ALPENA — Many township seats are contested in the August primary around Presque Isle, Montmorency, and Alcona counties.

The election happens Aug. 6, but absentee voting is underway now.

Here’s a look at the area’s competitive races:

PRESQUE ISLE

COUNTY

Republican incumbent Presque Isle Township Clerk Cynthia Paavola is being challenged by Republican Kate Szydlowski for the position.

No Democrat filed for the seat, so the winner of the August primary will likely run unopposed in November and begin serving the four-year term on Jan. 1.

“I feel the township needs a new, fresh perspective, and, after working with the City of Alpena since 2017, I know elections pretty well,” Szydlowski said. “I grew up in the Presque Isle area and my family and I love it here.”

Paavola could not be reached for comment.

MONTMORENCY COUNTY

Two trustee positions are open on the Albert Township Board of Trustees and three Republicans — Mark Bowser, incumbent Marsha McDonald, and Brandi Nihranz — are running.

No Democrat filed for the open seats, so the winners in August will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year terms that begin Jan. 1.

“I was appointed as a trustee and I feel like I’ve been making a difference in our community,” McDonald said. “We put up a new pavilion and got playground equipment in a park. I want to keep moving us forward to the 21st century.”

Neither Bowser nor Nihranz could be reached for comment.

In Briley Township, five candidates — Cynthia Damoth, Marc Edwards, Dan Kent, Phil LaMore, and incumbent Evelyn White — are running for two open trustee positions on the township Board of Trustees. LaMore is currently the township clerk, according to the township’s website, but is seeking a trustee position.

No Democrat filed for the open seats, so August’s winners will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year terms that begin Aug. 1.

“I heard that one of the current trustees at Briley Township was not going to run again, so, knowing that, I thought I’d love to represent the township that I live in and help them grow,” Damoth said.

“I’ve been on the Planning Commission and I’m back in Briley Township,” Kent said. “I grew up two miles west of town, and I’d like to see the community get back into a better situation than what it is now.”

“I’ve already been with the township now for four years as the clerk,” LaMore said. “I really love our community, and we’ve done quite a lot. We’ll continue to grow, working on the downtown.”

“Past boards were not listening to our community, to our people, and I kept saying somebody needs to hunker down and have a voice, and, finally, I realized I’m somebody,” White said. “So I got in and now I’m running for reelection.”

“I was on the Planning Commission for five years, and I want to give the board proper training that they need,” Edwards said. “Right now, they don’t know how to run it and they don’t care to know how to run a board and they need direction.”

ALCONA COUNTY

Republican incumbent Caledonia Township Supervisor Cyndi Apsey is being challenged by fellow Republican Julie Grubbs.

No Democrat filed for the position, so August’s winner will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year term that begins Jan. 1.

“I’m an incumbent, and there are lots of projects over six years that I would like to finish,” Apsey said. “The community is important to me and serving it is important to me.”

“I love our community,” Grubbs said. “I spent many summers up here as a child. I believe we should help everyone in the community, not just a select few.”

Also in Caledonia Township, four Republicans — incumbents Thomas Tice and Anthony Sobeck and challengers Phyllis VanderVlucht and Frank Grubbs — are running for two open trustee positions on the township board. None could be reached for comment.

Again, no Democrat filed, so August’s winners will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year terms that begin Jan. 1.

Two Republicans are seeking the treasurer position in Curtis Township: incumbent Kathrynn Bonner and challenger Trisha DaFoe. Neither could be reached for comment.

No Democrat filed for the treasurer position, so August’s winner will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year term that begins Jan. 1.

Also in Curtis Township, three Republicans — Jennifer Petty, incumbent Sherry Clouse, and Stacey Panfil — are seeking two open trustee positions on the township board. None of them could be reached for comment. Petty is currently the township clerk, according to the township’s website, but is now seeking a trustee position.

The two winning Republicans will face Democrat Amina Root, who is unopposed in August, for the two trustee positions.

In Greenbush Township, Republican Supervisor C. Lee Majors is being challenged by fellow Republican John Klocek.

“Greenbush is my home, and it’s been my family’s home as far back as the 70s,” Majors said. “I have a desire to help and serve my community. This is where all my loyalties are, and, if I can help the community in any capacity, I will.”

“A couple of years ago, I retired from Ford Motor Co., and I’ve always just seen that there’s a lot of opportunity we have in our area,” Klocek said. “There’s a lot of things that I think we’re capitalizing on, and I also see something that needs assessment.”

No Democrat filed for the supervisor position, so August’s winner will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year term that begins Jan. 1.

The Republican primary for Gustin Township treasurer is a race between Ted Somers and John Parsons.

“I’ve been involved in the Township of Gustin since 2004 as the assessor,” Somers said. “In 2019, I started to prepare the cash flow for the county, and I have been involved in helping with that part of the process since then. I think that I could be an asset to the township position.”

Parsons could not be reached for comment.

No Democrat is running for the position, so August’s winner will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year term that begins Jan. 1.

Two Republicans are seeking the Mikado Township supervisor position: Eric Frei and Craig Ostby.

“I figured it was time,” Frei said. “We need to do something for the area.”

“I was raised here, and now I’m semi-retired,” Ostby said. “I was a zoning administrator and an ordinance officer of Mikado Township. We’ve got a lot of blights in the area and we want to clear that up.”

Three Republicans — incumbents Carrie Mullins and Wayne Nedo and challenger Tom Michaud — are seeking two open trustee positions on the township board.

“Basically, I’m trying to renew my position, and I would like to continue that role,” Mullins said.

“I like politics, and I like to have a vote that counts,” Nedo said. “I like being a trustee.”

“I recently retired, so I figured that I would try to do something in a positive way for Mikado,” Michaud said. “I want to do something more for the citizens.”

No Democrats are seeking any Mikado Township positions, so August’s winners will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year terms that begin Jan. 1.