Local residents who have been paying attention are aware that the race for Michigan’s 109th State Representative District has gotten a lot more interesting in recent days.

The incumbent is Jenn Hill, a Democrat who took the place of Sara Cambensy, who was term limited out of office after 2022.

The 109th covers part of Dickinson County, as well as all of Alger, Baraga, and Marquette counties.

In all honesty, a fair number of local observers believed that the next couple of election cycles in the 109th would be proverbial yawners with Hill making short work of whoever the GOP could find to run against her.

Well, very clearly, that’s not going to be the case as Hill is being challenged in the Democratic primary process by at least two other candidates, both of whom have local name recognition.

In no particular order, they are Margaret Brumm, a community organizer and Randy Girard, the retired manager of Marquette Township.

Things are even more interesting on the Republican side with former Channel 6 weatherman Karl Bohnak declaring his candidacy in recent days.

Bohnak, who penned a weekly column for this newspaper as well as the Eacanaba, Iron Mountain and Houghton dailies, joins Melody Wagner and Burt Mason in seeking the Republican nomination.

Wagner is a familiar candidate, running a strong campaign during the 109th’s last election cycle while Mason is a veteran of Baraga County politics.

And, of course, there is a great deal of time for more candidates to throw their hats into the ring. The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6.

From where we sit, all of the above is good, good for the political process and most especially, good for voters in the 109th District.

— The Mining Journal, Marquette