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Michigan Election 2021: Results
Michigan Radio | By Michigan Radio Newsroom
Michiganders headed to the polls Tuesday to vote in a wide variety of races. Below see the results of two special elections, four mayoral races, and a series of propositions and proposals.
MI Senate 8th District Special Election: Douglas Wozniak, winner
L: Republican Rep. Douglas Wozniak, R: Democrat Martin Genter
Updated: Nov. 3 at 12:51 a.m.
Republican Doug Wozniak won the race to represent Michigan's 8th Senate District. Wozniak beat Democrat Martin Genter by a wide margin to fill the seat vacated by former Republican Senator Peter Lucido. Lucido resigned his Senate seat last December and now serves as prosecutor for Macomb County.
Original post: Nov. 2, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.
There is currently a vacant seat for the Michigan Senate in the state's 8th District, which is why there is a special election to fill it. It was previously filled by Republican Sen. Peter Lucido, who resigned in December 2020 and is now serving as prosecutor for Macomb County.
Republican Rep. Douglas Wozniak currently serves in Michigan's House of Representatives for the 36th District. His term there is set to end in January 2023. According to his website, Wozniak is a small business owner and practicing lawyer where he "specializes in assisting seniors with Elder Law issues and Medicaid planning."
Democrat Martin Genter won the August primary, defeating opponent John Bill by nearly 6,000 votes. Genter received his bachelor's degree in political science and history from the University of Mississippi, and is currently earning his master's degree in political management from George Washington University. He has lobbied for the United Nations in Washington, D.C, and also worked for Republican Congressman Trent Kelly on Capitol Hill.
For election night results, visit the Macomb County site.
MI Senate 28th District Special Election: Mark Huizenga, winner
L: Michigan Rep. Mark Huizenga; R: Democrat Keith Courtade
Updated: Nov. 3, 2021 at 8:20 a.m.
Michigan Rep. Mark Huizenga is heading to the Michigan Senate, after defeating Democrat Keith Courtade in a special election Tuesday.
Michigan Rep. Mark Huizenga (R-Walker) and Democrat Keith Courtade are running in a special election for the 28th District Michigan Senate seat. The position was vacated by Republican Peter MacGregor after he was elected Kent County treasurer on November 3, 2020.
Huizenga currently serves in the Michigan House of Representatives, serving District 74. According to reporting from WGVU, Huizenga has served three terms as representative, and previously served as the mayor of the city of Walker. He's also the chair of the Higher Education Subcommittee on Appropriations.
"People refer to me as the 'Nerd in the House' because I take a strong evidence-based position on the work that I do," he told WGVU.
Courtade previously served on the Kent County Board of Commissioners from 2008-2010. In the August primary, he received 16.2% of all votes cast. Courtade is a graduate of Michigan State University and is a retired GM employee.
On his Facebook page, Courtade writes, "As a Kent County Commissioner I was a voice for working families, middle class, the poor and the senior citizens. I brought fiscal responsibility, tax fairness, and open government, to the Kent County Board of Commissioners."
For results, visit the Kent County site.
The race for Detroit mayor was the biggest on the ballot. But people in Dearborn, Lansing, Jackson and other cities are also decided contentious mayoral elections.
Detroit Mayor: Mike Duggan, winner
L: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan; R: Anthony Adams
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has easily defeated attorney Anthony Adams to win a third four-year term leading the Motor City.
Duggan was the clear favorite to win Tuesday's election after first winning in 2013 and taking over in January 2014. That was just after the city emerged from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Duggan briefly sketched out his vision for the next four years. He says the city will achieve his administration's goal of eliminating residential blight during that time—either demolishing or rehabbing all of the city's vacant homes.
Detroit has a mayoral election on Tuesday. Two-term incumbent Mike Duggan is being challenged by Anthony Adams, the city's former deputy mayor.
In an interview with Morning Edition's Doug Tribou, reporter Sarah Cwiek explained:
Duggan won the August primary by taking home 72% of the vote, compared to Adams' 10%. But the city still faces a lot of challenges, and those are the types of things Anthony Adams is talking about. Adams is well-known in Detroit political circles, and has served in a variety of city positions including deputy mayor for decades, but most Detroiters probably don't know his name. He's been talking about some of Detroit's more chronic issues that some feel Duggan hasn't paid enough attention to: things like generational poverty, affordable and substandard housing, and ongoing racial inequities. Duggan has refused to debate Adams, saying his campaign is "negative" for talking about these things. That might be a smart political move, but it's opened Duggan up to criticism that he's evading some of these tough conversations, and leaves even some of his supporters feeling a little sour. Donna Givens Davidson, president of Detroit's Eastside Community Network, said it sends a larger signal about Duggan's priorities. "Whenever somebody brings up race and poverty, the response is 'that's divisive,'" Davidson said. "What that tells is that they are not wanting to deal with or confront real inequities."
