Macomb contenders battle for executive pared down County board

Mount Clemens — A fourth contender has joined the race for the county’s first full-time executive. As of today’s filing deadline for the Aug. 3 primary election, the field of prospects for Macomb County executive includes: Sheriff Mark Hackel, local entrepreneur Simon Haddad, county Public Works Commissioner Anthony Marrocco and Randell Shafer. Hackel and Marrocco are Democrats; Haddad and Shafer are Republicans.

Shafer, of St. Clair Shores, unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Sander Levin in 2004. He could not be reached for comment today.

The county executive will be elected in November and take office on Jan. 1, 2011.

A number of incumbents will also be seeking reelection to the county Board of Commissioners in the primary for next year — and some will be facing off against each other because the commission will be pared down from 26 seats to 13.

For example, County Commissioner Andrey Duzyj, D-Warren, is vying against Toni Moceri, D-Warren, for the board’s seat to represent District 1.

Susan Doherty, D-Warren, and Marv Sauger, D-Center Line, are both campaigning for the seat for District 2.

The races for commission seats also include some notable changes, including Road Commissioner Fran Gillette; Jan Haggerty; state Rep. Fred Miller, D-Mount Clemens; and James Perna.

Gillette, who has served on the board of the county road commission since 2000 and is a former county commissioner, is running as a Republican for the District 6 seat.

Haggerty, a Democrat, Roseville city councilwoman and wife of the late Roseville political titan Leonard Haggerty, has thrown her hat in the ring for the 11th District.

Miller is running for the county commission seat for District 9, which includes his hometown as well as Harrison Township and a portion of Clinton Township.

Perna, a former county commissioner and president of the county Parks and Recreation Commission, is running as a Republican in District 12, which covers Clinton Township.

A few of the county commissioners are also seeking seats in the state Legislature, including Frank Accavitti, Paul Gieleghem, Ken Lampar and Carey Torrice.

Also running for offices in the state Legislature are former state Rep. Steven Bieda, former county commissioner and state Rep. Leon Drolet, Harrison Township Supervisor Anthony Forlini, and former county prosecutor Carl Marlinga.

[email protected] (586) 468-2905 From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100511/METRO/5110425/1361/Macomb-contenders-battle-for-executive–pared-down-county-board#ixzz0nfsvbTfu