By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
The Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce will hosts its Wyoming candidate forum Wednesday, June 20, at the WKTV station, 5261 Clyde Park Ave. SW.
The forum will focus on candidates seeking to represent a political party in the state’s primary election set for Aug. 7. It is during a primary election that the field of candidates are narrowed to a single person to represent a political party during the general election. If there is only one candidate representing a political party that person automatically moves on to the general election.
For those living in the City of Wyoming, there will be three races to consider during the primary election, one for Kent County and two for the State of Michigan. Wyoming residents also will be voting on a permanent renewal of the city’s Public Safety Millage at the primary election.
The City of Wyoming is in the 8th District for Kent County, a seat currently held by Harold Voorhees. Voorhees will face off against Benjamin K. Franz for the Republication Party. The winner of the primary election will run unopposed in the general election on Nov. 6. The Kent County 8th District Commissioner forum is set for 6:15 p.m.
In the State Senate, the City of Wyoming is represented by the 28th District, which covers 18 other communities such as Byron Township, the City of Grandville, the City of Walker and the City of Rockford. Republican Peter MacGregor currently holds the seat. MacGregor and Libertarian candidate Nathan Hewer are running unopposed for their parties.
There are three candidates vying for the Democratic Party’s spot for the general election. They are Craig Beach, Gidget Groendyk, and Ryan Jeanette. Beach and Jeanette will be at the 28th District State Senate seat forum which is at 7 p.m.
The last forum of the evening will be for the 77th District of the State House of Representatives. Republican Tommy Brann currently holds the seat. He will face off against Jordan T. Oesch for the Republication Party in the primary election. Dana Knight and Robert Van Kirk will face off for the Democratic Party. Brann and Van Kirk are scheduled to attend the 77th District State Representative seat forum which is at 7:45 p.m.
There will be no primary election for candidates running for the City of Wyoming offices. For the city to host a primary, there must be three or more candidates running for a seat. Currently only the Council Member Ward 1 seat has two people seeking it with the rest of the council positions only having one candidate.
The Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce will host a second forum for the City of Kentwood on Thursday, June 28, at the KDL Kentwood Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. That forum will include candidates for the Kent County 12th District Commission seat, the 26th District State Senate seat, and the 72nd State Representative seat. The Kentwood forum is set to start at 6:15 p.m.
