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0000017b-01f0-d19f-ab7b-19f505140000Listen to the series Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. 13 City Council Candidates. Five Questions.WKAR reached out to 13 candidates running for City Council in Lansing and East Lansing to ask them the same set of questions about their respective cities. 12 accepted the invitation. This is what they had to say about big issues in Lansing and East Lansing. Lansing City Council How should the City of Lansing confront its legacy costs?How big of a role should cannabis entrepreneurship play in Lansing? Why?Lansing City Council Candidates What should be done to secure affordable housing in the city for people who live paycheck to paycheck?What are your plans to attract more businesses, residents, and investment to Lansing? Mayor Schor has been in office for two years now, Lansing operates on a strong mayor system, what letter grade you’d give him?East Lansing City CouncilAre you in favor of the pace of development in East Lansing and the direction it’s going in? What are your thoughts on the parking situation in East Lansing?East Lansing City Council Candidates What role should marijuana (recreational or medical) play in East Lansing’s future?Do you support the new East Lansing city income tax?What are your thoughts on the East Lansing City Council’s recent vote to criminalize LGBTQ conversion therapy?About The ProjectAll of the candidate interviews occurred in WKAR’s studio with the exception of one interview that was conducted off-site. Candidates were not provided with the questions in advance.The interviews took place between late September and mid October. Candidates were asked five questions about big issues in their city and asked to provide any policy changes they believe should be implemented around those issues.Of those questions, we chose three issues per city that are emblematic of this election cycle to air in a radio series called Roundabout: City Council Election Coverage. East Lansing will air beginning October 21. And, Lansing will air beginning October 28. Short clips of the candidate’s responses to all of the questions are included on the web.Over the course of the project, the Lansing City Council voted on new rules to govern recreational marijuana businesses. Lansing candidates Brandon Betz and Yanice Jackson-Long were interviewed in advance of that vote; thus, their answers may reflect that timeline.Lansing candidate Adam Hussain did not participate in the series. Hussain did not respond after multiple requests for comment.

Mid Michigan Election Results

Paul Junge claws his way out of a four-way Republican primary to face Rep. Elissa Slotkin, Peter Meijer wins the Republican primary for Justin Amash's seat and Rashida Tlaib holds onto the 13th Congressional District defeating Brenda Jones in the primary
Photo: WKAR
Tuesday was election day across Mid-Michigan with races happening in Eaton, Ingham and Jackson Counties.

Local elections happened all across Mid-Michigan Tuesday. For many Michigan voters this was the first election it was possible to vote no-reason absentee, or register on the same day after Proposal 3 was passed in the 2018 midterms. 

This post will be updated as the results come in. Below are the results for races across Ingham, Eaton and Jackson Counties.

This post was last updated Tuesday November 5th, 2019 at 11:33 p.m. 

Ingham County Results

Lansing City Council

This year, four candidates ran for two At-Large seats on the Lansing City Council. Two more candidates competed for a seat in Ward 1 and one candidate ran unopposed in Ward 3. There were four incumbents and three challengers.

In Northeast Lansing Brandon Betz, an economist with the Michigan League, pulled off an upset unseating two-term incumbent Jody Washington. 

City Council President Carol Wood was reelected alongside incumbent Patricia Spitzley to represent Lansing in the two At-Large seats that were open this year. This is Woods’ sixth and final term on council and this will be Spitzley’s second term. They defeated challengers Yanice Jackson-Long and Julee Rodocker. In the city’s 3rd Ward incumbent Adam Hussain, ran unopposed and was reelected to his second term representing South Lansing. 

East Lansing City Council

This year, six candidates ran for three seats on the East Lansing City Council. Two incumbents and four challengers. In an upset challengers Jessy Gregg and Lisa Babcock won two of the seats, unseating incumbent mayor pro-tempore Eric Altmann and narrowly reelecting incumbent mayor Mark Meadows to the third four-year term. Challengers Warren Stanfield III  and Mark Revitte were defeated. 

Voters overwhelmingly passed a plan to all or a portion of the more than 26 acres of mostly vacant, property at  the southwest  corner  of the West  Road  and  Coleman  Road intersection.

Schools

Voters renewed the Dansville school district sinking fund millage. Schools will receive up to $200,343.63 for real estate purchases and building construction or repairs. 

Eaton County

Voter turnout was low in Eaton County with less than 16 percent of registered voters participating in the election. Under 3,000 ballots were cast by the more than 19,000 registered voters. 

Grand Ledge

Grand Ledge Mayor Kalmin Smith resigned in 2018 he opening up the seat for Mayor—Councilman and current mayor Thomas Sowle was pitted against council member Mike Doty and former council member Mike Coll. Sowle was elevated to the role of mayor in the interim and handily defeated Coll and Doty Tuesday night claiming nearly 55 percent of the vote. 

Lynne MacDowell defeated Betty Miclay in the race for a three year-term representing Ward 2 on the Grand Ledge city council. Keith Mulder and Don Willems ran unopposed and were re-elected to serve an additional three-year term. 

Charlotte

Yvonne Ridge ran unopposed for a two-year term as Mayor of Charlotte. Branden Dyer defeated Zachary Story for an At-Large seat on the council joining Michael Armitage, Tamra Weissenborn  and Daniel Christian as victors in the Tuesday night council election. 

Potterville

In Potterville Sarah Pulda, Loren R. Smalley, Jr., Robert Nichols, and Michael Potter were elected to serve  four-year terms on the city council. 

Olivet

Laura Barlon-Maas was reelected to serve as the Mayor of Olivet. Joe Hoffdahl and Steve Penny will serve four-year terms on the Olivet City Council. While a third seat was open on the council, there was not a third candidate. 

Jackson County

In Jackson, incumbent Mayor Derek Dobies defeated Jeromy Alexander. He'll serve another two-year term as mayor. Freddie Dancy, Will Forgrave and Laura Dwyer Schlecte were also elected to serve two-year terms on the city council, and Martin J. Griffin ran unopposed to serve a four-year term as city treasurer.

Schools

Voters elected to renew the Napoleon School District millage. Schools will receive up to $1,355,893 to maintain their per pupil foundation allowance. 

Voters passed the Vandercook Lake District sinking fund millage meaning schools will receive up to $295,882 for building construction or repair, security improvements and technology acquisition and upgrades.

Voters did not pass the Chelsea School District bond proposal. Schools will now not receive up to $81 million for various construction and refurnishing projects and technology and transportation acquisition.

Abigail Censky reported on Politics & Government at WKAR from 2018 to 2021. Now, she reports for The Colorado Springs Gazette and edits for The Catalyst Newspaper.
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