Three forums will be held this month, two of them in Fennville, for the eight Republican candidates seeking the 80th District State Representative seat in the Nov. 3 primary election.
The 80th District includes all of Allegan County except Wayland, Leighton and Dorr townships and the City of Wayland, all of which are in the 72nd District
• The first forum will be from 7 to 9 pm. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Lake Doster Golf Clubhouse, 116 Country Club Boulevard. The forum is being sponsored by the Lake Doster Homeowners Association.
Homeowners Association President Dan McGuire told the Allegan County News & Gazette, “I think it’ll be a good thing for the community because it’s short notice for the election.”
McGuire said Mike VanDenBerg, Gun Plain Township supervisor, asked the association to be host for an event for district residents to learn more about the candidates. The format will include a three-minute introduction from each candidate and then questions from the audience, for which each candidate will be given two minutes to answer. It will end with a closing statement from each candidate, if there is time.
• The second forum, sponsored by the Allegan County Republican Party, will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Fennville High School.
Allegan County Republican Party Chairman Steve McNeal said the session have all candidates introduce themselves to the party.
“Some of these people we’ve never even seen,” McNeal said. “We want to help identify their history and goals. Our job is to help people understand who the candidates are who call themselves Republicans.”
• The Holland League of Women Voters will he host for a forum for all candidates from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in the Fennville High School auditorium, 5 Memorial Drive.
The special primary election Nov. 3 was called in the wake of the expulsion Sept. 11 of State Rep. Cindy Gamrat and the resignation of 82nd District State Rep. Todd Courser. Courser resigned just before a House vote on his expulsion. Both were accused of using public resources to cover up their extra-marital affair.
The GOP candidates in the Nov. 3 primary are seeking to serve the rest of Gamrat’s term, which will expire Dec. 31, 2016. The primary contest for a new two-year term starting in January 2017 will be next August.
The eight Republicans include Gamrat, last year’s primary runner-up Mary Whiteford of Casco Township; current Allegan County Commissioner Jim Storey of Holland; former county commissioner Bill Sage of Trowbridge Township; Circuit Court law clerk Kevin Travis of Hopkins, Shannon Szukala of Martin, Eric DeWitt of Holland and James Siver of Fennville.
Retired trial judge David Gernant of Plainwell will face the Nov. 3 primary winner in a March 8 special election the same day as Michigan’s presidential primary.
Gernant, who was a judge in Oregon before he retired, is the only Democrat on the ballot.