The Tuesday, Aug. 4 primary election will include contests for U.S. Congress, state representative, township supervisor and township treasurer.
Please remember voters cannot split their tickets in a primary. They must vote in either the Democratic or Republican runoffs or those third parties.
Sixth District Congress
State Rep. Jon Hoadley is heavily favored in this race, because Jen Richardson hasn’t been getting a lot of media attention. The winner likely will take on Republican incumbent Fred Upton, who has been elected to a two-year term every time since 1986, making this his 18th try.
Though Upton usually has been elected with at least 60% of the vote, in his last race he barely edged Democratic challenger Matt Longjohn and veteran political observers are suggesting the Republicans might lose this seat.
Challenging Upton in the GOP primary will be Stephen Young, chairman of the Allegan County Tea Party, who ran for the seat two years ago under the banner of the U.S. Taxpayers Party.
72nd District State Representative
Lily Cheng-Schulting and Cade Wilson, both of Kentwood, will compete for the right to face incumbent Republican Steven Johnson of Wayland in the Nov. 3 general election, The district takes in the City of Wayland and the townships of Wayland, Dorr and Leighton, besides Gaines Township.
Schulting, who describes herself as a Progressive Democrat, is known in the Greater Grand Rapids area as a disability advocate, community organizer and leader, grassroots activist, negotiator and creative problem solver. She characterizes her style as bold, fierce, proven, successful, experienced, and innovative.
Wilson, a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a degree in history and French, has worked at Kentwood High School as an after-school educator and at a church in Byron Center. He earned a graduate degree in ethnic and immigration studies from Wayne State University.
Though a longtime West Michigan resident, he has lived in Chicago, metro Detroit, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Both are regarded as underdogs against Johnson, seeking his third two-year term, though his Democratic opponent earned 41% of the vote in 2016 and 44.5% in 2018.
80th District State Representative
Republican Mary Whiteford, who first was elected in a special election in 2015, has been given the green light to seek a final two-year term. A nurse and businesswoman from the South Haven area, she will have been at the State Capitol for seven years if she prevails in her primary and general election races.
Nevin Cooper-Keel, former Monterey Township Supervisor who lost his bid for re-election in 2016 to Henry Reinart, is mounting a primary challenge against Whiteford.
Both are ardent supporters of President Donald Trump, have opposed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s policies on dealing with the Coronavirus, and are pro-Gun.
Leighton Township Supervisor
Steve Deer has decided not to seek another four-year term after serving for eight years. So current Deputy Supervisor Steve Wolbrink will vie with former Supervisor Spencer Moore to be Deer’s successor.
Wolbrink has worked closely with the Township Board over the last year and a half.
Moore upset longtime Supervisor Darwin VanderArk in 2004 and stepped aside in 2008 to run unsuccessfully for state representative, a contest that was won by current Allegan County Clerk Bob Genetski.
Dorr Township Supervisor
Jeff Miling, who was appointed in 2013 and defeated challengers Patty Senneker and John Tuinstra in 2014 and Senneker again in 2016, is the incumbent.
Trustee Terri Rios, who has served one four-year term, will be the opposition.
Hopkins Township Treasurer
Incumbent Sandra Morris is running for her third four-year term on the board She also was Hopkins Village Clerk for nine years.
Her opponent, Kathy Laseur, is somewhat of a persistent candidate, having run against Morris in 2012 and 2016. Laseur owns a master’s degree in accounting from Davenport University and is a graduate of Jenison High School before moving to Hopkins.