Incumbent state Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, will square off against Democrat and Alcona County resident Trina Borenstein for a two-year term representing the 106th state House District covering all of Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, and Alcona counties and portions of Cheboygan and Oscoda counties.

Election Day is Nov. 5, but absentee balloting is already underway.

State lawmakers’ terms begin in January.

Cavitt said he wants a second term because he still has unfinished business in Lansing, while Borenstein said she decided to run because of her frustration with the housing crisis and her belief she can help find a solution.

Trina Borenstein

Cavitt said that, although he faced challenges serving as a Republican in a Legislature controlled by Democrats for the first time in many years, he said he worked across the aisle to get things done that benefited Northeast Michiganders.

He said he helped reel in $1.9 million to expand the Holcim Alpena port and successfully fought for $2.6 million for a planned Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly facility in Alpena.

He also introduced legislation that would give Michigan residents priority when reserving state campsites and worked with U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, to campaign against a possible federal ban on sturgeon fishing.

Cavitt said he will continue to try to undo new regulations that allow the Michigan Public Service Commission to circumvent local governments to approve clean energy projects.

“I’m proud of my record,” Cavitt said. “I went down there as a freshman lawmaker and, right off the bat, I championed ideas and needs for Northeast Michigan. I think I did pretty well, considering the party is in the minority, and I’m excited for a second term to keep building on what I have done, especially if we win back the House.”

Borenstein, meanwhile, said finding new ways to create housing is her top priority and she would also work to improve student safety from school shootings by helping pass more strict gun control.

She said working with legislators to combat mental health issues is also a high priority because, she said, that is the root of many other issues people face.

She also wants to make high-speed internet available to every resident.

Borenstein said she is confident she can produce positive results in Lansing for the people in Northeast Michigan. She said that, no matter who controls the majority, she would work with anyone to get things done.

“I don’t see working with people from the other political party being a problem at all,” she said. “To me, a solution is a solution, and I can’t think of anybody I wouldn’t be able to sit down with and talk or work with. I think there are a lot of issues that are nonpartisan, and many of those issues are the issues most people care about, like internet coverage and Line 5.”

Enbridge Inc.’s Line 5 oil pipeline runs through the Straits of Mackinac. Enbridge is working to build a new tunnel in the straits to house the pipeline, which it says would make the pipeline safer while protecting the flow of oil and natural gas. Many Michiganders, however, oppose the tunnel and want Enbridge to shut down the pipeline because they worry about devastation to the Great Lakes should the pipeline rupture.

As autoworkers lose their jobs in Michigan in part because of lackluster electric vehicle sales, debate over the viability and cost of EVs has ramped up.

Borenstein said the number of chargers in Northeast Michigan will expand in the future, which would make purchasing an EV more appealing for many people.

“The holdup now is the battery technology, which is changing hand over fist,” she said. “In the last year, there has been so much improvement, and I think, as people can go farther and farther on a charge, people will see that and want to buy them.”

Cavitt said he believes people should be able to purchase whatever type of vehicle they want. He said Michigan is nowhere close to ready to have large swaths of the population driving EVs because there aren’t enough charging stations, especially in rural areas like Northeast Michigan. He said federal mandates put the cart in front of the horse and could have a severe impact on automakers.

“The auto industry is in upheaval because of the federal mandates, and, if this wasn’t government-subsidized, there would be an even more limited market for these vehicles,” Cavitt said. “We aren’t close to having the public charging stations we need, and, right now, the fact is these cars don’t go far in the cold. I’m confident that, one day, we’ll have an alternative to gasoline, but we aren’t close to that, yet.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.