Brabec Files for County Board Election

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On Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011, Democrat Felicia Brabec filed as a candidate for the Washtenaw County board of commissioners in a special Feb. 28, 2012 primary election for District 7. Today was the filing deadline for that election, which will be held in conjunction with the presidential primary in Michigan.

Brabec was the only Democrat to file. For the other side of the primary election ballot, Republican Richard Conn is the only candiate. He filed an affidavit to be placed on the ballot earlier this year. Candidate contact information is located on the Washtenaw County elections division website.

Brabec currently holds the District 7 seat, one of 11 on the county board. She was appointed by the board at its Oct. 19, 2011 meeting. The position was vacated after former commissioner Kristin Judge resigned earlier that month. Brabec had been encouraged by Judge to apply for the vacancy, and was one of two people interviewed for the position. [See Chronicle coverage: "County Board Meets District 7 Candidates"]

The special primary election in February will be followed by a special general election in May. The winner of that election will represent District 7 for a truncated term through 2012. District 7 represents Pittsfield Township.

According to a press release issued Tuesday afternoon by Brabec, she also intends to run for a regular term in office later in 2012. [.pdf of press release]

Redistricting of the county board, which takes effect in 2013, will reduce the number of districts in the county from 11 to 9. Candidates for the new districts will compete in an Aug. 7 primary and November general election. The district currently represented by Brabec will become the new District 4. [map of new county board districts]

Candidates are already lining up for the August 2012 primary, even though there are several months remaining until the May 15, 2012 filing deadline for that race. Democrats indicating their intent to run for the county board include former county commissioner Christina Montague, who filed an affidavit in October for the new District 7, and Andy LaBarre, a Democrat and former aide to Congressman John Dingell who also plans to run in District 7. Current county commissioner Yousef Rabhi (District 11) has indicated plans to run for re-election in the new District 8.