Thomas J. Sowle Jr. will keep his seat as mayor of Grand Ledge.
With 716 votes and 52% of the votes, Sowle beat his challengers, Michael Coll and Councilman Michael Dean Doty, who combined had 668 votes.
“It’s very heartening that the city is going to allow me to serve them as mayor for the next two years,” Sowle said. “It’s certainly is gratifying to receive over half of the votes cast and I’m so pleased to be able to serve the city again.”
Michael Debnar, 72, cast his vote for Sowle.
“(The) mayor’s done a good job so I voted for him again,” said Debnar, who just had just cast his vote Tuesday morning for Sowle. “I vote every time so… it’s why we’re Americans.”
Meanwhile, Kirby James Scott, 67, wanted a new mayor.
“(I want) to get a new one (mayor). I like Coll, I like that Michael Coll,” said Scott. “I met him and he seemed to be a straight-up kind of guy, so I got some views from him and I liked what he had to say.”
Sowle became the mayor of Grand Ledge, after the previous mayor, Kalmin Smith, stepped down as mayor on June 11, 2018. Smith served as the mayor of Grand Ledge for over 20 years.
Grand Ledge voters also voted for three vacant seats on the city council.
In Ward 1, incumbent Keith Mulder ran unopposed. In Ward 2, Lynne MacDowell beat Betty Miclay with 69% of the vote. MacDowell will replace Doty, who ran for mayor. In Ward 3, incumbent Don Willems ran unopposed.