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.