In a recent surge to the local political arena, Republican candidate Dan Kress claimed victory in the Clinton Township trustee election, snatching up a vacant seat on the Board of Trustees. Despite being embroiled in controversy and negative media coverage, Kress garnered 52% of the vote to beat his Democrat rival Iona Means, who came in with 43%, as well as Libertarian Mike Saliba, who secured a mere 5%, as reported by The Detroit News.
The election, which saw Kress, a 56-year-old licensed residential builder to rise against opposition, was not left untouched by scrutiny over allegations of building code violations which Kress has vehemently dismissed as "political stunts." Despite attempts to arguably tarnish his public image, Kress pushed forward with his campaign promises to address water quality in the Clinton River and curb wasteful spending, according to details from Macomb Daily.
On the other side of the ballot, Means, a retired Macomb County Department of Roads employee with deep family ties to the area’s political past, including her father James Means, the township's first Black trustee, had focused on maintaining her family's legacy. "I had never heard of Dan Kress," Means relayed in a conversation with a reporter, as told to Macomb Daily. Her campaign highlighted the importance of such familial political connections.
While Kress has yet to confirm whether he will seek a full term in the November 5 general election, he will certainly fill the seat until November 19, stepping in for the resigned former Trustee Jenifer "Joie" West. Kress aims to immediately focus on sustaining existing township services without a bump to property taxes, as he stated in the heat of his campaign. The school millages also saw action, with increases passing to aid local public education—a testament to the community's drive to notably invest in its future, as residents cast their votes to support school programs and facilities, ClickOnDetroit reports.
