Politics

A write-in candidate who was challenging an incumbent township supervisor in southwestern Michigan has lost a tiebreaker for the Republican nomination. Robert Baker, who wants to be on the November ballot for the Ross Township post, picked a piece of paper marked “not elected” out of a box Tuesday at the office of the Kalamazoo County clerk. WWMT-TV reports both …

Michigan officials say they will appeal a federal judge’s ruling against eliminating straight-party voting. The Detroit News reports Secretary of State Ruth Johnson on Monday filed a notice to appeal. That came two weeks after U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain said preventing voters from checking a single box to vote for all of a party’s candidates discriminate against blacks, who tend to …

St. Joseph County residents appeared to have no problem continuing to help fund the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority. By a comfortable margin Tuesday, a request to renew one-third of a mill was approved in the county-wide vote. As a result, the Three Rivers-based agency will continue to receive about $650,000 annually over the next four years. Consistent with renewal …

St. Joseph County’s former equalization director will be the Democrat opponent to face Republican incumbent Dennis Allen in the November general election. Nottawa Township resident Judy Nelson topped Tim Carls in Tuesday’s primary election. She earned 410 votes while Carls claimed 310 in what turned out to be a high-profile election for the right to represent the party in November. …

Dan Czajkowski said he still has plenty to learn despite nearly two years as a county commissioner. The 62-year-old White Pigeon resident will have another 24 months of experience to gain after voters in District 4 backed him over Republican challenger Joshua Goodrich, a Constantine Township resident. Unofficial numbers show the incumbent earned 534 votes to Goodrich’s 370 endorsements. Czajkowski …

Flowerfield Township voters approved a request to increase their millage for fire protection and ambulance services. By a tally of 170-to-112, voters agreed to support an increase of up to 1 mill for a five-year period. As a result of Tuesday’s endorsement, the request will raise more than $64,000 annually to be disbursed to Three Rivers Ambulance Service, Fabius/Park Fire …

Colon Township voters on Tuesday approved renewal of a five-year millage sought by the township library. Voters by a margin of 345 to 108 supported a request to renew nearly nine-tenths of a mill to help fund operating, maintaining, constructing and equipping the library, and for all other library-related purposes authorized by law. The request will allow the district to …

Former legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer will lead Michigan’s first all-female statewide ticket in the November election, winning the Democratic nomination for governor and pitting her against Republican state Attorney General Bill Schuette, an ally of President Donald Trump. Schuette and Whitmer — both veteran officeholders — easily bested their opponents in Tuesday’s primary to set up their head-to-head race to …

A request for 2 mills over a 10-year period was rejected Tuesday by White Pigeon Township voters. Unofficial totals show 257 votes against and 143 in favor. The township has 2,775 registered voters. Township supervisor Don Gloy said the request would have eased the burden on the township’s general fund. Also, it would have afforded the township the opportunity to …

White Pigeon Community Schools voters endorsed an operating-millage renewal request Tuesday. Unofficial numbers show the vote was passed with 339 in favor and 217 opposed. As a result, the district for the next six years will continue to assess the millage on non-homestead properties and generate about $2.8 million annually for its day-to-day operations. Superintendent Jon Keyer said Tuesday’s vote …