5 Democrats, 3 Republicans vie for Lenawee County sheriff's post

8/3/2008

ADRIAN - Eight candidates - three Republicans and five Democrats - will vie Tuesday for the right to run for Lenawee County sheriff in Novembert.

Sheriff Larry Richardson, a Democrat, has decided against seeking a third term. But he will appear on the Aug. 5 ballot: He is running unopposed for his party's nomination in the Madison Township supervisor election.

Lenawee County Commissioner and local Democratic official Karol Bolton said she believes interest in the position stems from the lack of an incumbent seeking re-election.

"This is going to be a real horse race," said Ms. Bolton, who is treasurer of the local Democratic Party.

Democrats vying for their party's nomination for sheriff:

•Steve Beaubien, 46, is a supervisor at the Maurice Spear Campus juvenile detention facility and probation officer in Lenawee County District Court.

•Undersheriff Gail Dotson, 55, is second in command in the sheriff's office and the only woman running for the post. She retired five years ago as commander of the Jonesville post of the Michigan State Police, where she worked for 25 years.

•Al Navarro, Jr., of Blissfield, is the coordinator of the county's Community Correction Department and a retired Michigan State Police trooper.

•Thomas Popejoy, Jr., has been a sheriff's employee for 10 years. He is a corrections officer in the county jail.

•Larry Weeks, 37, is chief of police for Morenci. He became chief in 2002 after serving 10 years in the Albion, Mich., Public Safety Department.

Republican candidates seeking the position are:

•John Birdwell has been an officer for 14 years with Adrian police, where he has worked as a patrol officer, community police officer, and school liaison officer.

•Lt. Cletus Smith, 53, is third in command of the sheriff's department and been in the office for 29 years.

•Jack Welsh, 56, worked 33 years in the sheriff's office, retiring as captain in 2007, when he was commander of the jail. He ran unsuccessfully against Sheriff Richardson in 2004. He is currently regional emergency planner in the Lenawee County Emergency Management Office.

Ted Dusseau, who is chairman of the local Republican Party, said the number of candidates is a record for any elected office in the county.

"This is unheard of in my time," said Mr. Dusseau, who is Madison Township supervisor and Mr. Richardson's opponent in the November election.

Other contested primary battles for county offices include a seat on the road commission. Donald Isley, Matt Koester, and Douglas Lerch are seeking the GOP nod in the primary. There is not a Democratic candidate.

Drain Commissioner Stephen May is facing fellow Republican Eric Anderson, who is Mr. May's first challenger since he first ran for office in 1996. There is no Democratic candidate.

GOP voters will also have choices in three of the nine district board of commissioner primaries.

Nearly 75 percent of the county's elections for supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and trustee in the county's 22 townships will be determined in the upcoming primary, with most of the battles being waged within the Republican ranks. There are no Democrats running in those elections.

Lenawee County voters also will decide a renewal request for a 0.5-mill levy to support the operations of the Department of Aging, which provides programs for senior citizens. If approved, the levy would run through 2014 and generate $1.7 million in the first year.

Others candidates on Tuesday's ballot - either opposed or unopposed in Lenawee County this year - are:

57th District State Representative: Emma Jenkins (R), Dudley Spade (D).

County Commissioner

District 1: David Abraham (R), David Simpson (R).

District 2: H. Edwin Branch (R), Mark A. Cleveland (R), Carol Timm (D).

District 3: Robert Hall (R).

District 4: Fay Miller (R), Jason MacKay (D).

District 5: Karol Bolton (D).

District 6: Fred Gallagher (R), Don Welch (R), Randy Fielder (D).

District 7: John Tuckerman (R), Randy Kelley (D).

District 8: Ralph Tillotson (R), Larry Hall (D).

District 9: James Van Doren (R).

Adrian Township

Supervisor: Michael Hendershot (R), Jim Koehn (R).

Clerk: Sandra Hoffman (R).

Treasurer: Albert LeBlanc (R).

Trustee: (four to be elected) Kathleen Anton (R), Michael Herr (R), Barbara Jones (R), Charlie Morris (R), Tom Romain (R), Raymond Thompson (R), John Doyle (D).

Blissfield Township

Supervisor: Lewis Bowman (R), Bruce Carter (R).

Clerk: Nancy Cranor (R).

Treasurer: Karen Baldwin (R), Jennifer Lopez-Kandik (D).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Jason Fischer (R), G. Reed Mapstone (R), Michael Frederick (D), Shaun Warner (D).

Cambridge Township

Supervisor: Harvey Hawkins (R), Tom D. Johnson (R), Douglas Lake (R).

Clerk: Ashley Schober-Lamb (R), Ricky Richardson (R).

Treasurer: Laurie Johncox (R), Susan Pikulski (R).

Trustee: Michael Albain (R).

Clinton Township

Supervisor: Chris Wittenbach (R).

