2022 August primary election results for the Manchester area

Mike and Wendy Guenther after voting in yesterday’s primary at the Manchester Township Hall. Photo by Marsha Chartrand.

by Sara Swanson

Manchester-area voters went to the polls yesterday to vote in a judicial race and in primaries for the state house and state senate. Republicans also voted in primaries for governor and U.S. congressional representative.

Voter turnout was down from the 2020 August primary election, which had turnout ranging between 36.29% and 43.46%, although that primary featured a road millage and a supervisor primary race that definitely motivated turnout in Sharon Township. This election saw Manchester Township Precinct 1 (village) have 27.42% of their electors vote, Manchester Township Precinct 2 (non-village) have 32.38%, Sharon Township have 35.33%, Bridgewater Township have 28.48%, and Freedom Township have 35.52%.

Governor

Tudor Dixon has won the Republican primary Governor race and will appear on the ballot in November facing off with incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who was unopposed in the primary. While Dixon received the most votes in every Manchester-area precinct, who came in second varied by precinct.

• Manchester Township Precinct 1 (Village) supported Tudor Dixon with 39.84% over Ryan D. Kelley with 19.92%, Garrett Soldano with 17.93%, Kevin Rinke with 17.13%, and Ralph Rebandt with 1.59%
• Manchester Township Precinct 2 supported Tudor Dixon with 48.95% over Garrett Soldano with 17.33%, Ryan D. Kelley with 14.05%, Kevin Rinke with 10.54%, and Ralph Rebandt with 5.39%
• Sharon Township supported Tudor Dixon with 44.71% over Ryan D. Kelley with 17.94%, Garrett Soldano with 15.29%, Kevin Rinke with 13.29%, and Ralph Rebandt with 4.12%
• Bridgewater Township supported Tudor Dixon with 39.29%, over Kevin Rinke with 20.71%, Ryan D. Kelley with 17.86%, Garrett Soldano with 14.29%, and Ralph Rebandt with 3.93%
• Freedom Township supported Tudor Dixon with 46.89%, over Ryan D. Kelley with 19.5%, Kevin Rinke with 15.35%, Garrett Soldano with 11.2%, and Ralph Rebandt with 4.56%

6th District U.S. Congressional Representative

With 99% of the votes counted in the Republican primary race for U.S. House District 6 between Whittney Williams is leading Hima Kolanagireddy although the race has not been called yet at the time of publication. The winner will face Democratic candidate Debbie Dingell in November in the general election. Williams won in every Manchester-area precinct except in Freedom Township where Kolanagireddy prevailed.

• Manchester Township Precinct 1 (Village) supported Whittney Williams with 54.75% over Hima Kolanagireddy with 45.25%
• Manchester Township Precinct 2 supported Whittney Williams with 55.11% over Hima Kolanagireddy with 44.89%
• Sharon Township supported Whittney Williams with 52.84% over Hima Kolanagireddy with 46.1%
• Bridgewater Township supported Whittney Williams with 53.75% over Hima Kolanagireddy with 45.85%
• Freedom Township supported Hima Kolanagireddy with 52.71% over Whittney Williams with 47.29%

State Senate District 14

Sue Shink has won the Democratic primary for State Senate District 14. Kelsey Wood came in second with Val Cochran Toops a distant third. In the general election in November, Shink will face Republican Tim Golding, who was unopposed in the primary. Shink won by a large margin in both Sharon and Freedom Townships.

• Sharon Township supported Sue Shink with 72.49% over Kelsey Heck Wood with 25.33% and Val Cochran Toops with 2.18%
• Freedom Township supported Sue Shink with 75.24% over Kelsey Heck Wood with 18.45% and Val Cochran Toops with 6.31%

State Senate District 15

Scott Price has defeated Wyckham Seelig in the Republican primary for State Senate District 15. In the general election in November, Price will face off against Democrat Jeff Irwin, who was unopposed in the primary. Price won by a large margin in both Manchester Township precincts and in Bridgewater Township.

