The results are in: Matthew Gibb will be the next Orion Township Supervisor.
Gibb received 9,986 votes while his Democratic opponent David Hodges got 6,992 votes.
‘I’m excited to be in this position,? Gibb said. ‘I’m already meeting with [current township supervisor] Jerry Dywasuk on moving forward.?
He said given the current economic climate, immediate action is needed to make sure Orion doesn’t suffer too badly.
An attorney by trade, Gibb is in the process of shutting down his practice–at least for the next four years.
The rest of the township’s elections were decided in the August primaries.
The next Board of Trustees will be Mark Crane, Neal Porter, John Steimel and JoAnn Van Tassel. Alice Young will stay on as treasurer. Penny Shults will be the new clerk. All are Republicans and ran unopposed on Election Day.
The new board will be inaugurated into office at the Orion Township Hall at noon on Nov. 20.
While it was a big day for Democrats, Orion went mainly Republican in races on the county, state and federal levels, too.
For President, Sen. John McCain received 53 percent vote, while President-elect Barack Obama got 45 percent, only a slight difference from how Orion voted in the 2004 presidential election.
Voter turnout, at 77 percent, was down slightly from 2004, when it was at 79 percent.
Those who headed to the polls said voting was more important than ever with the economy and the war in Iraq.
‘Every election’s important,? said Steve Vernon, a steelmetal worker for 30 years. ‘Thing’s have been going downhill for a while. Now it’s time to address the situation.?
Karen Moran said having a potentially young, black president was reason enough to get her to come out.
‘This election is historical,? she said.
This was the first time voting for Elena Ladney, who is originally from Russia. She said she would have liked to see better presidential candidates.
‘It’s important that we find good candidates for the next election. That way, life will be better for everyone, especially women,? she said.
Rex Furney was worried about the way money was being spent in Washington.
‘A lot of changes need to be made,? he said. ‘We’ve got this war in Iraq and the economy. Money should be spent where it is needed.?