ESCANABA — While Delta County residents are gearing up for a special recall election on May 7 for the county board, the August primary is shaping up to be a heated contest that could throw the results of the May election on its head.

DISTRICT 3

Not all of the recall candidates appearing May 7 filed to run in August. Myra Croasdell, who is running without a party affiliation against District 3 Commissioner Bob Barron in the recall election, will not appear on the August primary ballot nor the November general election ballot. That means that, if elected, Croasdell will only serve on the commission through the end of the year.

Croasdell’s absence from the ballot does not guarantee Barron’s victory, however. In August he will face off against Christine Williams, of Bark River, in the Republican primary. Williams previously ran against Barron as a Republican in the primary in 2022, but failed to secure the spot on the November 2022 ballot, losing in the primary with 574 votes (47%) to Barron’s 660 (53%).

The winner of this year’s August primary for District 3 will be unopposed in the November general election and is guaranteed to secure the seat on the county board.

DISTRICT 4

District 4 Commissioner Dave Moyle (R) is also the subject of a recall effort. His recall challenger, Kelli Van Ginhoven (D) filed by the April 23 deadline to appear on the August primary ballot.

However, Van Ginhoven — who first ran against Moyle in 2020 as an independent but failed to secure the District 4 seat — is not guaranteed to have a third battle with Moyle for the position, regardless of her performance in May, because Escanaba resident Jason Sacco also filed as a Democrat for the seat.

Adding a third challenger to the mix could lead to a number of different outcomes, all of which are largely dependent on the May 7 election. If Van Ginhoven wins in May, she will have only a few short months of performance to rely on when convincing voters she is the best Democrat for the position in August. If she loses in May, she’ll have to convince voters to give her a third shot at defeating Moyle and not pass the task of unseating the commissioner to Sacco.

Moyle’s strategy could also vary based on the May 7 contest. A victory in May and a third battle with Van Ginhoven in November would likely look very different from a win in May and a new challenger in November. Likewise, if Moyle loses in May, his strategy to convince voters to take him back may hinge on who he is pitted against following the primaries.

DISTRICT 5

District 5, currently represented by Commissioner Bob Petersen, is the most straightforward of the seats up for recall. On May 7, Petersen will face challenger Matt Jensen, who is running as an independent in the recall election.

Jensen filed to run as a Republican in August, meaning regardless of who wins in May, the two candidates will have one more rematch. The winner of that rematch will move on to the November general election, where they will be unopposed and  guaranteed to secure the District 5 seat for the coming term.

NO RECALL DISTRICTS – 1 AND 2

Just because districts 1 and 2 will not be on the ballot in May doesn’t mean the seats won’t be hotly contested in August. Both District 1 Commissioner John Malnar (R) and District 2 Commissioner Steve Viau (R) will face challengers looking to knock them off the general election ballot.

Malnar is being challenged by Republican Sandra Skiba. Viau is being challenged by Republican Patrick Johnson, who previously served as the chair of the county board. Johnson left the board in 2022 of his own accord by not seeking reelection.

COUNTY CLERK

County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki — formerly, Nancy Kolich — will also face a challenger in August. The Republican who has served as the county’s clerk for decades is being challenged by Republican Elizabeth Moberg, of Rock. The winner of the August primary will move on to the November election unopposed and is guaranteed the position.