Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Following last week's endorsement by Genoa Township Supervisor Kevin Spicher of Rick Soucy for township clerk, a trustee is making public his endorsement for fellow Trustee Candie Hovarter in next month's primary elections.

Trustee Bill Reiber penned the following letter over the holiday weekend:

"My fellow residents of Genoa Charter Township,

"Candie Hovarter and I were elected to the Genoa Twp. Board of Trustees in November of 2023. While it hasn’t always been rainbows and unicorns these past two years, I can tell you Candie has been a consistent, dedicated and faithful champion of the people of Genoa Charter township. She has a heart for service, she researches and questions issues before the board, and she brings common sense to each meeting.

"Her dedication to reducing wasteful spending is evidence of her keeping her campaign promise to be fiscally conservative. Despite her frustration at being out-voted again and again, she has never stopped getting up and staying in the fight.

"Candie is a hardworking, down-home gal that people just gravitate to. She manages a family, a home, a check book and multiple jobs. Her clients are senior citizens, patrons and, most of all, the residents of Genoa Township.

"Will she enter office needing to learn the ropes? Yes, just like every clerk who gets elected or appointed needs to learn. We have some excellent township clerks in our county, and to the best of my knowledge, every one of them started day one without experience. They dig in and learn, just like Candie will.

"I fully support her effort and campaign to be elected as the next clerk for Genoa Township, and she has my complete endorsement and gratitude because this world – and specifically, Genoa Township – needs more Candie Hovarters.

Thank you,

Bill Reiber
Genoa Charter Township Trustee"

Soucy was appointed clerk last November after former Clerk Janene Deaton resigned, and is seeking election to a full term. He faces Trustee Hovarter and resident Debbie McCormick in the August primary.

The winner of the Republican primary is expected to face Democrat Matthew McClanahan, who is running unopposed for his party’s nomination, in the November general election.

A previous report of Supervisor Spicher's endorsement of Soucy is linked below.