LAHR PAC Mid-Campaign Season Update

(This story has been updated to correct an error.)August 2nd was a pretty good day politically for the LGBTQ community in mid-Michigan. That was the day of the Democratic and Republican primaries. Candidates were selected to run for those parties in November. Many candidates ran unopposed but in almost every instance, when there were 2 candidates and 1 was rated higher by LAHR PAC, the better candidate won.

Very Positive State Representatives Tom Cochran and Andy Schor won the right to be on the ballot over challengers with lower ratings. Carol Siemon, the only Very Positive candidate for Ingham County Prosecutor, will be the Democratic candidate and almost certainly the next prosecutor. Siemon prominently displayed her

Very Positive rating in her campaign literature. Brian McGrain and Joseph Brehler prevailed over lower rated candidates to retain their slots as county commissioner candidates. Guy Sweet won the right to be on the ballot for Delhi Township supervisor over a candidate that ignored the LGBTQ community. Very Positive Ronald Styka prevailed against a negative candidate with a bad voting record on the ballot for Meridian Township supervisor.

The results for Township Trustee positions were a little more complicated. There were 4 slots to be filled for each party. In Meridian township 1 Very Positive candidate, Dan Opsommer, went forward while 2 did not. In Delta township 2 Positive candidates, Andrea Cascarilla and Deana Newman and 1 Very Positive candidate, Dennis Fedewa went forward while 1 positive candidate did not. In Bath township 2 Positive candidates, Sherry Crank and Denise McCrimmon won and 2 other positive candidates did not.

The only races where no higher rated candidates went forward were in Eaton and Clinton counties. Neither Positive rated Reid Felsing nor John Finn was able to get more votes for Eaton County Commissioner over the incumbent who has a Mixed rating. Bath Township supervisor candidate Ryan Fewins- Bliss was rated Positive but did not prevail over a candidate that ignored the LGBTQ community. Positive rated Bath Township treasurer candidate Leon Puttler also did not prevail over a candidate that ignored the LGBTQ community.

Getting Positive candidates on the ballot is the first step. The next will be getting them in office at the November 8th election.

(Because of a reporting error, this story incorrectly reported that Meridian Township trustee candidate Brett DeGroff advanced to the General Election.)