Macomb Township

Republicans, incumbents largely prevail in township races

By Robert Guttersohn
C & G Staff Writer

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Outside of one Democratic county commissioner, Republicans within the township electorate were victorious in the Nov. 6 election.

Additionally, apart from Township Supervisor Mark Grabow’s failed write-in bid and one board of education member losing his seat, incumbents also were largely successful.
After losing to current Trustee Janet Dunn for the supervisor nomination in the Aug. 7 Republican primary, Grabow announced at an Oct. 10 meeting that he was re-entering but came up incredibly short on Election Day.

According to unofficial results from the county clerk, Dunn received 25,133 votes. Grabow got only 612 write-in votes. Dunn will run her first board of trustees meeting as the supervisor Nov. 28.
Also, despite strong support from his fellow Chippewa Valley Schools Board of Education members, Euel Kinsey lost his re-election bid to Elizabeth Pyden, a 1993 graduate from Chippewa Valley High School.

At the county level, Macomb Township will have a Democrat and Republican representing the township in 2013. In Macomb County District 9, which covers portions of the southern end of Macomb Township, Commissioner Fred Miller, a Democrat, defeated his Republican opponent Juliana Sabatini.
“I give a lot of credit to my opponent,” Miller said. “It was a clean race, and both people stuck to the issues. I sure hope the people appreciated that.”

County Commissioner Joe Sabatini, a Republican, defeated Democrat Jonathan Garstka to hold onto the District 13 seat, which covers a majority of Macomb Township.
Both Miller and Sabatini expressed interest in working and communicating with township officials. The township is new terrain for Miller, whose district shifts north into more conservative Macomb in 2013.

“I have no relationship with any elected officials in Macomb Township, so that is going to be my first challenge,” Miller said. “That’s on me.”
With the district’s shift, he said he was nervous about his chances of winning a re-election. “It’s a lot of new turf for us and frankly more conservative,” Miller said. “But I’m lucky. I had a good team on my side and a lot of other things going on. It made me nervous, but we had a good time.”

Joe Sabatini is looking forward to being able to focus specifically on Macomb Township. District 13 shifts north to cover the majority of Macomb.
“I’ll be able to focus on them primarily,” Sabatini said. “Representing multiple municipalities, no matter who you are, is always a challenge.”

He plans to bring more infrastructural spending from the county to Macomb.
As for communicating with Miller on how they can better benefit Macomb together, Joe Sabatini said his door is always open.

“In today’s day and age, you have to work with everyone,” Joe Sabatini said.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Robert Guttersohn at rguttersohn@candgnews.com or at (586)218-5006.