If Tuesday’s primary election is any indication, the oldest city councilman in the state of Michigan could very well get another term in office.
Sidney Lantz led a field of 12 candidates, including three incumbents, for four council seats with 16.38 percent of the vote. Lantz, a long-time city councilman who often appears disgruntled, has often been a thorn in the sides of fellow council members and has been known to criticize city policies as well.
During his career as a politician, Lantz has backed programs that have benefited veterans, and last year, he was instrumental in getting a marker dedicated for city fire personnel.
The top eight vote getters in Tuesday’s primary will go on to the November general election in which voters will select four for as many open council seats.
Running neck-and-neck in second and third places were Sylvia Jordan, a former council woman who lost her bid for mayor in the last city election, and Jeremy Moss with 15.22 percent of the vote. Jordan’s second place rank could signal that voters remember her and could want her back on the council.
Moss, at age 25 one of the younger candidates in the race, formerly served in various capacities with local elected officials, including current Mayor Brenda Lawrence. He said he has received the endorsements of those officials.
If Moss and Jordan continue their strong showing, that could mean that one of the three incumbents running would be ousted from the council. A fourth council member decided not to run since she is moving out of the area.
Other incumbent council members running for re-election did not fare as well in the primary. Myron Frasier, currently the council president who has squared off with other council members over meeting procedures, placed fourth in the election with 13.07 percent of the votes. Following him in fifth place was the newest member of the council, Linnie M. Taylor with 9.59 percent of the vote.
A list of the unofficial voting results for each candidate with the numerical total vote and percentage of the votes cast follows:
Sid Lantz - 3,522 - 16.38 percent
Sylvia Jordan - 3,279 - 15.25 percent
Jeremy Moss - 3,272 - 15.22 percent
Myron Frasier - 2,810 - 13.07 percent
Linnie M. Taylor - 2,061 - 9.59 percent
Ken Peterson - 1,539 - 7.16 percent
Daniel Brightwell - 1,111 - 5.17 percent
Chris Terry - 1,101 - 5.12 percent
Sunsaria Baldwin 990 - 4.61 percent
Steven Richter - 685 - 3.19 percent
Bernadine Trout - 600 - 2.79 percent
Dwight Smith - 501 - 2.33 percent
The four lowest vote getters — Smith, Trout, Richter and Baldwin — are out of the race and will not move on to the November general election.
