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Election recap: Results from the Ingham County primary election

August 5, 2020
"I Voted" stickers sit next to a bottle of hand sanitizer during the election March 10, 2020.
"I Voted" stickers sit next to a bottle of hand sanitizer during the election March 10, 2020. —
Photo by Matt Schmucker | The State News

After voters cast 66,951 ballots, the results of the Ingham County primary election are in. 

Of Ingham County's 207,839 registered voters, 32.21% took to the polls — or an absent voter ballot dropbox — to cast their votes on partisan offices for U.S. congressional seats all the way down to state legislature and county positions.

U.S. congressional seats

Republican John James won the Republican primary vote and will officially face off against Democrat Gary Peters for his place in the U.S. Senate.

Peters was elected to the Senate in 2014, making this his first time running for reelection. 

James and Peters are expected to participate in televised debates before Election Day. While James initially challenged Peters to four televised debates, Peters accepted invitations to participate in two in accordance with recent precedent for Senate elections, according to MLive.

The November election will mark James' second time running for a Senate seat after he lost to current Sen. Debbie Stabenow in 2018. James had received 45.8% of votes, whereas Stabenow received 52.3%.

For Michigan’s eighth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat Elissa Slotkin will try to maintain her seat against Republican Paul Junge in the November election. 

Junge, who faced primary challengers Kristina Lyke, Mike Detmer and Alan T. Hoover, received 6,655 votes — over 2,000 more than runner-up Lyke — to win the Republican nomination for the district.

“I thank Kristina, Mike, and Alan for their willingness to take on Liberal Slotkin,” Junge said in a social media post. “We must now unite to defeat Slotkin in November and together we will make Slotkin a one-term Member of Congress.”

Slotkin, his November opponent, is the first Democrat to represent her district since 2001, following her defeat of two-term incumbent Mike Bishop in 2018. 

In a statement released on Election Day, Slotkin challenged her November opponent to participate in three debates, one each for Oakland, Livingston and Ingham counties.

"Voters deserve to hear directly from those who seek to represent them, and head-to-head debates, broadcast as widely as possible for the COVID era, are the best way to give voters an opportunity to see the clear differences between us," Slotkin said.

Countywide races

Ingham County’s three state representatives — all three of whom are Democrat women — are up for reelection after their first terms in office, as well. 

Democrat Kara Hope and Republican Nate J. Ross are set to compete for the 67th district seat. Ross faced a primary challenger in Clyde L. Thomas, whom he defeated by nearly 2,500 votes. 

For the 68th district seat, Democrat Sarah Anthony will face Republican Robert J. Atkinson, and for the 69th district, Democrat Julie Brixie will face Republican Grace S. Norris

Democrat Barb Byrum, who received nearly 17,000 more votes than primary opponent DeKeea Quinney-Davis, will fight to keep her county clerk seat from Republican Joseph W. Warner. 

Democrat Carol A. Siemon and Republican George Platsis will compete to be Ingham County’s prosecuting attorney. 

Democrat Scott A. Wriggelsworth will face off against Republican Daniel J. Wells for the sheriff position. 

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In the race to become the county’s treasurer are Democrat Eric A. Schertzing and Republican Bruce A. Little.

Both Ingham County ballot proposals passed, with the elder persons millage renewal receiving 47,487 votes of approval and the 911 millage renewal receiving 49,942.

A complete summary of the election can be found here.

Editor’s note: A prior version of this story incorrectly stated Barb Byrum is running for city clerk, not county clerk.

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