Sarah Cwiek on Morning Edition
For more, read the full interview here.
For election results, visit the City of Detroit website.
Dearborn Mayor: Abdullah Hammoud, winner
L: Democratic State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud; R: Gary Woronchak
Updated: Nov. 3 at 1:23 a.m.
The City of Dearborn has elected its first Arab-American and Muslim mayor.
State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) defeated opponent Gary Woronchak 54.8% to 45.2% based on preliminary results Tuesday.
He opened his victory speech Tuesday night with a dedication to "any young girls or boys who have been ridiculed for their faith or ethnicity."
In the city of Dearborn, Democratic State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud faces Wayne County Commissioner Gary Woronchak in the city's mayoral election. In the August primary, Hammoud won, taking 42.01% of the vote. Woronchak followed behind with 18.45% of the vote. The winner of November's election will replace current Mayor Jack O'Reilly, who did not seek reelection.
Hammoud currently represents Michigan's 15th House District and has since 2017. Following his victory in August, Hammoud said in a statement, "Tonight's results showed that Dearborn residents are demanding change from City Hall. I'm honored and humbled with today's victory, and I will work just as hard to earn everyone's vote in the general election this November."
After flooding in Dearborn this summer, Hammoud sent out an "urgent call to action, seeking volunteers to help residents in the flood's aftermath," according to an interview with Stateside. The response was overwhelming. Hammoud also told Stateside that the city needs to be held accountable for coming up with solutions.
Woronchak is a former state representative and a former Wayne County commission chairman. According to his campaign website, Woronchak has "enacted important public policy that has lowered taxes, protected senior citizens, helped families save for college, increased funding for our schools, enhanced homeland security and protected working families in a difficult economy."
For results, visit the city of Dearborn website.
Lansing Mayor: Andy Schor, winner
L: Incumbent Andy Schor, R: Kathie Dunbar
Andy Schor won a second term as Lansing mayor Tuesday.
Unofficial results show Schor winning handily with over 60% of the vote against City Council Member Kathie Dunbar.
Schor says voters responded to equity efforts including the city's distribution of housing assistance amid COVID-19.
"They saw that Lansing was active in helping out to make sure that we were able to get through the pandemic stronger and we were successful in that."
Incumbent Lansing Council Members Peter Spadafore, Jeremy Garza and Brian Jackson all kept their seats. They'll be joined by newcomer Jeffrey Brown, who won an at-large spot.
— Sarah Lehr, WKAR
In the August primary, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor won 49% of the vote, while challenger Kathie Dunbar won 20%.
Schor previously served as an Ingham County Commissioner for 10 years, followed by five years in the Michigan House of Representatives representing residents of the 68th District.
Last year, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, protestors marched to Schor's home demanding he enact a series of policies to improve the lives of Black residents or resign.
Dunbar has spent the last 16 years on the Lansing City Council. She said in an August interview that her original plan for this election was to run to keep her seat on the city council but she feels called to do more. "I know city hall inside and out, and I also know the folks who need our help the most and I'm connected to them in a very, very tangible way and I will not forget that when I'm in office," she said.
For election results, visit the Ingham County website.
Jackson Mayor: Daniel Mahoney, winner
L: Daniel Mahoney, R: John Wilson
The city of Jackson is getting a new mayor after Daniel Mahoney beat retired corrections officer John Wilson.
Mahoney currently serves as a Democratic representative on the Jackson County Commission. He got the endorsement of incumbent Mayor Derek Dobies, who did not seek re-election.
Mahoney will be the first Black mayor of Jackson.
Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies is not running for reelection, so primary winners Daniel Mahoney and John Wilson will face off to become the city's next leader.
Mahoney, who won the August primary with 1,089 votes, is a Jackson native who currently serves on the county commission. He told MLive his top three priorities are public safety, economic development and neighborhood revitalization. Mahoney also has the support of incumbent Mayor Dobies.
Wilson took second in the August primary with 702 votes. He says his focus is on gun violence and gang activity, street assessments and water/sewer rates. This is Wilson's third time running for mayor.
For election results, visit the Jackson city site.
In other communities, ballot questions are the hot ticket. From decriminalizing magic mushrooms in Detroit to moving a war memorial in Royal Oak. There are also school bond proposals on the ballot, including a $130 million proposal in Taylor to build a new high school and career center and convert the existing high school to a middle school.
