Update: 11/11/2018, 12:03 p.m.: This article has been updated to reflect official results.
With all precincts reporting, Dave Atchison defeated incumbent Garrett Brown and candidate Thomas E. Spratley to become Albion’s next mayor.
Atchison garnered 52.7 percent of Albion’s 2,414 votes to Brown’s 32.8 and Spratley’s 14.2.
Atchison and Spratley had never run for Albion public office before.
In Precinct 1, Donnie Brewer beat incumbent Maurice V. Barnes Jr. by 17 votes. Brewer garnered 51.6 percent of the vote while Barnes Jr. garnered 47.7 percent.
Incumbent Lenn Reid won her Precinct 2 City Council position unopposed.
First-time candidate for public office Shane Williamson will represent Precinct 6 on City Council, after running unopposed to fill outgoing City Councilman Andrew French’s seat.
Albion’s mayor serves two-year terms while Albion’s City Council members serve staggered four-year terms.
Six Marshall School Board seats filled
In a tight Marshall School Board race, Marshall resident Brent Dawson and Albion resident Shawna Gamble edged out candidates Quiana Davis and Bradley Donahue. Dawson garnered 28.1 percent of the vote while Gamble garnered 27 percent.
Davis is an Albion resident while Donahue lives in Marshall.
Albionite Larry Williams won a third Marshall School Board seat. He beat Albion resident Marquetta Frost by over 18 points for a partial-term seat, gathering 4,362 votes.
County seats won handedly
Calhoun County’s District 7 Commissioner seat was resecured by Incumbent Republican Gary Thompkins. He beat Democrat Carlen Kernish with 58.3 percent of the vote to his 41.3 percent. Thompkins will continue to serve the City of Albion and the Townships of Albion, Clarence, Clarendon, Homer, Lee and Sheridan.
In Albion, Kernish won 62 percent of the vote while Thompkins won 33.1 percent.
The 10th District Court of Calhoun County was handidly won by Tracie L. Tomak. Just under 49 percent of voters cast their ballot for her. Daniel R. Buscher won 36 percent of the vote.
Tomak will be the only woman serving on the four-district court.
A three-way race for two Kellogg Community College Board of Trustees seats finished in a close race for its second seat.
Steven Claywell won 37.1 of Calhoun County’s vote. Xenia C. McKay won the second spot on the Board, garnering 31.5 percent of the vote. Candidate Lester Earl Johnson was close behind, winning 30.2 percent.
More votes were cast for both McKay and Johnson than Claywell in Albion.
Familiar candidates win State House and State Senate races
Democrat Jim Haadsma beat Republican Dave Morgan by just over 1,100 votes in the race for an open 62nd State House district seat. He garnered 51.8 percent of the vote to Morgan’s 48.2 percent.
Albion voters heavily favored Haadsma. He garnered 68.7 percent of the vote within Albion city limits.
Haadsma will serve the Cities of Albion, Battle Creek and Springfield. He will serve the Townships of Albion, Bedford Charter, Clarence, Corvis, Lee, Pennfield and Sheridan.
In 2016, Haadsma lost the race for the same seat by 209 votes to incumbent Republican John Bizon.
Bizon handidly won State Senate District 19. He garnered 58.4 percent of the vote to Democratic candidate Jason Noble’s 38.5 and Libertarian candidate Joseph Gillotte’s 3.1 percent. Bizon will replace Republican Senator Mike Nofs.
District 19 covers Calhoun, Barry and Ionia Counties. In Calhoun County, Bizon won 56.2 percent of the vote. In Albion, he won over 30 percent of voters while Noble won over 64 percent.
For detailed election results for Calhoun County residents, visit http://elections.calhouncountymi.gov/Nov6th2018/
Carlen Kernish is “he” not “she”.