Michigan primary election set for Tuesday

By PAMELA JANSSON

[email protected]

Gogebic County — Tuesday will be the day of the Michigan state primary in Gogebic County, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in designated sites for each city and township.

Voters will face a number of choices in relation to local, state and national races, as well as several proposals.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat first elected in 2000, is not running for re-election, resulting in that seat as an open race for the first time since 1994.

Running to take her seat are Democrats Hill Harper and Elissa Slotkin and Republicans Justin Amash, Sherry O’Donnell, Sandy Pensler and Mike Rogers.

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman of Watersmeet, a Republican, is running for re-election to the 1st District of Congress. Fellow Republican Josh Saul and Democrats Callie Barr and Bob Lorinser, MD, are running against him. Lorinser, of Marquette, is the only candidate besides Bergman from the U.P.

Running as a representative of the 100th District in the state legislature is incumbent Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock). Ironwood Mayor Kim Corcoran, a Democrat, is running against him.

Gogebic County Sheriff Ross Solberg is not running for re-election. Undersheriff Jorge Cruz of Erwin Township is running for that role as a Republican, and Gabe Justinak of Ironwood Township is running as a Democrat.

Republican Nicholas Jacobs, the incumbent prosecuting attorney for Gogebic County, has no competition in his bid for re-election.

Gogebic County Clerk and Register of Deeds Ramona Collins is not seeking re-election. Running to take her place is Republican Erin Berg, a case worker for the county’s Friend of the Court.

Republican Lisa Hewitt has no competition in her bid for re-election as Gogebic County treasurer.

County Commission

County commissioners Thomas Laabs of Ironwood and Joseph Bonovetz of Bessemer have opted not to run for re-election to the 4-year commission terms.

Republican Joseph Cayer is running unopposed in Laab’s District 2, Precinct 1 seat for the city of Ironwood.

Democrat Peter Matonich, former Gogebic County sheriff, is running unopposed for Bonovetz’s District 5 seat. Matonich will appear on the ballots of Bessemer city and township and on the Ironwood Township ballot.

In District 3, Ironwood City, Precinct 2, Incumbent Democrat James Byrns is running against Republican Dan Wood.

In District 1, incumbent Republican Daniel Siirila is running against Republican Bob Michaels. They will be on the Ironwood Township ballot.

In District 4, incumbent Democrat James Lorenson, current board chair, is unopposed in his bid for re-election. He will be on the ballots of Bessemer and Erwin townships and on the Ironwood city, Precinct 2 ballot.

In District 6, incumbent Democrat Robert Orlich will face off against Republican Michael Yon. They will be on the Wakefield city and township ballots.

In District 7, incumbent Democrat George Peterson III, superintendent of the Watersmeet Township School, is running unopposed. He will be on the ballots of Marenisco and Watersmeet townships.

Township Races

Marenisco Township Supervisor Bruce Mahler is not running for re-election. County Clerk Ramona Collins said that no candidates for that seat will appear on Tuesday’s ballots because that day’s election is reserved only for Democrats and Republicans, But she said that Robert Dorgan of the Green Party will be on the November ballot.

Other Marenisco candidates will be incumbent Republican clerk Donna Kenney, running unopposed, and Democratic incumbent treasurer Kathy Leonard facing off against Democrat Chris Longley. Voters can choose two trustees, and there are two candidates: Democrat David Hagen and Republican Kelly Dunbar, both incumbents.

In Ironwood Township, Democratic supervisor Jay Kangas is running unopposed, as is deputy clerk Sherry King, a Democrat running for clerk. Democratic incumbent treasurer Maria Graser is running against Republican Brett Imwalle. Voters will choose four of the following as trustees: Democrats Bernard Brunello and Kevin Lyons or Republicans Brenda Aili-Angus, Kathy Jo Koval, Bev Michaels and James J. Simmons Jr.

In Erwin Township, incumbent Republican Larry Grimsby is running unopposed, as is Democratic clerk Betty Perkis and Republican treasurer Roberta Nuce. Voters can choose two trustees, and there are two candidates: Democrat William Hellen and Republican James Anderson.

In Bessemer Township, incumbent supervisor Jeffery Randall opted not to run for re-election. Republican Crystal Suzik is running for his seat unopposed. Republican Clerk Erin Berg is not running for re-election, and current treasurer Hope Tarnaski, a Democrat, is running unopposed in her place. Current utility clerk Lisa Hegbloom, also a Democrat, is running unopposed as treasurer. Voters will choose two of the following trustee candidates: Democrat Susan Roberts or Republicans Steven Selin or Beverly Ikola. Roberts and Ikola are incumbents.

In Wakefield Township, Democrat incumbents Mandy Lake and Jennifer Ahonen are running unopposed for re-election as supervisor and clerk, respectively. Republican Denise Laessig also is running unopposed. Voters can choose two trustees, and there are two candidates: Democrat Michael Heikkila and Republican Robert Drier, both incumbents.

Marenisco Township Supervisor Bruce Mahler is not running for re-election. County Clerk Ramona Collins said that no candidates for that seat will appear on Tuesday’s ballots because that day’s election is reserved only for Democrats and Republicans. She added that Robert Dorgan of the Green Party will be on the November ballot.

In Watersmeet Township, incumbent supervisor Mike Rogers, a Democrat, will face off against Republican Yvonne Clark. Democrat incumbent clerk Julie Mathiesen will face off against Republican Kirsten Boehm. Incumbent treasurer Paul Donald Kempainen, a Democrat, is unopposed. Voters will choose two of the following Republican candidates as trustees: Alan Ison, John T. Oliver III, Albert Peterson or Simon Zelinski.

For county convention delegate, Democrat Ken Jacobson and Republican Dan Wood are running in Ironwood city’s Precinct 2, and Democrat Connie Pricco is running for the city of Bessemer. Democrat Thomas Obradovich is running in Bessemer Township. In Watersmeet Township, Republican Kirsten Boehm is running.

There are no candidates for county convention delegate in the townships of Marenisco, Wakefield, Erwin or Ironwood, nor in the city of Wakefield, nor in Ironwood’s Precinct 1.

According to the county clerk’s office, such delegates “are authorized to represent their particular party and district at the national convention.”

To view the specific ballot for your district in advance, go to the Gogebic County website, click on “Election Results,” and follow the link for “local ballot information.”

Note proposals in a separate story (transit submitted its own)

Civic Center proposal is only on the Ironwood city ballots