Detroit Proposal R: Passed
Detroiters approved Proposal R by a wide margin Tuesday.
The proposal would set up a voluntary task force to explore the idea of reparations for Black Detroiters.
The task force would make recommendations for housing and economic development programs that would address historical discrimination against the Black community. It does not specify where funds to pay for their recommendations would come from.
If approved, Proposal R would prompt the creation of a task force to explore reparations for Black Detroiters through housing and economic development.
The Reparations Task Force would aim to address historical discrimination against Black Detroiters by recommending economic or housing programs.
The effort has been supported by Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Mary Sheffield and the Detroit City Council. If the proposal doesn't pass, the city council has the full right and ability to go ahead and create the task force anyway, but officials say they wanted a demonstration of public support.
Approval of Prop R would not authorize the city to enact any reparations programs, but simply give the council the go-ahead to start exploring options.
Detroit Proposal E: Passed
Detroit voters passed Proposal E by a wide margin Tuesday.
The proposal would reduce the enforcement of laws related to certain drugs. Those include entheogenic plants classified as Schedule One drugs, including magic mushrooms.
Voters in Detroit will be asked whether they want to decriminalize some types of drugs.
If approved, Proposal E would decriminalize possession and therapeutic use of entheogenic plants. Those are substances such as peyote, mescaline, and psilocybin mushrooms, sometimes called magic 'shrooms.
Decriminalization does not mean they would be legal. Instead, Detroit police would not make those drugs a high priority for arrest and prosecution.
Read more about Prop E here.
Detroit Proposal S: Failed
The proposal to change part of Detroit's charter failed, by a 17% margin.
Voters in Detroit will decide whether to change a section of the city's charter that restricts power from the voters to enact city ordinances for the appropriation of money. If approved, it would basically allow voters to dictate how Detroit spends taxpayers' money.
A "yes" vote on Prop S supports removing language that prohibits an initiative from passing "any ordinance for the appropriation of money," thereby allowing citizen initiatives to propose ordinances that appropriate city funds.
A "no" vote on Prop S opposes removing language that prohibits an initiative from passing "any ordinance for the appropriation of money," thereby maintaining the prohibition on ballot initiatives that appropriate city funds.
Ann Arbor Proposal B: Passed
Ann Arbor voters approved ranked choice voting by a large margin. Ranked choice allows people to vote for multiple candidates by order of preference.
Ann Arbor Mayor Chris Taylor says it's symbolic at this point. He says the state Legislature would still have to make ranked choice voting legal in Michigan.
Ann Arbor Prop B seeks to enact a voting system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.
A ranked-choice voting system (RCV) is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots.
If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, he or she is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated.
First-preference votes cast for the failed candidate are eliminated, lifting the second-preference choices indicated on those ballots. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won a majority of the adjusted votes. The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority.
Taylor Bond Proposal: Passed
The Taylor School District has the largest school bond proposal in the state this November at $130 million.
The bond includes the construction of a new high school building and career technical building. Kennedy High School, which has been closed since 2017, will be demolished in order to construct the new buildings there.
The district's two middle schools would be consolidated into the current Taylor High School, which would also receive renovations under the bond.
The bond also includes improvements to athletic fields at the current high school and new high school.
The district estimates a tax increase of $135.50 per year based on a home value of $100,000.
Royal Oak Proposal 7: Failed
Updated: Wednesday Nov. 3, 2021 at 12:20 a.m.
Royal Oak's war memorial will stay where it is for now. Voters Tuesday decided by a wide margin to keep the city's war memorial in its new location.
The city moved the memorial about 60 feet as part of a new park project last May. Some veteran's groups objected to the move and led a drive to get a measure on the ballot forcing the city to move it back. But voters decided 2-to-1 to leave the war memorial in its new location.
Original post, Nov. 2, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.
Royal Oak voters will choose the location of their city's war memorial by voting on a new city ordinance this Tuesday.
The city moved the memorial more than 60 feet from its prior location as part of a new downtown park project last May.
As Michigan Radio's Sarah Cwiek previously reported, some veterans groups objected to the move, and spearheaded a drive to get the ordinance on the ballot. A "yes" vote on the ordinance would require the city to move the memorial back to its prior location, and would also reserve a portion of the park for exclusive veterans memorial use.
Pat Paruch is Royal Oak's Mayor Pro-Tem and a city commissioner who supports the park re-design. She said the memorial had been moved multiple times before with little fanfare, and its new location is more accessible to those with disabilities.
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