KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — When voters head to the polls on November 3 or return their ballots ahead of time, they will be voting for several candidates vying for various positions.
A general breakdown of some of the races in this election can be viewed below:
– Congressional, United States Senator –
- U.S. Senator Gary Peters (Democrat). He has served in this capacity since being elected in 2015. More information is available at Peters’ official website.
- John James (Republican), is a politician, businessman, and veteran who previously ran for the position in 2016. More information available at James’ official website.
– Representative in Congress, 6th District –
- Jon Hoadley (Democrat) currently holds the 60th District State Representative seat. He serves as minority vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and is also a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and the American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention. More information can be found at his official website.
- Fred Upton (Republican) is the current holder of the 6th District Republican seat and has been serving since 1987. More information about Upton can be found at his official website.
- Jeff DePoy is running as a representative from the Libertarian Party. More information can be found at his official Facebook page.
- John Lawrence is running as a representative of the Green Party. More information can be found at his Green Party profile page.
Late last month, WKZO hosted a live debate between Hoadley and Upton. See below for links:
- Recap article
- Video
- Podcast – Part 1 and Part 2
– Representative in State Legislature 60th District –
- Kalamazoo County Commissioner Julie M. Rogers (Democrat) is the current representative for District 5 in Kalamazoo County. Rogers previously served as the Board Chair for Kalamazoo County, recently stepping down in July. More information about Rogers can be found at her official website.
- Gary Mitchell (Republican) is the only Republican candidate on the ballot for this position. He has worked as a realtor in the Kalamazoo area for the last four years. More information on Mitchell can be found at his official campaign website.
Additionally, Kalamazoo County Commissioner Stephanie Moore (Democrat), who currently represents District 1 in Kalamazoo County, is running as a write-in candidate for the 60th District Representative. She also served on the Kalamazoo City Commission from 2007 to 2014. More information can be found at her official Facebook page.
– Kalamazoo County Sheriff –
- Richard C. Fuller (Democrat) is campaigning for his reelection as the Kalamazoo County Sheriff. If reelected, he will be serving his fourth term in the county. More information can be found at his official website.
- Shannon D. Bagley (Republican) is one of two challengers campaigning for the position of Sheriff in Kalamazoo County. Bagley had previously worked with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety for over 25 years. A recent interview with Bagley and WKZO can be heard here, and more information can be found at his official website.
– County Commissioner, 1st District –
Two candidates will be on the ballot for Kalamazoo County Commissioner of the 1st District, which encompasses this area. That position is currently held by Commissioner Stephanie Moore, who is running for State House as a write-in candidate.
- Tami Rey (Democrat) serves as chairperson of the city of Kalamazoo Community Development Act Advisory Committee, according to an article by MLive. More information can be found at her official Facebook page.
- Benjamin Hayden Stanley (No Party Affiliation) has previously run for Kalamazoo City Commission. An interview with MLive from last year can be viewed at this link.
— Representative in State Legislature, 61st District —
Two candidates are opting for the seat of the 61st District, which encompasses the city of Portage, the villages of Schoolcraft and Vicksburg, and the townships of Oshtemo, Texas, Prairie Ronde and Schoolcraft.
- Christine Morse (Democrat) is the current Kalamazoo County Commissioner of District 9 and “a mother, spouse of a Navy Veteran, former attorney, and cancer survivor,” according to her website. Morse received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and has a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She is also endorsed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
- Bronwyn Haltom (Republican) attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College and then transferred to the University of Michigan, where she earned a bachelor’s degree. Haltom owns a small marketing firm and also worked with the Trump administration as a political appointee in the White House as the western regional political director. Haltom’s campaign website can be viewed here.
The candidates are running to fill the seat of term-limited Republican State Representative Brandt Iden.
Earlier this month, WKZO hosted a live debate between Morse and Haltom. See below for links:
- Recap article
- Audio for the debate can be heard on the WKZO Podcast page at this link.
- For a video of the debate, click here.
— How to Vote —
To start with, voters should double check to make sure that they are registered to vote here.
At this point in the election, both local and state elected officials are urging citizens to return an absentee ballot to their local drop box or Clerk’s office as soon as possible.
The reason for doing so is because there is a risk that a mailed ballot will not be received in time to be counted. Under Michigan law, all ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
In Kalamazoo, City Clerk Scott Borling is reminding citizens of important local deadlines.
- In-person voter registration must be complete by Election Day at 8 p.m.
- Requests for absentee ballots by mail must filed by Friday, October 30 at 5 p.m.
- Requests for receiving an absentee ballot in person must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, November 2, and returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters who have yet to register may do so by going to the Clerk’s Office and requesting a registration form. They can then fill out and return an absentee ballot in the same trip.
Voters may still cast their ballots on Election Day at their respective polling places, if they choose.
“At this point, the only way you can register to vote is in person at your local Clerk’s office, so that’s wherever you reside,” Borling said. “If you reside in the City of Kalamazoo, that would be with us. If you reside in one of the townships, that would be with your township clerk. That’s where you need to go.”
Proof of residency will be required when showing up to register, and a photo I.D. will be requested, Borling says. However, those without an I.D. will have some options.
“You’ll be asked to show photo I.D., but if you don’t have one, you can still register to vote, you can sign an affidavit,” Borling said.
All information about in-person voting locations, registration status, and sample ballots can be viewed at the State of Michigan voting page.
