Downriver Today

Almost 50 percent of registered voters in Taylor participated in Tuesday’s (November 8) General Election. The community’s votes mirrored many of the results from across Michigan. Note that all elections results are tentative until certified.

On the local level, voters passed a marijuana proposal that erases a previous ban on recreational marijuana retail facilities in the City, as long as they meet several guidelines:

PROPOSAL: Should the City of Taylor adopt an ordinance that repeals the ban on recreational marihuana establishments and, instead, adopt an ordinance to allow certain recreational marihuana establishments but limiting them to the City’s industrial districts, with a minimum 2500 feet from each marihuana facility, schools, churches, libraries and residential areas?

Approval by a 56-44 percent margin opens the door for those businesses, pending an ordinance being passed. Since this proposal was an advisory question, the issue now returns to City Council, where members would decide on whether or not to enact a City ordinance. Monitor future council meetings for more information.

Taylor’s election-day voters mirrored the results across the top of the ballot – where Democrats Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel were all reelected to their second, four-year terms. Taylor voters cast nearly 60 percent of their ballots for Gov. Whitmer and running mate Garlin Gilchrist. SOS Benson received nearly 61 percent of the City’s votes, and AG Nessel over 57 percent.

Taylor voters also supported the three statewide ballot issues: Proposal 1 Transparency and Term Limits; Proposal 2 Promote the Vote; and Proposal 3 Reproductive Freedom. All three of those proposals passed by significant margins statewide.

Deeper on the ballot, Taylor voters faced an entirely new set of Congressional, State Senate and House representatives.  

This was the first general election after a lengthy and highly complex redistricting process took place across Michigan. As of 2018, state voters approved use of an independent commission to draw congressional and state legislative districts. By December 2021, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission voted to approve a final version of their plan. 

Created as part of that process were the new 13th U.S. House of Representatives District; 1st and 4th State Senate Districts; 28th and 29th State House of Representatives Districts.

Taylor’s new U.S. Representative is Shri Thanedar, a Democrat who replaces Debbie Dingell (who moved to the new 6th District, where she won reelection). In the City, Thanedar earned nearly 53 percent of the vote. 

In the State Senate races, Democrats Erika Geiss (1st District) and Darrin Camilleri (4th District) were reelected, this time in newly outlined districts. Senator Geiss earned nearly 58 percent of the Taylor vote while Senator Camilleri garnered over 60 percent of the community’s support. Geiss represented Taylor in the past; Camilleri will be new to the community after representing an old district in the southern Downriver area that did not include the City.

In the State House races, the winners of the Taylor vote did not win the overall vote across the multi-community districts. In the 28th District, which represents a small portion of Taylor before running further south, City voters gave Democrat Robert Kull nearly 60 percent of the community’s vote. However, Kull was defeated by an approximate 51-49 margin by Republican Jamie Thompson. Likewise, Democrat incumbent Alex Garza earned over 55 percent of the Taylor votes in the new 29th District (which includes most of Taylor and eastern Romulus before running south into Monroe County). But Garza was defeated by Republican James DeSana by an approximate 51.5-48.5 margin.

Because of the new districting, portions of Taylor will now be represented in the Michigan Senate and House by four different people – Senators Geiss and Camilleri and Representatives Thompson and DeSana – instead of what used to just two.

Also on Tuesday’s ballot, previously appointed 23rd District Court Judge Victoria Shackelford (running unopposed) was returned to the bench with nearly 97 percent of the vote. Judge Shackelford was appointed to her seat to replace the retired Judge Geno Salamone. The judge’s new term runs until January 1, 2025.

In the Taylor School District, three members were reelected to the Board of Education: Ann Block, Kyle Wright and David Meyers.

For all Taylor vote totals, click here.

For districtwide and statewide totals, click here.

Original source can be found here.