Oakland County elects Troy councilman, approves 2 library millages and Pontiac charter
Bill LaytnerLike results in many areas of Michigan’s rain-soaked Election Day, Tuesday’s primary was mostly uneventful in Oakland County. No countywide incumbent was at risk of losing a primary.
Still, there were some key local results. Several incumbent county commissioners headed off challenges in their Democratic primaries. In Troy, a newcomer – an outspoken gadfly in city meetings – narrowly lost his bid for a City Council seat. Voters approved library millages in two cities, including Rochester Hills. And in Pontiac, voters overwhelmingly approved a new city charter, which supporters said would add momentum to Pontiac's renaissance.
Of the six countywide elected leaders in Oakland County, only incumbent water resources commissioner Jim Nash faced a primary opponent. With about 94% of precincts reporting, Nash had received 84,038 votes (68.01%), well more than double the 39,302 votes (31.81%) tallied for his opponent Jim Stevens in the Democratic primary. In the last general election, Stevens ran and lost as a Republican against Nash.
Even the incumbents’ prospective Republican opponents had few contested races, with two exceptions. In the Republican primary for Oakland County treasurer, three candidates sought the chance to take on incumbent Democrat Robert Wittenberg. With about 94% of precincts counted, Donna Blake with 32,148 votes (44.92%) led Susan Kuhn, who had 28,107 votes (39.28%), as well as Isaiah Hellner with 11,085 votes (15.49%). On the GOP side for water resources commissioner, also with 94% of precincts tabulated, Steve Johnson had 44,161 votes (64.08%), for a big lead over Steve Klein's 24,571 votes (35.65%), in their race to see who would oppose Nash this fall.
In primaries for County Commission seats, longtime incumbent Democrat Dave Woodward, whose 1st District seat encompasses portions of Birmingham, Royal Oak and Troy, trounced challenger Charlie Gandy-Thompson. Woodward, who chairs the county board, drew 6,499 votes (82.25%) to 1,396 (17.67%) for Gandy-Thompson.
A far tighter contest between Democrats was in the 3rd District, covering Hazel Park, Madison Heights and a portion of Troy. Madison Heights Mayor Roslyn Grafstein challenged but was defeated by county Commissioner Ann Erickson Gault, who was appointed to the seat last fall, after the death of veteran county Commissioner Gary McGillivray of Madison Heights. Erickson Gault tallied 3,427 votes (51.84%) to Grafstein's 3,167 (47.91%).
Related to that race was a tight race in Troy’s only city election. This was a nonpartisan contest to fill the council seat that Erickson Gault vacated last year to take the empty seat on the County Commission. In the Troy election, which was not a primary, newcomer Ed Ross lost to Councilman Hirak Chanda, who was appointed last fall to fill the opening created when Erickson Gault moved on to her county spot. Chanda tallied 6,765 votes (52.70%) to 6,045 for Ross (47.09%). Chanda will fill the seat for a term ending on Nov. 8, 2027.
In the Oakland County Commission’s 10th District, which represents Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake, portions of Waterford and West Bloomfield townships, and a western slice of Pontiac, incumbent Commissioner Kristen Nelson of Waterford fought off a challenge in the Democratic primary by Keego Harbor Mayor Robert Kalman. Nelson won with 4,421 votes (63.57%) against Kalman's tally of 2,522 votes (36.27%).
More:2024 Michigan primary election results
For the 16th District County Commission seat, incumbent William Miller defeated Democratic challenger Sean C. Thomas in the primary for a district encompassing Farmington and portions of Farmington Hills. Miller received 5,131 votes (66.23%) to Thomas' tally of 2,600 votes (33.56%).
By a better than 2-1 margin, Pontiac voters approved a new charter to replace the one created in 1982. Voters cast a total of 3,084 “yes” votes (70.98%), while opponents registered 1,261 votes (29.02%). Supporters said that the new charter would make city operations more efficient, ethical and transparent. It also would make the city council president a full-time job, to balance the power of the city's full-time mayor.
In Rochester Hills, a strong majority of voters approved a millage increase to operate and improve the public library. Library leaders said the existing millage had not changed since it was passed in 1924, when the city wasn’t a city. It was then largely rural Avon Township. Voters who said "yes" to the millage totaled 10,023 (65.73%), versus 5,226 who cast "no" votes (34.27%).
In Walled Lake a library renewal millage easily passed 764 to 307 (71.34% to 28.66%). And in Wixom, a renewal millage for city operations passed by 1,635 "yes" votes (78.87%) to 492 "no" votes (23.13%).
More:Oakland County primary results
In a key race to fill an open judicial seat at Oakland County Circuit Court, three lawyers vied in the non-partisan contest: Tricia Dare, Nicole Sophia-Calhoun Huddleston and Moneka Sanford. With 94% of votes counted, Dare had a significant lead with 76,346 votes (49.74%), while Huddleston had received 43,696 votes (28.47%), and Sanford had tallied 32,980 votes (21.49%).
Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com.