Through the primary election on August 6, we will highlight races for which the primary is the key race due to the voter base. The candidate’s website, professional information, and a sample of known endorsements are listed when available.
District Overview
The 61st House District is located in Macomb County, including Shelby Township.
Commentary
Representative Mentzer is running for a second term in this Democratic-leaning seat. She’ll sail through the primary without any opponents but will need to campaign to hold the seat during the general election cycle. Three candidates are running in the primary, none of which have held elected office before. However, Russ Cleary has experience working on campaigns and working for state legislators.
Democratic Candidate:
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- Representative Denise Mentzer – State representative, former Mount Clemens City Commissioner.
Republican Candidates:
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- Russ Cleary – Campaign manager, former legislative staffer.
- John Grossenbacher – Former IT consultant.
- Robert Wojtowicz
