Dozens of local candidates are on the ballot for Michigan's 2024 primary, Aug. 6, when voters will choose party nominations for township, city, county, and state leaders.
Candidates who are nominated during this primary will appear on the ballot during the general election on Nov. 5. With the potential for write-in candidates for the general election, those who are nominated during the primary may still have running opponents in November.
The primary election ballot will have candidate voting as part of the partisan section, meaning voters must choose to vote for candidates under only one column, either the Republican Party column or the Democratic Party column. Selecting candidates under both columns will invalidate the votes cast in the partisan section.
On this year's primary election ballot, all candidates for Ypsilanti Township government are running as part of the Democratic Party.
The Eastern Echo has compiled a list of those running for local government. Information on previous experience, campaign goals, and more can be found below, which was pulled from VOTE411 and the websites and social media accounts of candidates. If no additional information was found regarding a candidate, they were simply listed.
Office: Ypsilanti Township Clerk, four-year term, vote for no more than one
Candidates
• Debbie Swanson, Democrat
Swanson, who has earned both an undergraduate and master's degree, has worked as a teacher in the Willow Run Community Schools and in the Ypsilanti Community Schools districts, and she has also served for twenty years as a park commissioner. She is currently serving as a trustee for Ypsilanti Township. If elected, she aims to help accomplish the township's goals through the use of the township's budgeting process and by seeking grant funding. Overall, her campaign aims to support economic development, to review, and if needed, update the township's policies and procedures, and to stay up-to-date with procedures regarding voting.
• Christina Benitez, Democrat
Benitez is a certified election specialist for the Ypsilanti Township Clerk's Office, and she has experience in the organization and execution of elections. She has also worked with the current Ypsilanti Township Clerk prior, helping to implement law changes of the Proposal 2 election in 2022, which included permanent absentee ballots and nine days of early voting. If elected, she aims to empower the township's residents to get involved more in local government. She hopes to work with the school district to create a program that will help local youth learn about local government.
Office: Ypsilanti Township Supervisor, four-year term, vote for no more than one
Candidates
• Alex Thomas, Democrat
Thomas has been a community advocate in Ypsilanti Township for the past eight years, also having 30 years of experience between working in food service purchasing in Las Vegas and consulting on an internet aggregator in Shanghai, China. Since 2018, Thomas has also worked in executive leadership at Avalon Housing. If elected, Thomas plans to sever ties between the township and the private law firm that currently handles the township's legal matters. He also aims to invest in youth programming. His goals are to increase youth participation in after school, weekend, and summer programming in the township, to increase the amount of affordable housing units in the township, and to initiate a centric care-based safety, unarmed response program in the township.
• Brenda Stumbo, Democrat, incumbent
Stumbo has served as both a trustee and clerk for Ypsilanti Township. Since 2008, Stumbo has been serving as supervisor. She also has experience working on multiple boards and commissions, attending neighborhood meetings, and volunteering for community events. Her campaign aims to continue economic development and financial stability within the township. Her overall goals include increasing inclusivity and input, which she plans to accomplish through heightening community engagement, youth council, and career paths with the Summer Works program. She also has goals to work toward house affordability, to continue economic business expansion, and to continue the relationship with the Water Resource Commissioner in order to get grants and implement a plan regarding stormwater systems.
Office: Ypsilanti Township Treasurer, four-year term, vote for no more than one
Candidates
• Steve Agdorny, Democrat
Agdorney has experience working as Ypsilanti Township's Special Projects Manager in 2023. During his time in the position he worked on projects including the implementation of park signs with new designs to improve visibility, the initiation of emergency cleanup following wind damage, the identification of park shelter upgrades, and more. Advocating for accessibility and improvements in safety, Agdorney aims to help the community progress further.
• Stan Eldridge, Democrat, incumbent
Eldridge has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Leadership from Concordia University, in addition to an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from Washtenaw Community College. He has served as Ypsilanti Township Trustee for 16 years, and he is currently serving as the township's treasurer. He has also served on the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, Economic Development, Retirement Board, Liquor Commission, and more. If elected, he hopes to continue to work toward a clarification on the Treasurer's Office's role. He also hopes to further increase transparency regarding the voter approved millages, and to help residents of the township who are facing financial hardships. Eldridge also emphasizes the continuation of working with entities in the community, including universities and school districts.
Office: Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees Member, four-year term, vote for no more than four
Candidates
• Roderick Casey, Democrat
Casey has some college experience in the fields of Humanity and Social Science/Political. His campaign goals include a youth recreation center. If elected, he hopes to address homelessness, employment, mental health, job training, and education through allocating federal, state, and county funds and programs for residents of Ypsilanti Township.
• Pecola Lewis, Democrat
• LaResha Thornton, Democrat
Thornton has an education background in Criminal Justice, and she has experience teaching at Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility. Her campaign aims to address the current amount of affordable housing in Ypsilanti Township. If elected, she also aims to increase the accessibility of mental health services to residents of the township. She hopes to work toward securing funding for a free digital application, which would be powered by students from community universities and licensed social workers, to help increase this accessibility.
• Joshua McAllister, Democrat
McAllister has certifications in entrepreneurship, project management, and marketing. He has also served in the Marine Corps, and has co-founded the organization 2 MARINES, which focuses on community empowerment. McAllister has also managed small businesses. If elected, McAllister has goals to foster economic development, to enhance community services, and to ensure fiscal responsibility. He hopes to address inadequate infrastructure, economic disparities, and concerns regarding public safety.
