policies and being endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump.
He said before the election that he thinks the state needs new leadership, leadership that will serve the people rather than the government in Lansing. If elected in November, he said his priorities will be cutting taxes, reducing the regulatory burden on businesses and reducing wasteful government spending.
Campaign finance information filed with the state in late July showed that Lindsey has collected $185,742.50 so far to spend on this year’s elections and spent out $125,958.63. In comparison, LaSata had $167,693.43 in contributions for this election cycle and spent out $148,130.96.
Lindsey will face Democrat Scott Starr of Coldwater in November. Starr ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
The race for the new 37th state house district seat was less uneventful. Incumbent State Rep. Brad Paquette of Niles handily won the Republican nomination, receiving 85.23 percent of the vote to challenger J.D. Haughey’s 14.77 percent. Haughey is from Three Oaks and making his first run for public office.
Paquette will face Democrat Naomi Ludman of Dowagiac in November. The new 37th state house district is similar to Paquette’s old 78th state house district with the absence of Lake Michigan shoreline communities and the addition of the city of Dowagiac. Most of central and southern Berrien County remain in the new district.
State Rep. Pauline Wendzel’s district also was redrawn. The new 39th state house district covers northern Berrien County up to Allegan County. She is seeking a third and final term and won the Republican nomination, besting challenger Matt Nilson of Hartford and getting over 58 percent of the vote. She will face Democrat Jared Polonowski of Otsego in November.
The 38th state house district is the new lakeshore district. Republican Kevin Whiteford of South Haven won the Republican primary over George Lucas of Harbert and Troy Rolling of Benton Harbor. He will face off in November against Democrat Joey Andrews of St. Joseph who bested Annie Brown of South Haven in the Democratic primary.
On the Congressional side, incumbents Bill Huizenga and Tim Walberg both won their Republican nominations for the 4th and 5th congressional districts. With redistricting, the north half of Berrien County is in Huizenga’s district and the south half in Walberg’s.
Huizenga ran unopposed and Huizenga will face Democrat Joseph Alfonso in November for the fourth district seat. Both are residents of Holland. Walberg defeated one challenger and will face Democrat Bart Goldberg of New Buffalo in November.
Local proposals on the ballot all passed, they included fire proposals in Berrien and Pipestone Townships, Oronoko Township, Weesaw Township, Watervliet city, Coloma city and Baroda Township.
Police and/or public safety millages were on the ballot in Watervliet city and Baroda Township. Road millages were on the ballot in Weesaw Township, Three Oaks Township, Lincoln Township and Galien Township.
There are three contested Berrien County Board of Commissioner races in the third, ninth and 12th districts.
Democrat Chokwe Pitchford won the Democratic primary for the third commission district in Benton Harbor, besting Joseph Taylor. No Republican has filed.
Republican Alexander Ott of Sawyer will be the nominee in the ninth district where Ezra Scott did not run for re-election, besting Michael Davidson. Ott will face Democrat Michelle Hannon of New Buffalo in November.
Incumbent Republicans Michael Majerek of Niles won the Republican nomination for the 12th district, besting Charlton McCully with 66 percent of the vote. No Democrat has filed.