• Manchester Township Precinct 1 (Village) supported Scott Price with 71.72% over Wyckham Seelig with 27.27%
• Manchester Township Precinct 2 supported Scott Price with 75.72% over Wyckham Seelig with 23.99%
• Bridgewater Township supported Scott Price with 75.23% over Wyckham Seelig with 24.77%

Michigan State House District 47

Tina Bednarski-Lynch has defeated Teresa Spiegelberg in the Republican primary for Michigan State House District 47. Bednarski-Lynch will face off against the Carrie Rheingans, the winner of the Democratic primary race in the general election in November. Spiegelberg, a native of Sharon Township, won in both Manchester Township precincts and Freedom Township, but lost to Bednarski-Lynch in her home Township.

• Manchester Township Precinct 1 supported Teresa Spiegelberg with 51.9% over Tina Bednarski-Lynch with 48.1%
• Manchester Township Precinct 2 supported Teresa Spiegelberg with 51.92% over Tina Bednarski-Lynch with 47.8%
• Sharon Township supported Tina Bednarski-Lynch with 60.37% over Teresa Spiegelberg with 38.89%
• Freedom Township supported Teresa Spiegelberg with 52.86% over Tina Bednarski-Lynch with 47.14%

Carrie Rheingans has defeated James Johnson Jr. in the Democratic primary for Michigan State House District 47. she will face off against Bednarski-Lynch, the winner of the Republican primary race, in the general election in November. Rheingans won in both Manchester Townships, Sharon Township, and Freedom Township.

• Manchester Township Precinct 1 voted for Carrie Rheingans with 64.92% over James Johnson Jr. with 35.08%
• Manchester Township Precinct 2 supported Carrie Rheingans with 65.12% over James Johnson Jr. with 34.88%
• Sharon Township supported Carrie Rheingans with 66.23% over James Johnson Jr. with 33.77%
• Freedom Township supported Carrie Rheingans with 73.08% over James Johnson Jr. with 26.92%

Michigan State House District 33

Both Republicans and Democrats in Bridgewater Township had candidates for State House representative running unopposed. In the general election in November, Republican Robert Borer will face Democrat Felicia Brabec.

14A District Court Judge 

Both Democrats and Republicans in all four Manchester-area townships had the option of voting for 14A District Judge, a non-partisan position. The top two vote-getters advance to general election in November. As of 12:30am, Fawn Armstrong finished in the lead with Karl Barr in a close second, followed by Torchio Feaster, in third place and Stuart Collis in fourth place. All of the precincts in the Manchester area supported Barr with Armstrong in second place, except Sharon Township, which supported Armstrong with Barr in second place.

• Manchester Township Precinct 1 (Village) supported Karl A. Barr with 33.33% over Fawn Armstrong with 32.99%, Torchio Feaster with 13.19%, and Stuart M. Collis with 13.19%
• Manchester Township Precinct 2 supported Karl A. Barr with 36.16% over Fawn Armstrong with 31.31%, Stuart M. Collis with 17.58%, and Torchio Feaster with 14.55%
• Sharon Township supported Fawn Armstrong with 36.71% over Karl A. Barr with 32.59%, Stuart M. Collis with 15.82%, and Torchio Feaster with 14.24%
• Bridgwater Township supported Karl A. Barr with 40.91% over Fawn Armstrong with 34.30%, Stuart M. Collis with 14.88%, and Torchio Feaster with 9.50%
• Freedom Township supported Karl A. Barr with 36.81% over Fawn Armstrong with 33.55%, Torchio Feaster with 15.96%, and Stuart M. Collis with 13.68%

Dexter Community Schools Recreation Millage Proposition

Although the Dexter School District voters in Freedom Township voted 66.67% Yes to 33.33% No to support the Dexter Community Schools recreation millage, the millage failed with 4,450 voting No to 3,195 voting Yes.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.