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The results from Tuesday’s Primary Election are in and at least one local race was decided by only a handful of votes.
It will be Democrat Gretchen Whitmer going up against Republican and current State Attorney General Bill Schuette in November to be the next governor of Michigan.
With 96 percent of the precincts reporting as of Wednesday morning, Whitmer pulled ahead of her competition with almost 52 percent of the vote. Abdul El-Sayed received 31 percent and Shri Thanedar pulled in 18 percent.
Schuette led the Republican Primary the entire night and was projected to be the winner early in the evening, finishing with 51 percent of the vote. The next closest candidate was Brian Calley with just 25 percent.
Former state representative Ed McBroom took the Republican nomination to succeed State Senator Tom Casperon by defeating Mike Carey 69.3-30.7 percent.
McBroom will now go up against a familiar face, current state representative Scott Dianda who was the lone Democrat on the ballot.
Dianda’s seat in the Michigan House is up for grabs after an extremely close race in the Republican Primary that changed leads throughout the night.
Hancock resident Greg Markkanen narrowly pulled out a victory with 2,178 votes over Kirk Schott’s 2,154. Brady Tervo received the most support from Houghton County voters but fell short overall with 1,884. Keith LaCosse was fourth with 1,252.
Democrat Matt Morgan is declaring a successful write-in campaign which would put him on the ballot in November against incumbent Republican Jack Bergman for Michigan’s 1st Congressional District.
It will be Republican John James going up against Democrat incumbent Debbie Stabenow for the US Senate.
On the local level, there will be a new representative for District 5 on the Houghton County Board of Commissioners. Chassell’s Tim Palosaari lost the primary to fellow Republican challenger Roy Britz 574-435. Britz will now face Democrat Sharon Stoll in the General Election.
There was only one other primary race in the four-county area. Richard Olson defeated John Karvonen in the Republican Primary for Keweenaw County Road Commissioner and will go up against Democrat Keith Gherna.
All but one of the many proposals in the local area passed Tuesday night.
In Houghton County, the Veterans Service Office millage renewal and increase passed with an overwhelming count of 4,145 to 1,106. The Adams Township Schools Bond passed with a total of 253 to 132. CLK Schools also had their Bond Proposal pass 1,135 to 747. The Hancock Schools Sinking Fund passed 753-418. Only the sinking fund for Baraga Area Schools failed to garner enough support, receiving 231 yes votes to 262 no.
All other ballot proposals passed.
Houghton County Election Results
Ontonagon County Election Results
Keweenaw County Election Results
Baraga County Election Results
Complete election results for the local area can be found here.
