Polls are closed and votes are now being tallied in Michigan’s 2022 August primary election.
GOP Race for Governor
Tudor Dixon is projected to win the GOP primary race for governor.
With 16% of votes counted, the Associated Press has declared Tudor Dixon to be the winner in the GOP primary race for governor. She’ll go on to face sitting Governor Gretchen Whitmer in the November general election. This marks the first time two women will face off in the governor’s race in Michigan.
Earlier in the evening, the Michigan GOP unofficially declared Tudor Dixon the Republican gubernatorial candidate. The Michigan Republican Party released a statement congratulating Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon for winning the primary election.
“A congratulations to Tudor Dixon who won a hard-fought primary race to take on Gretchen Whitmer this fall,” said Ambassador Ron Weiser, MIGOP Chairman. “It’s time to unite behind Tudor Dixon because Michiganders simply can’t afford four more years of her failures to fix the roads, provide real inflation relief to families, and prevent our children from falling behind on their education. Tudor Dixon is the real leader that Michigan needs and parents can count on her to usher in a new era of prosperity and opportunity for all.”
One thing that separated the five candidates is an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. That endorsement came just days before the election and went to Tudor Dixon.
Dixon, the only woman candidate on the GOP primary ticket, is a former steel industry executive, conservative media host and horror movie actress. Education is Dixon’s top issue. She’s staunchly against the teaching of Critical Race Theory and gender studies and wants more parental choice in curriculum. On day one, Dixon said she’d sign stalled legislation granting parents more say over what their kids learn.
Ryan Kelley, a real estate broker from Allendale, pleaded not guilty earlier this year to misdemeanor charges after authorities said he rallied Trump’s supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol.
Kevin Rinke is the CEO of a cluster of car dealerships.Rinke pegs education and business expansion as his top priorities. He wants more parental input in the classroom and plans to ban critical race theory and gender studies. Rinke released a series of tweets conceding the race shortly after Dixon was declared the winner.
I want to thank my wife, my children, my whole family and friends for their constant support and dedication to my campaign. While tonight’s results are not what we had hoped for, the people of Michigan have decided on another candidate,
— Kevin Rinke (@KevinRinke) August 3, 2022
Political outsider Garrett Soldano is a chiropractor by trade.Soldano says education and nuclear energy are his two top issues. In addition to banning Critical Race Theory and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion positions in public schools, Soldano says he also wants more parental involvement in school decisions.
Garrett Soldano released a statement after the Associated Press called the race for Dixon.
"As I have stated from the beginning, Republicans throughout the state must be focused on retiring Gretchen Whitmer. I will be casting my vote for Tudor Dixon in November. I call on all Republicans to continue fighting, and together we will defeat Gretchen Whitmer in November."
Garrett Soldano has conceded. He throws his support behind Tudor Dixon. pic.twitter.com/W9D2sN5NpS
— Matt Witkos Reporter (@matt_witkos) August 3, 2022
“That’s what we need now is unity. We need unity, we need conversation from a variety of different people and backgrounds and experiences, to not only move this state forward but also our country. And I’m the candidate to get it done,” said GOP gubernatorial candidate Garrett Soldano Tuesday night as he waited for results to be tallied.
Ralph Rebandt is a longtime pastor in Oakland County. Rebandt wants to make Michigan an open records state. Currently, Michigan is one of only two states, along with Massachusetts, that shields the legislature and governor from Freedom of Information Act requests.
GOP Third Congressional District Race
One of the nation's most closely watched primary races is in West Michigan in the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District. Republican incumbent Peter Meijer faced off against Trump-endorsed challenger John Gibbs. Gibbs defeated Meijer and will move on to the November General election
Due to the redrawing of the districts, people may be voting in a different district this year. This especially holds true for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District which used to cover most of Kent County along with Ionia, Barry and Calhoun counties. The redrawn district still represents most of Kent County, but now also goes west, all the way to the lakeshore with parts of Muskegon and Ottawa counties, completely changing the makeup of the district.
Peter Meijer spoke briefly around midnight as he waited for results to be tallied.
"I'm still confident we will prevail. I'm deeply proud of all that our team has been able to do. And I'm also proud of all of the folks that we interacted with. Were just sick of the politics of everything being a question of fear or anger and want to get back to some semblance of normalcy," Meijer told his supporters.
Meijer called Gibbs around 1:30 a.m. to concede, though the race has yet to be called. He released the following statement.
"This was a hard-fought primary campaign, and I want to thank everyone in West Michigan for their support. Representing my hometown in Congress has been a tremendous honor for which I will always be grateful. I also want to congratulate my opponent, John Gibbs, on his victory tonight.
"Throughout my term, I have strived to always put West Michigan's interests first. I'm proud to have passed multiple bills into law, putting me on track to have more bills passed than any freshman Republican in the House in recent history. I'm proud to have delivered critical resources to communities throughout our district. And I'm proud to have remained true to my principles, even when doing so came at a significant political cost.
"A Constitutional Republic like ours requires leaders who are willing to take on the big challenges, to find common ground when possible, and to put their love of country before partisan advantage. Every single day in office, I have tried to do precisely that, because it's what West Michigan deserves from its leadership in Washington.
"I believe our community and our values are worth fighting for. Though this was not the outcome we hoped for, I will continue to do everything possible to move the Republican Party, West Michigan, and our country in a positive direction. I am thankful for all those who have supported my efforts -- particularly my wife, Gabriella, my family, and my team here in West Michigan and in Washington -- and I will be forever thankful for the opportunity to serve the community I was born and raised in."
GOP Second Congressional District Race
The 2nd Congressional District covers a number of West Michigan counties including Newaygo, Mecosta, Montcalm and sections of both Kent and Muskegon.
The two Republicans in the running in the primary are John Moolenaar and Tom Norton.
Just after 11 p.m., with 42% of precincts reporting, the Associated Press declared Moolenaar the winner of the 2nd Congressional District primary race.
Moolenaar will face off against Democrat Jerry Hilliard in November.
Kent County Senior Citizen Services Millage
Voters in Kent County voted to renew its senior citizen services millage.
The senior citizen services millage was first approved back in 1998.
The millage will be renewed for eight years.
The millage rate is the same as in years past set at .50 mills.
That comes out to an extra $8.40 per month for the average homeowner.
The millage provides additional services for residents 60 and older.
Kent County Veterans Millage
Kent County voters also passed its veterans millage renewal.
It was first approved in 2014.
The millage rate is the same as before at .05 mills.
That's about $5 per year for the average homeowner.
The millage helps with veteran outreach and emergency services, along with housing, mental health treatment, and much more.
Holland Broadband Proposal
In Holland, voters weighed in on a proposed tax increase that would build new high-speed internet infrastructure in the city.
Officials say the pandemic highlighted the need for this service with more people working from home. Opponents argue, while the idea is good in theory, it's going to cause problems down the road.
The Holland Broadband proposal passed with 3,948 yes votes to 3,735 no votes.
Muskegon County Central Dispatch Millage Renewal
Voters approved a millage renewal in Muskegon County to support the 911 dispatch center.
Leaders say they're overextended with just 11 people and hoping to train new staff every day.
Nearly half of the staffing budget comes from this millage.
The renewal request is .3 mill, which is about $30 per year for the average homeowner.
Dispatchers say that money goes a long way to ensure someone can answer when you call.
Follow FOX 17 on-air and online to get the latest election results.
