VOTE: Results from Aug. 2 primary
More than 6,000 residents voted in Tuesday's primary election, setting the races for November's general election and deciding multiple uncontested races.
Without a democratic candidate to face in November, area voters elected Michael Main as county sheriff, Steven Pickens as treasurer, Minde Lux as county clerk, John Graham as road commissioner and John Moolenaar as U.S. representative Tuesday night.
"It's been a long ride from the beginning of February," said Main, who waited in room 225 of the Isabella County Building for results Tuesday night. "We had a tremendous amount of support, but you just don't know until today comes, but it's here. It's a bit of a relief, but we are looking forward to setting some long-term goals and plans within the department."
Union Township Republican Roger Hauck defeated his Mount Pleasant opponent Robin Stressman for state representative, taking 63.11 percent of the vote. Hauck will face Mount Pleasant Democrat Bryan Mielke in November. Mielke ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
"I am in tune with the people of my district because I have lived here my entire life," Hauck said prior to Tuesday's election. "I am passionate about my community, my state and the struggles we face. I feel compelled to make a difference and serving in the State House is a way that I think I can contribute."
Of the county's 41,806 registered voters, 14.8 percent voted.
The full results, including number of votes by precinct, can be found here.
Area voters also approved a millage renewal for the county transit system. The I-Ride millage passed with 64.92 percent of the vote.
If levied in full, the millage will raise an estimated $1.7 million for the county-wide public transportation service in the first calendar year of the levy.
I-Ride General Manager Rick Collins said the cost for a household valued at $100,000 will be less than $50 per year.
I-Ride receives the majority of its funding through local, state and federal sources Collins said.
"If we were not to receive local monies, we would not have money to put towards bus operating and we therefor would not be able to leverage the additional monies from state and federal sources — which would shrink the size of our service dramatically," he said.
