Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By LARRY HOLCOMBE
Tuesday is Election Day and Gogebic County voters will face a ballot full of national, state and local elections.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters will be asked to choose between 32nd Circuit Court Judge Michael Pope and challenger Mark E. McDonald to fill a partial term ending Jan. 1, 2021. Pope was selected to replace retiring Judge Roy Gotham late last year until this election. Votes from Gogebic and Ontonagon counties will be added together to determine the winner, as these counties make up the circuit.
There are several Gogebic County officials running unopposed for re-election to four-year terms including: Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jacobs, Sheriff Pete Matonich, Clerk-Register of Deeds Gerry Pelissero, Treasurer Sue Pertile and Drain Commissioner James Loeper.
All seven Gogebic County Board of Commissioner positions are up for two-year terms. None of the candidates will see competition Tuesday, including newcomer Dan Siirila in District 1, Ironwood Township; and incumbents Tom Laabs, District 2, Ironwood; James Oliver, District 3, Ironwood; Jeff Wasley, District 4, Ironwood, Erwin Township and Bessemer Township; Joe Bonovetz, District 5, Bessemer and Bessemer Township; Bob Orlich, District 6, Wakefield and Wakefield Township; and George Peterson, District 7, Marenisco and Watersmeet townships.
Also countywide, voters will find four individuals running for four seats on the Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees. Susan Beals, Bob Burchell and Tim Kolesar are running for re-election to six-year terms; while Sue Murphy is running to fill out the remainder of the term she was appointed to last fall that will expire at the end of 2018.
Voters will also find three incumbents running for re-election without competition to six-year terms on the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District Board, including: James Fyfe, Edwin Martinson and Clarence Minkin.
On the federal side, voters will find six people running for President. Besides Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, voters will find the names of Darrell Castle, U.S. Taxpayers Party; Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party; Jill Stein, Green Party; and Emidio Mimi Soltysik of the Natural Law Party.
Candidates for the 1st U.S. Congressional District include: Jack Bergman, Republican; Lon Johnson, Democrat; Diane Bostow, Libertarian; and Ellis Boal, Green Party.
Incumbent Democrat Scott Dianda faces a challenge from Republican Gregory Markkanen for the 110th District seat in the Michigan State House.
Among statewide elections, voters will also choose members to the State Board of Education, University of Michigan Board of Regents, Michigan State University Board of Trustees and the Wayne State University Board of Governors, as well as justices to the state Supreme Court and the Fourth District of Appeals.
All four local school boards in the county are holding elections.
—In Ironwood, incumbents John Lorenson and Steve Thomas, as well as newcomers Marilyn Carey and Amanda Sprague are competing for three seats, each for a four-year term. Incumbent Leroy Johnson is not seeking re-election.
—In Bessemer, incumbent Sheri Graham, as well as Bill McDonald, Kevin Nyquist, James Partanen and Eric Stanislawski are competing for four seats. Incumbents Al Gaiss, Mary Beth Trudgeon and Kim Wright are not on the ballot.
—At Wakefield-Marenisco, incumbents Margaret Lynott, Daniel Obradovich and Michelle Sorenson are running for re-election unopposed for four-year terms.
—At Watersmeet, Bruce Caudill, Nicklas Christ and Tara Pallin, all incumbents, are running unopposed for four-year terms.
There are several township offices up for election, including:
—In Ironwood Township, voters will find on the ballot Steve Boyd running unopposed for supervisor, Mary Segalin unopposed for clerk, and Maria Graser unopposed for treasurer. Five trustee candidates are running for four seats as trustee, including incumbents Bernard Brunello and Kevin Lyons, as well as newcomers Bev Michaels, Rudy Grbavcich and Marlene Saari-Mieloszyk.
—In Bessemer Township, all the candidates are running unopposed, including Supervisor Jeffery Randall, a Democrat; Clerk Debbie Janczak, a Democrat; Treasurer Jerry Grenfell, a Democrat; and trustees Beverly Ikola, Republican, and Hope Tarnaski, a Democrat.
—In Erwin Township, three candidates are running for the two trustee seats on the board, including incumbents Republican Ray Brown and Democrat William Hellen, and newcomer James Anderson, a Republican. Supervisor Larry Grimsby, Clerk Vicky Finco and former Treasurer Renee Hill are all unopposed.
—In Marenisco Township, the candidates are all Democrats and are all running unopposed, including Supervisor Richard Bouvette, Clerk Donna Kenney, Treasurer Diane Dean, and trustees Kelly Dunbar and David Hagen.
—In Wakefield Township, again, all the candidates are all Democrats and all running unopposed, including Supervisor John Cox, Clerk Mandy Lake, Treasurer Joan Dalman, and trustees Jerry Niemi and James Spencer.
—In Watersmeet Township, three people are running for two seats as trustees on the township board. The candidates for the four-year terms are Republican incumbent Bill Neumann and newcomers Julie Mathiesen and Alan Piel, both Democrats. Supervisor Mike Rogers, Clerk Sandra Mansfield and Treasurer Paul Kemppainen, all Democrats, are each running unopposed for re-election to four-year terms.
