Village, school board races set

By Jim Newell

Review Editor

The primary election on Aug. 4 held few surprises locally, with all the incumbent candidates who ran moving on to the Nov. 3 general election.

In Orion Township, only the race for township trustee on the Republican ticket was contested.

Village of Lake Orion Village Council and Lake Orion Community Schools Board of Education candidates run as non-partisan candidates and were not up for election in the primary.

There will be six candidates for village council and nine for the school board up for election in November. (See below for details)

Orion Township Trustees

All four seats on the Orion Township Board of Trustees up for election in the Nov. 3 general election. The top four vote getters between the two Democratic and four Republican candidates will earn the seats on the board.

In the primary, Democrat Eileen Nolton received 2,888 votes, while fellow Democrat Cheyenne Dwyer received 2,615 votes. There were 51 unassigned write-in votes. Both will move on to the general election.

On the Republican ticket, Trustee Brian Birney had the highest vote tally, receiving 3,516 votes (23.36 percent). Trustee Michael Flood Jr. received 3,275 votes (21.76 percent) and Trustee Julia Dalrymple received 2,859 votes (18.99 percent).

Republican candidate Kimberly Urbanowski received 2,905 votes (19.3 percent) and Republican candidate Marie Monaco received 2,468 votes (16.4 percent). There were 29 unassigned write-in votes (0.19 percent).

Birney, Flood, Dalrymple and Urbanowski are moving on to the general election.

Trustee John Steimel did not seek re-election.

Orion Township Supervisor

Supervisor Chris Barnett ran unopposed in the Republican Primary, receiving 4,497 votes. While Barnett did not have a challenger in the Republican Primary, and there was not a Democratic candidate, there were 211 Democratic and 90 Republican unassigned write-in votes. He will run uncontested in the general election.

Orion Township Clerk

Clerk Penny Shults ran unopposed in the Republican Primary, receiving 4,607 votes. While Shults did not have a challenger in the Republican Primary, and there was not a Democratic candidate, there were 147 Democratic and 25 Republican unassigned write-in votes. She will run uncontested in the general election.

Orion Township Treasurer

Treasurer Donni Steele unopposed in the Republican Primary, receiving 4,378 votes. While Steele did not have a challenger in the Republican Primary, and there was not a Democratic candidate, there were 151 Democratic and 41 Republican unassigned write-in votes. She will run uncontested in the general election.

Village of Lake Orion Village Council

Six candidates are running for four open seats on the Lake Orion Village Council in the Nov. 3 general election.

Incumbent candidates Kenneth W. Van Portfliet, Bradley E. Mathisen and Jerry Narsh, will contend against challengers Sarah H. Luchsinger, Leigh Stephen Wilson and Michael J. Lamb.

The three candidates who receive the most votes will each serve a four-year term on the council, while the fourth highest vote-getter will serve a two-year term.

Councilmember John Ranville did not seek re-election.

Current councilmembers Doug Hobbs, Teresa Rutt and Ray Hammond will not be up for re-election until the November 2022 general election.

Lake Orion Community Schools Board of Education

Nine candidates are running for four open seats on the Lake Orion Community Schools Board of Education for four-year terms.

The candidates are Trustee Scott Taylor and Vice President Birgit McQuiston and Danielle Bresett, Joel Cole, Susan Flaherty, Misty Morris, Edwina Patterson, Amy Silvester and Janice Zale.

Trustee Nate Butki will not be seeking re-election. Board Secretary Dana Mermell, who was up for re-election, resigned her seat on the board on July 16.

Board President Jim Weidman, Treasurer Jake Singer and Trustee Steve Drakos will be up for re-election in 2022.

Other area election results

State Representative, 46th District

State Rep. John Reilly (Oakland Twp.) received 13,683 votes in the Republican Primary. Jody LaMacchia (D-Oxford) received 8,934 votes in the Democratic Primary.

The two ran uncontested in their respective primaries and will now face off in the general election for a two-year term in the Michigan House of Representatives.

The 46th District includes Addison, Brandon, Orion and Oxford townships, part of Oakland Township, as well as the villages of Oxford, Leonard, Ortonville and Lake Orion.

County Commissioner First District

Incumbent Commissioner Michael J. Gingell (R-Lake Orion) received 7,188 votes. Democratic challenger Michelle A. Bryant received 6,441 votes. There were 11 Democratic and 17 Republican unassigned write-in votes. Bryant and Gingell were running unopposed in the primary and will now face off in November.

The Lake Orion Review will have more information on the candidates throughout the election season.