Election Results: Allen wins at-large Three Rivers commission race, Shaffer returning to county commission with win
Lucas Allen will be the next at-large Three Rivers city commissioner after receiving 73 percent of the ballots cast, collecting 1,128 votes against the 401 write-in votes tallied against him, defeating write-in candidate Danielle Moreland in Tuesday’s general election.
Lucas Allen will be the next at-large Three Rivers city commissioner after receiving 73 percent of the ballots cast, collecting 1,128 votes against the 401 write-in votes tallied against him, defeating write-in candidate Danielle Moreland in Tuesday’s general election.
Allen previously ran as a write-in candidate against fellow write-in and now At-Large City Commissioner Torrey Brown in 2021. Allen will now serve alongside Brown after being the lone candidate to appear on the ballot for the other at-large seat, vacated by longtime Commissioner Daryl Griffith, who endorsed Allen’s opponent in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
Moreland, who was forced to run as a write-in after the signatures she previously collected to get on the ballot were invalidated due to the wrong election date being written on her petition, a date in which city staff, at the time, reportedly couldn’t come to a consensus on when Moreland asked.
In the race for the newly formed district 2 county commission seat, Republican Rick Shaffer defeated Democrat Erin Schultes, with the newcomer performing admirably against Shaffer, who has served the county in various positions over the course of 40-plus years. Shaffer collected 1,873 votes to Schultes’ 1,143, and will return to the county commission where he’s previously served.
For all local results, scan through the document below. It should be noted that in any statewide race or race that covers more than one county, these results only reflect ballots cast in St. Joseph County.
Alek Haak-Frost is executive editor and publisher of Watershed Voice.
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Everything you need to know before Tuesday’s primary election
For those planning to vote early this weekend or head to the polls Tuesday, Watershed Voice has assembled this final election guide. Below you’ll find links to every candidate questionnaire we published, summaries of the local races we covered, an overview of the major statewide contests, information on local ballot proposals, and everything you need to know before casting your ballot.
Staff writer reporting live from Philadelphia
Watershed Voice staff writer Maxwell Knauer writes how journalism brought him to Southwest Michigan, love now has him living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his commitment to both will mean working remotely for Watershed Voice going forward.
“The reality is that much of modern reporting already happens from wherever your laptop is. Interviews happen over the phone or Zoom, government meetings are — sometimes — streamed online, and public records are requested electronically.
“When a story requires someone on the ground, Watershed Voice will still be there. We’re still based in Three Rivers. Founder and editor-in-chief, Alek Haak-Frost, and our office manager, Steph Hightree, remain there, and our board members are spread throughout southwest Michigan. We’ll continue showing up where it matters and telling the stories when they happen.”
