A crowded field looks to make the Grand Traverse County commission race a battle this year, with a record 20 candidates declared by Tuesday’s 4pm filing deadline to compete for the seven open seats on the board.

Twelve Republicans, seven Democrats, and at least one Green Party candidate will compete for voters’ support during the election, with all seven district commission seats contested. The filings mark a sharp increase in the number of candidates running over 2016, when just 13 contenders declared before the August primary and three of seven district races featured unopposed candidates. “We’ve never had so many candidates (as this year),” says Grand Traverse County Clerk Bonnie Scheele, citing election data going back to at least 1996.

The increase is attributable in part to Grand Traverse Democrats' commitment to put up a “full slate” of Democratic challengers covering every commission district in the hopes of flipping at least a few seats from Republican to Democrat. Grand Traverse Dems Chair Chris Cracchiolo previously told The Ticker the organization was looking to back candidates who wouldn’t “just be names on the ballot” but instead would “run campaigns and be energetic and enthused about it.” By Tuesday, the Grand Traverse Dems website had photos and bios listed of all seven Democractic challengers the group is backing for this year’s race.

Republicans are also represented in every district this year, with one race featuring both major parties along with a Green Party candidate. The overall field includes a mix of six incumbents – all of the current county commissioners except for Commissioner Bob Johnson are seeking reelection – as well as several familiar faces with local political experience and a handful of newcomers. Here is an overview of the candidates for each district:

District 1 (covering Peninsula Township and parts of Traverse City): Three well-known local candidates with extensive campaign experience will appear on the ballot in District 1. Commissioner Dan Lathrop – the first candidate to file for this year’s race – will seek his fourth term on the board as a Republican. He’ll face a Republican challenger in the August primary in Michael Estes, who served as mayor of Traverse City for six years (from 2007-2009 and 2011-2015) and is currently treasurer of Northwestern Michigan College’s board of trustees. Running as a Democrat challenger for the seat is Betsy Coffia, who campaigned as a candidate three times for District 104 in the Michigan House of Representatives in 2012, 2014, and 2016.

District 2 (covering parts of Traverse City and Garfield Township): District 2 will feature a three-way race between two major party candidates and a third-party incumbent. As a returning Green Party candidate, Commissioner Tom Mair will not appear on the August primary ballot but instead will proceed directly to the November election. He’ll face competitors in Republican Matthew Schoech – who has served as a delegate to the Republican Party County Convention and as a committee member for the First Congressional District Republican Committee – and Democrat Bryce Hundley. Hundley – an accountant, 15-year resident of Traverse City, and treasurer of the Child & Family Services board of directors – cited the county’s need “to finally face its obligations and challenges” in his decision to run.

District 3 (covering parts of Garfield and Blair townships): Commissioner Cheryl Gore Follette faces the most competition of any incumbent for her seat, with three challengers competing in her district. As a Republican, Gore Follette will need to fend off two other Republican competitors in the August primary in order to advance to the November ballot. Opponents include newcomer Suzanne Maxbauer, a registered nurse of 35 years whose grandfather owned Maxbaeur's Market and whose sister, Christine Maxbauer, previously served as County Commission Chair. "I've lived in Traverse City most of my life, and I'd like to help the community," Suzanne says. Vice President of Culver Meadows Senior Living Brad Jewett, who unsuccessfully challenged Garfield Township Supervisor Chuck Korn for his job in 2016, is also running as a Republican candidate. On the Democratic side of the ballot, Mike Powers – an energy consultant and project manager with Keen Technical Solutions – says his contracting experience has helped him recognize “opportunities where we can turn (county) liabilities into assets."

District 4 (covering Long Lake Township and parts of Green Lake Township): Grand Traverse County’s longest-serving commissioner will compete against one other candidate in his quest to earn another term. Commissioner Addison “Sonny” Wheelock, who owns welding firm Wheelock & Sons and has served on the commission for almost two decades, will go up against Democrat Steve Horne. Horne worked in business planning at Ford Motor Company for 25 years and also served as director of systems implementation at Michigan State University from 2009-2011.

District 5 (covering parts of Green Lake, Grant, Mayfield, and Blair townships): District 5 represents another relatively quiet race, with one challenger competing against Republican incumbent Ron Clous. Clous, vice president at Eastwood Custom Homes, is seeking to serve a third term on the commission. In order to do so, he’ll need to defeat Democratic challenger Dr. Linda Pepper, a former veterinarian, biology teacher, and principal who served in the Peace Corps after retirement and now lives in Grawn.

District 6 (covering Acme and Whitewater townships and parts of East Bay Township): County Commission Chair Carol Crawford will seek a third term on the commission in a race that will feature both a Republican and Democratic challenger. Republican Gordon LaPointe has served on the board of trustees for Acme Township and has also served as president of the Orchard Shores neighborhood association. Democrat Mackenzie "Kenzie" Jeurink is a mother of three foster children and self-described avid hunter and fisherwoman who lives with her husband and family in Whitewater Township. Jeurink says she hopes to bring a “fresh perspective” to the county board.

District 7 (covering Paradise, Union, and Fife Lake townships and parts of East Bay Township): Finally, Johnson’s decision not to seek another term will open his seat up to three new candidates. Thomas Henry Wertz, a 30-year emergency room doctor who serves on the board of the Grand Traverse Conservation District and has been part of the Boardman River Dams Project committee, is the sole Democrat running for District 7. He will face either Republican Robert D. Hentschel or Republican Marc McKellar II in November. Hentschel, owner of Roy’s General Store, has previously served as a Grand Traverse County commissioner and a board member at Northern Lakes Community Mental Health. McKellar, a local attorney, currently serves on several area boards and commissions, including the Kingsley Downtown Development Authority, Paradise Township Planning Commission, Kingsley Friends of the Library, and Kingsley Community Fund.

Republican and Democratic candidates in each county commission district will have a primary runoff race against other candidates within their own party on August 7. One primary winner from each party will advance to the November 6 election. Third-party candidates, such as Mair, do not compete in the primary and instead will appear on the November ballot.