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Support for State Sen. John Proos was evident not long after polls closed Tuesday, when preliminary figures came in greatly one-sided in favor of the Republican incumbent. Proos, 44, defeated Democrat Bette Pierman to retain his spot in the 21st State Senate District for a second four-year term. Proos, a resident of St. Joseph in Berrien County, previously served six …

Incumbents Rick Shaffer and Don Eaton will return for two more years to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Shaffer defeated Tim Carls with 61 percent of the vote total for the District 3 seat to the five-member commission, while Eaton claimed 56 percent of the vote in his victory over Jennifer Jones to represent the county’s District 2. …

Daryl Griffith will retain his seat as a member of the Three Rivers City Commission. The 47-year-old Griffith, dean of the seven-member board with 12 years under his belt, fended off challenger Matthew Mosher Tuesday, 560-483, in the race for a two-year, at-large seat. Griffith, a mechanical engineer, said he plans to continue focusing on the best interest of the …

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has won a second term, defeating Democrat Mark Schauer.  The Republican who downplays party ideology campaigned by touting an economic and fiscal recovery and promising to keep the state on the right path. He also highlighted work to address Detroit’s financial crisis and increased spending on education.  Snyder’s victory makes him the sixth straight Michigan governor …

Democratic Congressman Gary Peters has beaten Republican former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land to replace retiring Democrat Carl Levin in the U.S. Senate.  The win Tuesday for Peters, who led Land in nearly all polls for months, prevented Republicans from capturing their first Senate seat in the state in two decades. Republicans had originally hoped Michigan could be …

Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson has defeated Democratic challenger Godfrey Dillard in her bid for a second four-year term as Michigan’s top elections and driver services official.  Johnson is a former Oakland County register of deeds and ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2006. She was elected secretary of state in 2010.  This year, Johnson has campaigned on her …

Southwestern Michigan voters have re-elected U.S. Representative Fred Upton to a 15th term.  The Republican from St. Joseph defeated Democrat Paul Clements and two minor-party candidates Tuesday. The 61-year-old Upton has been in the House since 1987.  He is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has broad oversight of the American economy, including cars, health care and …

Michigan voters have rejected two state laws that allow hunting of gray wolves in largely symbolic referendums. One measure would have removed the wolf from the state endangered list and classified it as a game species. The other would have empowered the appointed Natural Resources Commission to decide whether wolves should be hunted. The outcome of today’s election voids both …

Republican Bill Schuette has been re-elected to a second term as Michigan’s attorney general.  Schuette defeated Democrat Mark Totten and other candidates in Tuesday’s general election. The 61-year-old Schuette is a former congressman, state lawmaker and state appeals judge. He has campaigned heavily on being tough on crime.  He has supported funding to process thousands of untested rape evidence kits …

Kalamazoo officials have approved a change to panhandling rules to give people seated in public places the right to be left alone.  The Kalamazoo City Commission voted 6-1 Monday to amend the panhandling ordinance the city adopted in 2006. The change protects people in areas enclosed by fencing or gates, such as sidewalk cafes. It also includes people sitting at …