Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Tomorrow marks Election Day for voters in the Howell and Brighton areas.

Voters in the City of Howell will cast ballots for both mayor and council candidates, while voters in the City of Brighton will also elect council members. Both races are considered to be non-partisan.

In the Howell Mayoral race, incumbent Bob Ellis is being challenged by former mayor Nick Proctor.

Ellis has served as mayor for the last two years. Prior to that, he served on the Downtown Development Authority for four years and City Council for six. Ellis said he’s proud of the many accomplishments made and if re-elected, he’ll continue progress and keep Howell on track

Proctor is looking to return to the position. He decided not to run for re-election in 2021 after almost seven years as mayor, and also served on Council prior to being elected mayor. Proctor said he remains active in the community and wants to ensure stronger connectivity and engagement with residents, the business community, and developers. He also placed a strong emphasis on the importance of office being non-partisan.

In the Howell City Council race, four candidates are running for three open seats that carry four-year terms. Incumbents Erin Britten, Alex Clos, and Nikolas Hertrich are being challenged by Adam Smiddy.

In the Brighton City Council race, six candidates are running for four open seats that also carry four-year terms. Incumbents Jim Bohn, Susan Gardner, and Paul Gipson are being challenged by Susan Bakhaus, Dennis Nauss, and Ken Schmenk. The mayoral position in Brighton is appointed by Council.

The League of Women Voters of Livingston County held a candidate forum series to inform Brighton and Howell voters of the candidates in their local elections.

The League is a non-partisan, civic, and political organization that encourages informed and active participation of all citizens in government. It does not support candidates or parties but does take stands on issues it studies. One of its important stated goals is to help voters make informed choices at the polls.

A link to those forums is provided, along with more information for voters.