Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
POLLING EQUIPMENT is set up Monday in Ironwood's Memorial Building and ready for voters in today's Michigan primary election.
By RICHARD JENKINS
Gogebic County voters are casting ballots in Michigan's August primary today, setting the stage for November's general election.
The ballot features a number of national, state and local races; as well as a variety of millage measures.
For the partisan section, voters must confine their votes to a single party. They can vote in the non-partisan and proposal sections regardless of party choice.
The Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties all have at least two candidates on the ballot in the race for governor, with the winners of the contests facing off in the general election.
Republicans Brian Calley, Patrick Colbeck, Jim Hines and Bill Schuette; Democrats Abdul El-Sayed, Shri Thanedar and Gretchen Whitmer; and Libertarians Bill Gelineau and John Tatar are all vying for the chance to represent their respective parties this fall.
With Democratic incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow seeking another term; the Republican party is the only party with a contested U.S. Senate race, where John James and Sandy Pensler are running.
The party also has a contested primary for the state's 38th State Senate District, as Mike Carey and Ed McBroom are competing to represent the party in the general election contest for state Sen. Tom Casperson's seat.
With Scott Dianda term-limited out of his 110th District seat - he's running as the only Democrat on the ballot for the 38th Senate District - four Republicans and one Democrat are running to represent the district in the Michigan State House.
Republicans Keith LaCosse, Gregory Markkanen, Kirk Schott and Brady Tervo running to see who will face Democrat Ken Summers this fall.
There are two local contested races on the ballot - the non-partisan race between Rudy Perhalla, Anna Talaska and Tracie Wittla; and the race between Jim Byrns and Paul Grbavcich to represent Ironwood's District 3 on the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners.
In the judicial race, the top two vote-getters advance, while the winner of the county board contest is expected to run unopposed in the fall as no other candidates appear in the other primaries for that seat.
There are eight millages on the ballot - although as all but two are municipality-specific, not all voters will vote on each measure.
The two county-wide measures to support funding for HOPE Animal Shelter and Gogebic County Medical Care Facility; while voters in Ironwood, Ironwood Township and Erwin Township will vote on a proposed Ironwood Area Schools millage.
Voters in Wakefield, Erwin, Marenisco and Watersmeet townships will vote on millages for their respective communities, and Watersmeet voters will also vote on a measure to provide funding for the Watersmeet Township School District.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
