By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

With 48 percent of the vote last Tuesday, Jose Aliaga picked up the victory in the state primary election in his run to become Independence Township supervisor.
Aliaga, who won the Republican nomination over current trustee Paul Brown (28 percent), current supervisor Gerald Fisher (17 percent), and former trustee Mark Petterson (eight percent), will now be the party’s representative in November’s general election. No Democrats ran in the primary, but a contest could be created on the November ballot if a democrat files to run as a write-in.
In the township, 10,019 of the 29,676 registered voters turned out to vote while in the City of the Village of Clarkston, 284 votes were cast out of the 804 registered voters.
“Winning the primary has made me feel like history was made here in Independence Township,” said Aliaga. “It wasn’t just a personal accomplishment but a cultural accomplishment. I am very proud of my team that has been behind me this whole time. It truly shows how much this community wants change.”
Aliaga said it was far from just him that won the primary.
“First off, I would like to thank the people who saw me knocking doors in the heat, offering me a bottle of water and saying, ‘Don’t give up Jose. You got this,’” Aliaga said. “Also, I want to thank those that gave me encouragement by them or their pets wearing ‘Vote for Jose’ shirts. Showing kindness, sharing their love, and displaying their Christian faith has inspired me to fight for this community. Then there is my girlfriend Lindsey because without her, I wouldn’t be able to put all my time, effort, and focus that was needed to run a good campaign and show my community my dedication. My father also helped me by adding some zest to the mix. People of all ages look forward to his dance moves in Depot Park. He worked just as hard as I did.
“Also, there are too many people to name, way more than I could have ever believed. In addition, all those individual texts and calls from people I didn’t know yet believed in me. All these people together helped drive me further to win this campaign. I want to restore the trust between the government and our people.”
In victory, Aliaga said he was impressed with the three others that also ran for supervisor.
“I would first like to congratulate all four of us for running tough campaigns that required a lot of time, money, and energy,” said Aliaga. “It still shows that Mr. Paul Brown, Mr. Gerald Fisher, and Mr. Mark Petterson have a dedication to this community and care for it deeply. I will do whatever I can to deliver on all my promises. People have been asking for changes to be made and I will do so by addressing the things I have been promoting. I want to carry these messages to our township board and deliver positive results. I want to change the perception that the township is not working on behalf of the residents.”
As he gears up for November, Aliaga said his No. 1 goal is to continue to work for the people.
“My first order of business is going to be sitting down, talking to those within different departments, analyze the current issues, and work on them one by one,” Aliaga said. “I want to continue to meet with residents, civic groups and nonprofits to address their concerns. I will still be trustee and continue to obtain current information going on in the township while prepare to take office. Despite any disagreements or outlooks on issues and projects going on in the township,
“I will continue to work as a team with those who I also competed with to be supervisor. I will listen to the people who contact me directly or as they come to board meetings, and I will do what the people of Independence Township feel needs to be addressed.
“My motivation is to provide the change this township needs to move forward as our community, not anyone else’s. The opinion of the people within this township are the ones that matter.”

PHOTO: Jose Aliaga (front, white T-shirt) celebrates with his supporters at Buck Shots Bar and Grill after winning the state primary election last Tuesday night in his race for Independence Township supervisor. Photo: Provided by Jose Aliaga