Numerous elected incumbents in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties will have to fend off challengers in the 2020 election, with Tuesday’s filing deadline showing a number of contested races for key positions like county commissioner, township trustee, sheriff, prosecutor, and township supervisor.

In Grand Traverse County, all seven county commission seats will be up for grabs in November. Commissioner Sonny Wheelock – the longest-serving commissioner, with over two decades of experience on the board – announced earlier this year he would be stepping down and not seeking reelection for his district four seat. Commissioner Gordie LaPointe, who was elected in 2018, also chose not to seek reelection for another term to represent district six. Their absences on the ballot open up room for other candidates, with only two of the county’s seven districts featuring uncontested races. Multiple candidates who are part of the same party will have to win their party’s nomination first in the August 4 primary in order to appear on the November 3 ballot. County commission candidates include:

District 1: Betsy Coffia (D), Josephine Ferry (R)
District 2: Bryce Hundley (D)
District 3: Brad Jewett (R), Melissa Hogan (D)
District 4: Hal Gurian (R), Todd M. Knipe (R), Penny Morris (R), Dean Templeton (R), Brace Kern (D)
District 5: Ron Clous (R), Jade Prange (D)
District 6: Darryl V. Nelson (R), Bruce Moore (D)
District 7: Robert D. Hentschel (R – Chair)

Drain Commissioner Steve Largent is not seeking reelection, with three Republican candidates – Kevin McElyea, Andy Smits, and Joseph G. Underwood – vying for his seat. While County Prosecuting Attorney Noelle Moeggenberg, Clerk Bonnie Scheele, Treasurer Heidi Scheppe, and Register of Deeds Peggy Haines – all Republicans – are running unopposed, Republican Sheriff Tom Bensley will face two challengers for his seat, including Republican Scott Sieffert and Democrat Greg Hall. Sieffert is currently a trustee on the Kingsley Village Council. Hall – who is in the business sector but previously served as a military police officer in the U.S. Air Force, among other law enforcement/security positions – has publicly clashed with county leaders including Bensley over the treatment of family members at the Grand Traverse County Jail. Hall’s family filed a lawsuit in March against Wellpath, the company that provides medical services at the jail.

“I’m very pro-law enforcement, despite what (recent events) might suggest…I just see some systemic problems in the sheriff’s department,” Hall says. “If you look at the string of issues, from the suicides at the jail to (former Jail Administrator) Todd Ritter to constant staffing shortages and turnover, I have not seen where Bensley has taken a proactive leadership approach on any of these issues. I think it’s time for a change.”

In Leelanau County, Sheriff Mike Borkovich (R) is running unopposed for another term, while Prosecutor Joe Hubbell (R) will face challenger Jeffrey Slocombe (R), an attorney who also challenged Hubbell in 2016. Hubbell won more than twice the votes of Slocombe in the last election. County Clerk Michelle Crocker (R) is being challenged for her seat by Theresa Rose (D), while County Treasurer John Gallagher (R) and Drain Commissioner Steven Christensen (R) are running unopposed for another term. Jennifer Grant (R), currently the county’s chief deputy of register of deeds, is running unopposed to become the new register of deeds, with incumbent Dorothy Miller stepping down and not seeking reelection. With incumbents Anthony Ansorge and Carolyn Rentenbach opting out of the county commission race, several new challengers are vying for seats. The slate includes:

District 1: Rick Robbins (R), George Bowers (D)
District 2: Debra Rushton (R), John Hunter (D)
District 3: William Bunek (R – Chair), Lois Bahle (D)
District 4: Ty Wessell (D)
District 5: Patricia Soutas-Little (D), Jim Houdek (R)
District 6: Lana Schaub (R), Gwenne Allgaier (D)
District 7: Melinda Lautner (R), Julie Morris (D)

Numerous township races are also contested, notably for the role of township supervisor. Beth Friend (R) and Jason Gillman (R) will face off in East Bay; Linda Forwerck (R), Roger Gibson (R), and Gerianne Street (R) in Fife Lake; Daniel G. Bauer (R) and John Emerald Ockert (R) in Mayfield; and Lois MacLean (R) and Ron Popp (R) in Whitewater Township (the remaining township supervisor races are uncontested). While several townships have all-Republican trustee slates, with zero Democratic candidates – including Acme, Blair, Fife Lake, Grant, Green Lake, Mayfield, Paradise, Peninsula, and Whitewater – East Bay, Garfield, and Long Lake townships have multiple Democratic trustee candidates, while Union Township’s sole trustee candidate – Kellie Fuelling – is also a Democrat. Candidates in all local township and county races have until Friday at 4pm to withdraw; after that point, the candidate lists will become official.

Grand Traverse Democrats Chair Chris Cracchiolo says his group has over 20 candidates running in various local offices. “Which is something we’ve never had before,” he says. “What we tried to do in a couple of these townships is get full slates of candidates. It doesn’t put all the campaigning pressure on one person, and there are economies of scale that way. If all four get elected, they’ll have a majority on the board.” Grand Traverse Republicans Chair Haider Kazim says his group is "pleased with the slate of candidates that we have put up for county and township offices, both in terms of incumbents running for re-election and newcomers. In many races, our Republican incumbents are running unopposed, which means that people in those communities appreciate and trust their service and leadership."

The coronavirus pandemic has injected significant change and uncertainty into the election cycle. Many candidates – especially those who filed close to Tuesday's deadline – opted to pay a filing fee instead of collecting signatures to appear on the ballot. Filing papers had to either be dropped off by appointment or using social distancing measures to county clerk offices. The campaigning process itself could look entirely different in 2020, with traditional tactics – door-knocking, community forums, and fundraising meet-and-greets – off the table for at least the near future.

“Just like everyone else, we will be relying upon all technological tools available to us to reach out to voters during this election cycle,” says Kazim. “This includes a robust campaign to contact voters through telephone calls, video conferencing events, and social media.” Cracchiolo says the Grand Traverse Democrats' “biggest push in the past has been getting candidates and volunteers to knock on doors,” but that because of the pandemic, it's likely “going to be awhile before the average homeowner wants to answer the door to someone wearing a mask.” He adds: “We just don't know when it'll be OK. We’ll be cautious…and there are other ways these days to communicate with voters. Everyone will be faced with the same questions about the new ways to campaign, and I don’t know if any of us know the real solution. It’ll be trial and error.”