Incumbent Cam Cavitt will face political newcomer Todd Smalenburg for the Republican nomination, while Democrats Trina Borenstein and Mary Hamilton will compete for that party’s nomination. The winning Republican and the winning Democrat will compete in the November general election for a two-year term in the state House.

The 106th state House District covers all of Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, and Alcona counties and portions of Cheboygan and Oscoda counties.

Hamilton did not respond to several calls and messages from The News.

Cavitt said he is proud of what he has achieved so far in his two-year term.

TODD SMALENBURG

He said getting his legislation to the floor for a vote is more challenging because Democrats hold the majority in the state House, but he helped reel in $1.9 million for the expansion of 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 the federal government outlawing sturgeon fishing.

He said he took a stand against new regulations that allow the Michigan Public Service Commission to circumvent local governments to approve clean energy projects and also spoke out and pushed legislation that would ban sanctuary cities in Michigan.

Early in his term, some of his constituents attempted to recall Cavitt over his support of a procedural vote to name Democrat Joe Tate speaker of the state House (the speaker of the House typically comes from the majority party), but backers of the recall failed to collect enough signatures and the effort failed.

“I’m proud of my record,” Cavitt said. “I went down there as a freshman lawmaker, and, right off the bat, I got hit with a recall, but I pushed on and 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.”

TRINA BORENSTEIN

Cavitt’s primary opponent, Smalenburg, who served as a Marine in Operation Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, said he decided to run because he doesn’t like the directions the country and state are moving in.

“I didn’t do 39 years overseas keeping the wolf at bay to come back to this country and turn it over to a bunch of socialist Marxists,” he said. “I want my grandchildren to know the country I grew up in.”

Smalenberg said Cavitt has not taken a strong enough position on gun rights and has missed too many votes.

According to MichiganVotes.org, which tracks activity in the Legislature, Cavitt missed the vote on 22 bills.

“That was a constitutional issue, and, if you can’t show up and vote for that important of an issue, then I’m sorry, you have no basis to run as a constitutionalist,” Smalenberg said. “I look at his record and I just disagree with it.”

Smalenberg said he believes he can work across party lines and for what a majority of the people in the district want. However, he said that, if he believes an issue too far out of bounds, he will fall back on his morals to vote his conscience.

“I’m willing to work with anyone that is willing to abide by the Constitution,” he said. “But what you’re not going to get me to do is get me to vote on something that goes against what my belief is just to get along. I’m not going to do that.”

Smalenberg said the district needs more good-paying jobs and residents’ money doesn’t go as far these days. He said Michigan needs to change its education system and schools need to encourage more kids to go into trade careers because, not too far in the future, there will be a shortage of auto mechanics, electricians, plumbers, and other jobs people rely on heavily.

“Not all kids are made for secondary education,” Smalengerg said. “Not all kids are made for the military. There are many kids who are made for trades, and those are good-paying jobs. We need to help those kids.”

Democrat Trina Borenstein said addressing the housing crisis in the state is among her top priorities. She said many existing buildings are not being used or are underutilized and could be turned into places for people to live.

She said programs like the Alpena County Land Bank have produced some positive results, but state and local officials, developers, and other partners need to work together to rehabilitate structures that have the potential for housing.

“My biggest issue is affordable housing in the entire area,” Borenstein said. “There is a lot of unoccupied housing, but there hasn’t been a coordinated effort to turn any of those empty structures into housing for people who have limited resources. I think land banks are a good start, but I think the need out there is a whole lot bigger than what a land bank can handle.”

Borenstein said she would work with other legislators to force Enbridge Inc. to close Line 5, which runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac, to protect the Great Lakes and the people who depend on them to make a living or for recreation.

Enbridge wants to build a new tunnel beneath the straits to house its oil and natural gas pipeline, but many have called for the closure of the pipeline all together because of concerns over the environmental and economic impact of an oil spill in the straits.

Borenstein said she hopes the pipeline issues can now be resolved after a federal appellate court ruled the case would remain in the state court system.

“I’m pleased it came back to the state and our very capable attorney general can handle it from here,” she said. “I will do what I can to get Line 5 decommissioned. I think the tunnel is a poor idea, and it would take at least a decade before the work would be done and, during that time, that line would remain an immense risk.”

Making internet access more readily available to people who live in rural areas of Northeast Michigan is also high on Borenstein’s priority list, and she would like to see improved cell phone coverage in areas of the 106th.

Borenstein said she would advocate for laws that ensure the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes and employees in public service jobs such as police officers and firefighters earn more.

Borenstein said she believes she can work with Republicans to pass legislation and convince legislators in both parties to allocate money to Northeast Michigan.

“You won’t be able to do anything without collaboration,” she said.

The primary election is Aug. 6. Absentee voting begins Thursday.

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