Clerk: Cheryl Matzinger (R).

Treasurer: Janice Lee Pittman (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Richard Dixon (R), Basil Greenleaf (R), William Zimmerman (R).

Deerfield Township

Supervisor: Curt Bangerter (R).

Clerk: Shirley Soldwish (R).

Treasurer: Pam Witt (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Daniel Witt (R), Ronald Cousino (D).

Dover Township

Supervisor: Randy Swander (R), John Weidmayer (R).

Clerk: Sharon Rodriguez (R).

Treasurer: Donna Baker (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Dan Borck (R), Donald Hamann (R).

Fairfield Township

Supervisor: Curtis Emmons (R).

Clerk: Carol DeLong (R), Samantha Dickerson (R).

Treasurer: Linda Redlin (R), Martha Oard (D).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Gaylord Herriman (R), Gregory Hillard (R), Bonnie Zenk (R), Roger Gallup (D).

Franklin Township

Supervisor: Robert Platt (R).

Clerk: Susan Whitehead (R).

Treasurer: Nancy Wibbeler (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Susan Van Doren Starling (R), Daniel Van Valkenburg (R), Douglas Sherman (D).

Hudson Township

Supervisor: F. Arthur Capper (R).

Clerk: James Bills (R).

Treasurer: Vivian Brighton (R).

Clerk: (two to be elected) Donald Irwin (R), Kenneth Moore (R).

Macon Township

Supervisor: Lee Wagner (R).

Clerk: Beth Loesch (R).

Treasurer: Beth DeJonghe (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Edward Clark (R), David Wielfaert (R).

Madison Township

Supervisor: Theodore Dusseau (R), Larry Richardson (D).

Clerk: Arnold Harper (D).

Treasurer: Janet Bovee (R), Nic Wilson (D).

Trustee: (four to be elected) Howard Bales (R), Jerry Jay Flynn (R), David Halsey (R), Larry Liedel (R ), Roger Roback (D), Chad Rodgers (D), Wayne Smith (D).

Medina Township

Supervisor: James Craig (R).

Clerk: Suzette Burk (R).

Treasurer: Ruth Ann Mansfield (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) George Cleghorn (R), Jack Quigley (R).

Ogden Towsnhip

Supervisor: James Goetz ( R).

Clerk: Alice Clark (R), Phyllis Gentz ( R).

Treasurer: Rick Dennison (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Richard Marks (R), Mark Vandenbusche (R), Kathleen Simon (D).

Palmyra Township

Supervisor: James Isley (R).

Clerk: Angie Koester (R), Sherry Hallock (D), Samantha Meyer (D).

Treasurer: Dale Terry (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Steve Papenhagen (R), Bradley Jay Ball (D).

Raisin Township

Supervisor: Carl Wagner (R).

Clerk: Betty Holdridge (D).

Treasurer: Carol Breckel (R), Drew Powell (R), DeLight Sieler (D).

Trustee: (four to be elected) Debra Brousseau (R), Dale Mitchell (R), Lee Mohr (R), James Palmer (D).

Ridgeway Township

Supervisor: Robert Downing (R).

Clerk: Arlyne Becker (R).

Treasurer: Dora Mae Maschino (R).

Clerk: (two to be elected) Jim Frayer, (R), Tonya McCarley (R), Daniel Prielipp (R).

Riga Township

Supervisor: Robert Knoblauch (R), Jefferee Simon (R).

Clerk: Karlene Goetz (R).

Treasurer: Richard Beagle (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Larry Brenke (R), Mike DeNudt (R), Paul Dusseau (R), John Farrar (R).

Rollin Township

Supervisor: John Jenkins (R), J.L. Underfer (R), Roy Walker (R).

Clerk: Sharon Gust (R).

Treasurer: Marcia Willett (R), Sheryl Betts (D).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Raymond McGrath (R), Roscoe Wilson (R).

Rome Township

Supervisor: Al Boggs (R), Bonnie Hunt (R).

Clerk: Rebecca Boggs (R).

Treasurer: Renee Previch (R), Greg Sprague (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Rick Van Akin (R), Harvey Warrick (R).

Seneca Township

Supervisor: John Gould (R), Jonathan Klumpp (D).

Clerk: Allison Ott (R).

Treasurer: Marie Meinke (D), Joy Simmons (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Donald Emmons (R), Chris White (R).

Tecumseh Township

Supervisor: Leroy Schlegel (R).

Clerk: Curtis Brown (R).

Treasurer: Rick Bunch (R).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Michael Feight (R), Patricia Lamb (R).

Woodstock Township

Supervisor: Rick Williams (D).

Clerk: Molly Upell (D).

Treasurer: Jane Clark (D), Teresa Votzke (D).

Trustee: (two to be elected) Charles Jarrett (D), Larry McClain (D), Bernard Pepper (D).