ZEELAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Conservative values ruled during the Ottawa County Patriots’ candidate forum for Republicans competing in the Aug. 7 primary to get on November’s ballot for Attorney General for the 90th District State Senator, replacing term-limited Arlan Meekof.
State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker and District 93 State Rep. Tom Leonard said they both have concealed carry permits and they agreed. They did have a slight difference of opinion over road building. “It’s incrediblty important that we have high standards,” Schuitmaker said. “So that when you make the investment in our roads, that you do have proper materials that are not going to fall apart.”
Leonard said he’d make other changes, including letting contractors bid out their own engineering, ” so that way, they can actually guarentee these roads and have warranties on them going forward.”
Three of the four Republican candidates vying to replace Meekof showed up for questions: Joe Haveman, Rett DeBoer and Roger Victory. Daniela Garcia told the forum organizers she was unavailable.
Asked how they’d approach environmentalism, Joe Haveman emphasized the importance of balance, usin gtraditional energy sources, with inroads into solar and wind energy as well as consideration of nuclear power.
Victory said while he could agree with developing alternative power sources, conventional energy sources — coal and gas — need to be maintained, because they are reasonably priced energy that could support both Michigan’s robust manufacturing community as well as agriculture.
DeBoer said she agreed with Haveman and Victory’s statements but gave a thumbs-down take on wind power.
