BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- It's Primary Election Day in Michigan. Voters will narrow the field of five candidates running for the two Commissioner At-Large seats down to four. Those candidates will face off in the general election in November.
Those running for the At-Large seats include Mayor Pro-Tem of Benton Harbor, Pastor Duane Seats. If re-elected, this would be Seats' fifth term as City Commissioner. During Seats' time, he's helped negotiate over $500 million in development for Benton Harbor.
Seats will also be facing off against two former Commissioners, Mary Alice Adams and Jerry Edwards.
When Adams served as Commissioner in the past, she said she helped bring millions of dollars into the city to help replace all the city's lead water service lines.
For Jerry Edwards, he says he has been working for years on projects to improve Hall Park and Ox Creek.
Both Edwards and Adams served as Commissioners until they lost their seats in 2023.
There are also two newcomers trying to advance to the November election. They include Deidre Fields and Shaquille Turner.
Fields has never been elected in office before but has been appointed to multiple positions for the city, including the Downtown Development Authority and the Public Safety & Public Works Committee.
This would also be Shaquille Turner's first time in office. He currently is a truck driver, division manager, and a CDL instructor.
Turner says true leadership is needed to move the city forward.