Competing signs for Lapeer County Drain Commissioner line Main Street outside of Imlay City Hall on election day.
Tkach secures spot on November ballot for Democrats
LAPEER COUNTY — Some voters were in the mood for change when they headed to the polls on August 4.
John Miller defeated sitting Prosecutor Mike Sharkey by more than 2,000 votes and Terry Jostock bested sitting road commission member Dale Duckert by 1,800 votes in the Republican primary.
Incumbent Joe Suma managed to hold onto his job as Drain Commissioner. He fended off a challenge from Ian Kempf with just 173 votes separating them, according to the unofficial results.
Incumbent Circuit Court Judge Byron Konschuh came in second in a three-way race and gets a chance to face off against the first place finisher Mike Hodges in a November general election runoff.
Bryan Zender will become Imlay City and Almont’s next representative on the county commission. He topped fellow Republican Walt Bargen in the race to succeed Ian Kempf.
On the Democratic side of the ticket, Jerry Tkach has earned his party’s support to advance to the general election and face incumbent Gary Howell, a Republican, for the 82nd House District State Rep. contest. Just 81 votes separated Tkach and fellow Democrat Kurt Hausauer in the unofficial primary results.
Incumbent township supervisors managed to hang on to their posts too. Al Ochadleus earns another term in Attica, Tina Papineau will stay on in Dryden and Ron Cischke gets another four years in Goodland.
Other incumbents were successful in their re-election bids too. Pam Mason will keep her post as Attica’s Treasurer and in Almont Twp., incumbents Kimberly Streeter and Gary Groesbeck earned new terms as trustees. They’ll be joined by newcomers Rick Dodge and Randy Eschenburg. Similarly, in Dryden Township, voters selected incumbent Carol English and newcomer Brian Hazen for two trustee seats.
In Goodland Township, voters sought change among their trustee representatives, choosing newcomers Matthew Van Dyk and Bob Van Den Berg over current office holders Mike Juip and Norm Tanis. New faces will fill two trustee seats in Attica Township too. William J. Winslow and Nancy Herpolsheimer got the most votes in a five-way race.
As for open seats, Valerie Schultz earned the most votes to become Attica’s clerk and Sue Lowney will be Dryden Township’s next treasurer.
As for proposals, voters approved the Lapeer County EMS renewal by a wide 10,000 vote margin. In Goodland Township, residents finally approved a roads millage request following several attempts by township leaders. Voters did not approve the library and parks proposals.
Here are the vote totals:
82nd House of Representatives
•Jerry Tkach: 2,603
•Kurt Hausauer: 2,524
Lapeer County Prosecutor
•John Miller: 9,775
•Michael Sharkey: 7,462
Lapeer County Road Commissioner
•Terry Jostock: 9,021
•Dale Duckert: 7,203
Lapeer County
Drain Commissioner
•Joe Suma: 8,306
•Ian Kempf: 8,133
Lapeer County Commissioner,
District 7
•Bryan Zender: 1,321
•Walt Bargen: 904
40th Circuit Court Judge (top two advance)
•Michael Hodges: 8,659
•Byron Konschuh: 6,232
•Catherine Bostick: 6,115
Lapeer County
EMS millage
•Yes: 16,663
•No: 6,459
Almont Twp. trustee (four seats)
•Randy Eschenburg: 884
•Rick Dodge: 808
•Kimberly Streeter: 804
•Gary Groesbeck: 794
•Steve Hoffa: 774
Attica Township Supervisor
•Al Ochadleus: 459
•Tom Tullio: 368
•Austin McLellan: 350
Attica Township Clerk
•Valerie Schultz: 773
•Mary Tullio: 367
Attica Township Treasurer
•Pam Mason: 805
•Mellisa Kyte: 300
Attica Township
trustee (two seats)
•William J. Winslow: 595
•Nancy Herpolsheimer: 537
•Richard Lacey: 343
•Diane Malczewski: 267
•Mark Ochadleus: 233
Dryden Township Supervisor
•Tina Papineau: 899
•Justin Evans: 449
Dryden Township Treasurer
•Sue Lowney: 718
•Heather Seidell: 494
Dryden Township trustee (two seats)
•Carol English: 947
•Brian Hazen: 673
•Kim Klobucar: 502
Goodland Township Supervisor
•Ron Cischke: 287
•Mike Bissett: 219
Goodland Township trustee (two seats)
•Matthew Van Dyk: 240
•Bob Van Den Berg: 216
•Mike Juip: 200
•Norm Tanis: 192
Goodland
Library millage
•No: 336
•Yes: 257
Goodland Parks and Historical School Building millage:
•No: 351
•Yes: 243
Goodland
Roads millage:
•Yes: 325
•No: 242
