×

ELECTION 2022: 3 seek GOP nod in 106th

Geyer Balog

ALPENA — Three Republican candidates vying to represent the 106th state House District will compete in the August primary for the chance to represent the party in the November general election.

The winner of the Aug. 2 primary will face Democratic candidate Marie Fielder in the general election on Nov. 8 for the chance to replace current state Rep. Sue Allor, R-Wolverine, who cannot seek reelection because of term limits.

Fielder is unopposed in the primary.

The new 106th state House District — drawn for the first time by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission — includes all of Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, Alcona and Cheboygan counties, and the northern half of Oscoda County.

The three Republicans — Larry Hull, of Cheboygan County’s Tuscarora Township, Geyer Balog, of Hillman, and Cam Cavitt, of Cheboygan County’s Mullett Township — each have similar stances on state issues and similar goals for their time in Lansing if they defeat Fielder.

Cam Cavitt

Balog is Montmorency County commissioner, Cavitt a realtor and drain commissioner for Cheboygan County, and Hull a retired U.S. Navy veteran who served in Vietnam.

All three Republican candidates said they were motivated to run because of the action Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when she instituted mask mandates and what they call a shutdown that they say hurt commerce. Whitmer and her supporters say her early orders that Michiganders stay home unless absolutely necessary helped prevent the spread of the virus and saved lives.

All three Republicans also believe there was some level of election fraud in Michigan during the 2020 presidential election and want stricter voting laws and election security measures instituted. No evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election has ever been presented.

Balog said the first step in making sure elections are secure is to make sure the state’s voter information is up to date and that people are who they say they are when returning a ballot by mail or in person.

“We have over 30 signed affidavits in Montmorency County alone of people who are on the voter rolls who are not living in the state, who are dead, or have moved,” Balog said. “The voter rolls are a mess and need to be cleaned up, but the can keeps getting kicked down the road and nobody is doing anything. I have a record of rolling up my sleeves and getting things done, and I will do that in Lansing.”

Larry Hull

All three Republicans consider themselves fiscal conservatives who are anti-abortion, but support limited exceptions if the pregnancy could lead to severe health issues or death for the mother, and each say they are ready to act if the state must update its abortion laws if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I am against abortion from the moment of conception, because I’m a born-again Christian, and God has given us this gift of life,” Hull said. “And, as a Christian, I say we need to leave life and death to the will of God. I’m against the death penalty and I’m against abortion, except in the case where the life of the mother is in jeopardy.”

The trio of Republican candidates said keeping Enbridge Inc.’s Line 5 oil and gas pipeline operating safely and moving forward with a proposed tunnel project to house the twin pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac are also parts of their platforms. They believe closing the pipeline and forcing the oil to be transported by truck or ship could increase the likelihood of an oil spill in the Great Lakes, and the cost of energy in Michigan would increase and impact those on fixed incomes, especially seniors.

Cavitt said Enbridge is the largest taxpayer in Cheboygan County and tax money funds schools in Wolverine. He said that, if the pipeline was shut down, the county would lose much-needed revenue and residents would feel the impact.

“A lot of people don’t talk about the impact it would have on our local schools,” Cavitt said. “If Enbridge were to close the pumping station in the township, Wolverine schools would probably have to consolidate or maybe even close. That money also goes to roads, public safety, and other services and, without it, the county and townships could just be devastated.”

As gas prices continue to climb in the state, costing families more to travel to work, doctor appointments, and for family time, Balog, Hull, and Cavitt said Lansing can take action to help ease the financial burden. They all support a temporary holiday on taxes on gas, whether that be doing away with the sales tax on fuel or suspending the gas tax.

There has been debate between the Republican-controlled Legislature and the Whitmer administration on a gas tax break, but nothing has been implemented.

All three men said that, if they win in the primary and general elections, and the matter isn’t settled by the time they take their oath of office, they will work hard to find a solution to help lower fuel costs in Michigan.

All of the candidates say they support school choice for families and that the state funds that are allocated to schools per student should follow students to a private school or homeschool if that is their choice.

They also believe that local schools should have more of a say in what their curriculum contains.

The Hull file

* NAME: Larry Hull

* AGE: 71

* OCCUPATION: Retired

* ELECTED EXPERIENCE: None

* HOME: Indian River

* FAMILY: Married, three children

The Cavitt file

* NAME: Cam Cavitt

* AGE: 53

* OCCUPATION: Realtor

* ELECTED EXPERIENCE: Cheboygan County drain commissioner, 2011 to current

* HOME: Mullett Township

* FAMILY: Three children

The Balog file

* NAME: Geyer Balog

* AGE: 22

* OCCUPATION: Farmer

* ELECTED EXPERIENCE: Montmorency County commissioner elected, 2021 to current

* HOME: Hillman

* FAMILY: Single

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today