• Gloria Peterson, Democrat, incumbent
Peterson currently serves as a trustee for Ypsilanti Township and as a member of the Ypsilanti Township Planning Commission. She is also a current board member of Destination Ann Arbor and the vice-chair of the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority. Peterson has previous experience as a board member of the Ypsilanti Township Park Commission, president of the University of Michigan AFSCME Local 1583, vice president of Huron Valley Labor Council AFL-CIO, a board member of United Way of Washtenaw County, a member of the Michigan Democratic State Party Central Committee, and as a board member of Michigan AFSCME Council 25. If elected, she aims to continue to ensure the township is fiscally sound, to continue to support for new businesses, to focus on job development, to support programs for youth and seniors, and to address roads and parks. She also aims for economic development, recruiting organizations, both private and nonprofit, to develop affordable housing.
• Mattie Odessa Smith, Democrat
Smith has education from Eastern Michigan University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and Flint, summer study at Harvard University, and Michigan Education Department courses in Personnel Management and Curriculum Development. She has experience working as a teacher, teacher instructor, school administrator, director of personnel, and Multicultural and ESL program developer. If elected, she aims to focus on equal opportunity for earning a living wage in Ypsilanti Township. She also strives for a crime-free environment, an increase in youth involvement in community planning, and access to affordable housing. Her campaign aims to address crime in the township, in addition to the increase of marijuana dispensaries in the township.
• Sadaf Ali, Democrat
Ali has a Doctorate's Degree in Communication/Media from Wayne State University, a Master's Degree in Journalism from Columbia College-Chicago, and a Bachelor's Degree in English from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She currently works as a professor in Digital Media and Journalism at Eastern Michigan University, first starting in 2012. She has also been involved with unions since 2008, including being a member of the Graduate Employees' Organizing union while a graduate student. Since 2012, she has also been a member of EMU-AAUP, where she ran social media accounts for the union while faculty were striking in 2022. Prior to working at Eastern, Sadaf also had experience working as a television reporter for WHIZ in Ohio. If elected, she hopes to expand her current mentoring program to the community, to move toward public energy, and to clean up Ypsilanti Township's waterways through working with both federal and state partners. Her campaign also aims to increase both transparency and housing affordability in the township.
• John P. Newman II, Democrat, incumbent
Newman II has an undergraduate degree in Accounting and an MBA in Management Information Systems from Davenport University. He has over 25 years of experience of serving in local county government, including serving as a senior accounting analyst and finance accountant for Washtenaw County. He has also served almost 20 years as a budget analyst/department manager for Wayne County, and is currently a trustee for Ypsilanti Township. If elected, he aims to create more jobs in the township through the previous sale of land, and through the use of the funds from those sales, to invest in creating a small business district, which includes the City of Ypsilanti. He also aims to continue assisting residents in connecting to services and providers. His campaign hopes to address infrastructure, and to address disparity in education.
• Kimberly Mortensen-Warden, Democrat
Mortensen-Warden currently works as a physical therapist assistant, and she has volunteered at community and school events. Her campaign goal is to have a "respectful development plan," while also having a focus on minimizing vehicle traffic, impacts on the environment, and more. She hopes to increase the amount of community gathering spaces, and to create a defined downtown feel for the township.
• Michael M. White, Democrat
White has experience as chair of the Eastern Washtenaw Democratic Party, as president of the Ford Lake Village Property Owners Association, and as president of Educate Youth. If elected, White aims to ensure that the government practices transparency and accountability. He also aims to work with organizations, unions, and other entities in the community, in addition to prioritize initiatives that focus on economic growth, healthcare access, affordable housing, job creation, and education opportunities.
• Eric Copeland, Democrat
Copeland has experience as a Fire Chief, now retired. Under this position, which was for 14 years, Copeland worked with the Board of Trustees in establishing budgets, policy, and more. If elected, he aims to focus on life safety, focuses on the protection of residents, property, and risk and hazard reduction. His overall goal is tax base maintenance.
• Karen Lovejoy Roe, Democrat
Roe has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Sociology and a Master's Degree in Social Science from Eastern Michigan University, graduating from Willow Run High School. She has served 12 years as clerk for Ypsilanti Township, eight years as supervisor, and eight years as trustee. She also has experience as serving as Washtenaw County Commissioner, as board member on the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority Board, and as a member on the Urban County Executive Committee. If elected, Roe aims to work toward hiring an Economic Development Director to increase businesses, restaurants, and housing in the township. She hopes to address the current amount of tax base, aiming to increase it.
• Abdel El-Assadi, Democrat
El-Assadi has over 40 years of experience in managing businesses. If elected, he hopes to expand youth recreation and programming, to manage the township's resources closely, to expand bike paths, and to also strive toward economic development. His campaign also aims to improve housing affordability in Ypsilanti Township through the use of grants available to residents.
• Bryan Riley, Democrat
Riley, if elected, would like to address infrastructure, improve services in Ypsilanti Township, such as recycling and waste management, and to improve accessibility of affordable housing.
Office: Ypsilanti Township Park Commission Member, four-year term, vote for no more than seven
Candidates
• Edward Burnett, Democrat, incumbent
• Ashley Agdorny Sanders, Democrat
• Cassidy Creech, Democrat
• Star Smith, Democrat, incumbent
• Drew Crosby, Democrat
Crosby has a BBA in Finance, in addition to a background in advertising and marketing. He is the current Director of the Ypsilanti Athletic Club and has experience as a small business owner. If elected, he hopes to improve the partnership with the Ypsilanti Community Schools district, aiming to increase revenue for schools, to improve programming, and more. He also hopes for an increase in programming attendance.
• Suzanne LaFrance, Democrat
• Joseph O'Brian Jackson (write-in), Democrat
• Darrell T. Kirby (write-in), Democrat, incumbent
A list of the candidates running for Washtenaw County and state positions, in addition to a list of Washtenaw County proposals, can be accessed through the Washtenaw County website.
