Emmet County Commissioner Betsy White lost by one vote in the Republican primary. GOP nominee Izzy Lyman got 223 votes to White's 222.
After she lost the primary, White says her first reaction was to just let it rest, but then she thought, 'my work is not done.' She's been a commissioner since 2016.
"This isn’t a hobby for me; it’s not a political stair step for me," says White. "I owe Emmet County a debt of gratitude for 40 years of a wonderful life."
White filed paperwork last week to be a write-in candidate for her district. District 7 represents 4,712 people and covers the City of Petoskey.
"I wanted to give all District 7 residents a chance to vote for their vision," says White.
White says she lost votes from some supporters in the primary. That’s because voters could only vote for Democratic or Republican candidates, and she appeals to people in both parties, she says. She says she is aware that some of her supporters voted Democratic so they could write-in U.S. 1st congressional candidate Matt Morgan’s name and ensure that his campaign was successful. (It was; Morgan will be on the November ballot.)
White says she expects to get more votes in November - when voters can select Democratic and Republican candidates on the same ballot. The Republican commissioner will now run as an Independent in the midterm election.
GOP nominee Izzy Lyman did not want to comment on the write-in campaign. There is no Democratic candidate in the race.
