One state House district in Kalamazoo County does not have an incumbent running for re-election this year. But there are five primary candidates, three Republicans and two Democrats, on the ballot in the 66th district Tuesday. The district includes all of Van Buren County and the city of Parchment along with Alamo and Cooper Townships in Kalamazoo County.
State Representative Aric Nesbitt is in his third term representing the 66th district. The Lawton Republican cannot run again for state House because of term limits. Three Republicans are running to replace him in Tuesday’s primary. Matt Nilson is a Hartford native, who served 20 years in the army and retired as a special forces lieutenant colonel. Nilson says if elected to the state House, he would work to have the state exercise more oversight over charter schools and focus on infrastructure.
“I think we need a department of infrastructure for the state, we don’t have one. We have a lot of different organizations - energy, utilities, communication, roads. We don’t bring them under one headquarters or one organization to kind of manage them. We’ve got to find that balance between centralized government and de-centralized government. I think one of the things we need is a little bit more centralization in our infrastructure repair to save money and to improve some of our efficiencies”
Nilson he would find more money for roads by taking some of the funding from the Pure Michigan tourism campaign.
But one of Nislon’s Republican opponents says the state doesn’t need any more money for roads. Greg Kolich, a machinist, who served 20 years in the National Guard, says the voters gave their answer “loud and clear” when they rejected a ballot proposal last year that would have helped pay for infrastructure improvements.
“The question before the taxpayers included a whole lot more than money for roads, which I think was inappropriate. It was a yes or no on a lot of things, and the roads were part of it. Even if the road money was broken out as a separate item, my own vote would still be “no” because the state already collects money every single day for roads. They don’t need more.”
Kolich describes the main priorities of his campaign as “100-percent pro-gun, pro-life and pro-family.”
The only Republican candidate running in the 66th state House district who holds elected office is Beth Griffin. The Van Buren County commissioner says she brings a passion for public service to the race. She says roads are a big issue in the district. Griffin says she views the funding package approved late last year as “a first step.” She says the longer it takes to fix roads, the worse they get.
“It costs more now to fix a road than it would have had we invested the money earlier so in my view we absolutely have to invest as much money as we can for as long as we can or we’re going to continue to kick that can down the road. And as far as my district is concerned we’ve already got gravel roads.”
Griffin says road funding is an issue that affects businesses, farmers, and the tourism industry.
There are also two Democrats on the primary ballot in the 66th district Tuesday. Annie Brown is making her second run for state House. She lost in the general election to Nesbitt two years ago. Brown says voters in Van Buren and Kalamazoo County want the roads fixed now.
“And they want a comprehensive plan not these band-aid approaches for fixing pot holes. When we have a comprehensive road plan, and I now it means a lot money, and it’s a huge investment, that will help put people back to work."
Brown is a member of the South Haven school board and says education, and boosting money for schools, would be her top issue if she’s elected to the state House.
All of the candidates were invited for interviews on WMUK’s WestSouthwest, The other Democrat on the ballot in the 66th state House district, Dylan Kerley, did not respond to our invitation for an interview.
