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Sheriff Bouchard is Oakland County’s top vote getter; Democrats continue to hold most leadership positions and commission [1]
['Peg Mcnichol']
Date: 2024-11-05
Democrats held control of most of Oakland County top positions and the county commission was held as well.
But Oakland County’s longtime sheriff, a Republican, received the most votes the county after Tuesday’s election concluded.
He received 445,165 votes, more than 60 percent of the vote, easily defeating Amrit Kohli.
The 19-person county commission is controlled by the Democrats by a 12-7 margin.
At 9 p.m., results showed that three incumbent Democrats on the commission – Dr. Ajay V. Raman and Gwen Markham of Novi, and Brendan Johnson of Rochester Hills – appeared headed to defeat at the hands of their Republican challengers.
Raman did narrowly lose to Republican Robert Smiley by 200 votes, 16,419 ( 50.22%) to 16,219 (49.61%).
At 9 p.m., Johnson was losing to Republican Dale Hetrick, 4,986 to 6,094; Raman was behind Smiley, 5,496 to 7,096; and Markham was losing to Republican Daniel Lawless, 3,866 to 3,985.
In the end, while Raman’s effort to overtake Smiley failed in the 14th District, covering Walled Lake and Wixom area, both Johnson and Markham overcame their opponents to win fairly easily.
In the 15th District, covering parts of Farmington Hills and Novi and surrounding areas, won 21,178 (57.9%) to 15,319 (41.9%).
In the 4th District, Johnson won by a 17,756 (52.2%)-to-16,232 (47.7%) margin. The district includes parts of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills.
Oakland County executive David Coulter, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Nik Gjonaj, 416,742 to 317,444.
Another Democrat, incumbent county prosecutor Karen McDonald defeated Republican challenger Scott Farida, 419,935, to 307,681.
County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Brown defeated Republican challenger Barb Pallotta, 406,615 to 311,267.
Two more Democrats, County Treasurer Robert Wittenberg and Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash, were ahead in races for their respective seats with more than 10-point lead over their Republican challengers, Donna Blake and Steve Johnson.
Nash won with 400,031 (55.9%) votes to Johnson’s 314,763 (44.0%). Wittenberg’s race was a little closer, receiving 383,503 votes to Blake’s 331,837, or a 53.5-46.3 percentage margin.
Troy Democrat Ann Erickson Gault appeared to be holding her seat with a small lead over Republican Douglas K. MacLean, 5,989 to 5,961. She ended up winning by 13 percentage points, a 19,647-to-15,086 margin.
Republican commissioners Mike Spisz, and Michael Gingell, Bob Hoffman, Karen Joliat, Phil Weipert and Christine Long cruised to victory as did. Democratic commissioners Angela Powell Kristen Nelson, Marcia Gershenson, Williams Miller, Yolanda Smith Charles, Linnie Taylor and Charlie Cavell. Commission’s chairman David Woodward was able to keep his seat, winning by 23 points.
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[1] Url:
https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2024/11/05/early-election-results-suggest-shake-up-for-oakland-county-commission/
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