Three local township supervisors will be opposed this year in elections, one of them in a general and the other two in the August primary.
Dorr Township Supervisor Jeff Miling will be challenged by Trustee Patty Senneker. Both are Republicans, as are the vast majority of candidates in Allegan County. Senneker ran against Miling in the August 2014 primary in which she and fellow Trustee John Tuinstra failed. Miling garnered 51 percent of the vote.
Leighton Township Supervisor Steve Deer will be opposed by Dianna Moore, who ran unsuccessfully against Clerk Mary Lou Nieuwenhuis in 2012. Ms. Moore is the wife of former Supervisor Spencer Moore.
The situation is a little different in Watson Township. The incumbent supervisor is Democrat Pam Brown, who will face Republican Kevin Travis in the November general.
Dorr Township
Because Senneker did
not seek re-election as a trustee, three incumbents and a newcomer, all Republicans, will run unopposed for the four open seats. They are John Tuinstra, Dan Weber and Josh Otto and newcomer Terri Rios.
Clerk Brian Boot also will have a contest against former Deputy Clerk Debbie Sewers, whom he fired earlier this year.
Treasurer Jim Martin is running without opposition.
Only four filed for the five township parks commission seats, including township office manager Vicki Fifelski, Chris D. Gesink, Denise Lawrence and Mark Muscarella.
There will be no competition on the ballot for the four non-partisan seats on the Dorr Township Library Board — Barbara Gibson, Larry Goldin, Peggy Otto and Rachel Vote.
Hopkins Township
Incumbent Treasurer Sandra Morris will be opposed in August by Kathy Laseur. Eric Alberda will seek the clerk’s job held by Lisa Battjes, who has decided not to run again.
Running without opposition will be Supervisor Mark Evans and Trustees Robert Modreske and Charles Wamhoff.
Leighton Township
Joining incumbents Brian Bonnema and John Hooker on the GOP ballot for trustee will be Matt Vander Eide.
Nieuwenhuis and Treasurer Charlene Troost both will run unopposed.
Five candidates will seek six seats on the Leighton Township Library board, including Denise DeVries, Harvey Haverdink, Faith Miedema, Michael Mulligan and Kaylyn Van Harn.
Watson Township
While there will be a supervisor’s contest in November, no one filed for a trustee’s seat being vacated by longtime board member Rod Zeinstra, a Republican.
Running unopposed for their seats will be Trustee Chuck Andrysiak, Clerk Kelli Morris and Treasurer Sue Jones.
Wayland Township
Supervisor Roger Van Volkingburg, Clerk Ann McInerney, Trasurer Sue Kamyczyk and Trustees Patricia Staley and Jim Stein will run unopposed in the primary, but Democrat Ron DeVries will be on the ballot in November for trustee.
Martin Township
All incumbent Republicans, including Supervisor Glenn Leep, Clerk Rachelle Smit, Trasurer Sue Tiemeyer and Trustees James Brenner and Jack Sipple will run unopposed.
Raylene Bennington, Angie Cameruci, Alice Kelsey and Julie Pallett all are unopposed for Library Board.
County Board of Commissioners
While five of the seven incumbents on the Allegan County Board of Commissioners, including Don Black, will run unopposed for the GOP nomination, two will not.
Commissioner Max Thiele of Allegan is being challenged by Allegan Township resident Mark Heather in District No. 3, which takes in the City of Allegan and Allegan, Monterey and Salem townships.
Gale Dugan of Otsego Township and former County Commissioner Bill Sage have filed to succeed Commissioner Jon Campbell, who did not file for reelection, in District 6, which includes Hopkins, Otsego, Trowbridge and Watson townships, the City of Otsego and Village of Hopkins.
State Representative
State Rep. Mary Whiteford won the special election in March to replace Cindy Gamrat in the 80th District. Because Gamrat’s term expires this year, she must face Abigail Nobel of Dorr in the GOP primary. Democrat John Andrysiak of Watson Township also filed for the position and will take on the winner in November.
Because 72nd District State Rep. Ken Yonker was term limited, there is a large field of five Republicans candidates filed for his post, including Tony Noto, Robert Coughlin, Ryan Gallogly, Steven Johnson and Bill Hirsch. Two Democrats, Dick Cunningham of Kentwood and Steve Shoemaker of Leighton Township, also have filed.
The 72nd District includes Dorr, Wayland and Leighton townships and the City of Wayland.
Kalamazoo Democrat Paul Clements has fi;led to run against Republican incumbent Congressman Fred Upton in the Sixth District. Upton has served in Congress since 1986.
County Elected Offices
Perhaps the greatest turnover is in county-wide elected offices because of the retirements of Sheriff Blaine Koops, Clerk-Register of Deeds Joyce Watts, Prosecutor Fred Anderson and Surveyor Kirk Van Order.
Former Allegan County Commissioner Jon Campbell and former state Rep. Bob Genetski will compete for the GOP nomination to succeed Watts who is not seeking re-election, after 40 years in the position.
Undersheriff Frank Baker is running unopposed for sheriff, as is Chief Assistant Prosecutor Robert Kengis. Kevin Miedema is unopposed for county surveyor.
Treasurer Sally Brooks and Drain Commissioner Denise Medemar both are running unopposed for their positions.
Allegan County Circuit Court Chief Judge Margaret Bakker is running unopposed in an election to retain her seat, a non-partisan office.
PHOTOS: Jeff Miling Patty Senneker
Kevin Travis Pam Brown
