Voters decide candidates and millage questions
Birmingham/Bloomfield area voters decided a handful of contested primary election contests today and renewed two millages, one for public safety in Bloomfield Township and one a millage for the Bloomfield Hills Schools.
In the contested primary races, Democrat Congresswoman Haley Stevens, finishing her third term in the 11th district that includes Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township and the majority of Oakland County. Birmingham resident, sailed to an easy victory, 78,836 to 11,813, against Ahmed Ghanim, a medical administrator from Ferndale and co-founder of Metro-Detroit Political Action Network
Stevens, a resident of Birmingham, will be facing Republican Nick Somberg of Bingham Farms who defeated attorney Charles Frangie of West Bloomfield, 22,950 to 14,475, in the GOP primary.
First-term state House incumbent Democrat Natalie Price of Berkley survived a primary challenge by Royal Oak resident Joseph Fisher, 12,326 to 1,352, in the race for the sixth district which includes a majority of Birmingham, part of Bloomfield Township, Royal Oak, Berkley and Huntington Woods. Price will face Republican Brent Lamkin of Royal Oak in November.
In the Republican primary contest for the 20th state House district, which includes a portion of Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake, Sylvan Lake, Keego Harbor and part of Commerce Township, Brendan Cowley of Commerce took 2,595 votes to beat Hermon Barbe of West Bloomfield who had 1,987 votes. Cowley will be facing Democrat Noah Arbit of West Bloomfield who is completing his first term in office and had no primary opposition.
With 94 percent of precincts reporting Republican Donna Blake of Oxford garnered 32,148 votes to beat out GOP challengers Susan Kuhn of Troy, 28,107, and Isaiah Hellner of Oxford, 11,085 votes, for the office of Oakland County Treasurer. Blake will face incumbent Democrat county treasurer Robert Wittenberg in the general eleddtion.
Incumbent Democrat Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash of Farmington Hills picked up 84,038 votes, with 94 percent of precincts reporting, to beat back a challenge from Jim Stevens of Rochester Hills who had 39,302 votes. Nash this fall will face Steve Johnson from Highland who bested Steve Klein of Waterford, 44,161 to 24,571, in the Republican primary.
In the only local county commission primary, incumbent Democrat Dave Woodward of Royal Oak beat Charlie Gandy-Thompson of Royal Oak, 6,499 to 1,396, in the first district which includes parts of Birmingham, parts of Troy and part of Royal Oak. Woodward will face Republican Regina Wilk of Royal Oak who was unopposed in the August primary.
In Bloomfield Township, the only primary contest was in the Republican party for the four trustee spots that will be determined in November, although the percentage of precincts reporting could not be determined as of 11 p.m. Incumbents Neal Barnett, 761 votes, and Christopher Kolinski, 736 votes, survived the primary contest, along with Mark Antaki, 650 votes, and Malissa Bossardet, 588 votes. Republican Margo Cargill trailed with 489 votes. The Republicans will face Democrat hopefuls Oscar Garner, Jr., Roman Grigorjey and incumbent Valerie Sayles-Murray in the general election.
Two local millage issues were also determined by voters. In Bloomfield Township, voters passed, 2,210 – 832, a renewal of a .6474-mill public safety tax for 10 years which will first be collected in 2026. Bloomfield Hills Schools residents approved, 3,242 – 1,679, an operating millage renewal of 18 mills for non-homestead property and 5.1338 mills for hold harmless millage.
(This story was updated at 5:30 a.m. on August 7.)
