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Lansing area races offer few surprises

By Mark Bashore, WKAR News

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-932763.mp3

Lansing, MI –
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Lansing area voters reshuffled the deck of public officials during the midterm election Tuesday.

Few area races were close. One of them was in the 67th state house district. There, incumbent Democrat Barb Byrum edged Republican challenger Jeff Oesterle by a six-percentage point margin.

Byrum says she's prepared to work with resurgent Republicans.

"I have a long-standing history of working across the aisle, so I don't think that's going to be a problem for me at all," Byrum says. "I enjoy working with people regardless of party affiliation or where in Michigan they're from."

Other Lansing-area races turned out largely as forecast. Winners included incumbent Democrats Joan Bauer and Mark Meadows.

State Senator Gretchen Whitmer coasted in the 23rd Senate district. In Eaton county's 24th Senate district, Republic Rick Jones won by a more than two-to-one margin.

In a tighter race, Republicans Brian Breslin and Mitch Lyons took both the openings on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, ousting incumbent Democrat Colleen McNamara in the process.


Election 2010 - WKAR
For more election reporting, interviews and analysis from WKAR, visit WKAR.org/election2010

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