HillsdaleNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Hillsdale Mayor & City Council Election 2026

5 of 9 council seats are on the ballot, with 9 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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Election Day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Every city voter chooses the mayor; each voter also picks one council member for their own ward.

Election Day · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    • Jocelyn Benson · Democratic Party
    • John James · Republican Party
    • Anthony Hudson · Libertarian Party
    • Donna Brandenburg · U.S. Taxpayers Party
    • Douglas Campbell · Green Party
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate
    • Abdul El-Sayed · Democratic Party
    • Mike Rogers · Republican Party
    • Lydia Christensen · Libertarian Party
    • Tim Long · U.S. Taxpayers Party
    • Douglas P. Marsh · Green Party
    • Walter P. Kristy · Natural Law Party
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • Also statewideSecretary of State · Attorney General · Member of the State Board of Education · Regent of the University of Michigan · Trustee of Michigan State University · Justice of Supreme Court
  • Statewide measures2 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01Paying for street repairs3 sourced facts

Where it standsProperty owners' petitions stopped three proposed special assessment districts in February 2026, and the council then changed its policy so special assessments are not required for every local street project.

What's on the tableHow to pay for future street rebuilding: special assessments, a dedicated fund, millage, grants or other budget choices.

02Broad Street road diet3 sourced facts

Where it standsMDOT has suggested narrowing Broad Street downtown from four lanes to two with bike lanes, and in August 2025 the council approved the city's local share of a related TAP grant project.

What's on the tableWhether the city keeps supporting the downtown lane reduction.

03Electric rates and energy mandates3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted a state-required Energy Waste Reduction plan 5-4 in December 2025 and approved electric rate amendments 7-2 in June 2026.

What's on the tableHow the city-owned Board of Public Utilities sets rates and meets state energy requirements.

04Keefer House Hotel and tax abatements3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Keefer House Hotel has an OPRA tax abatement approved in 2019; the council has extended its completion deadline several times, most recently in June 2026.

What's on the tableHow the city uses tax abatements and other incentives for downtown development.

05Hiring the next city manager2 sourced facts

Where it standsCity Manager David Mackie's contract was amended in January 2026 so he will leave the city manager role at the end of his contract and serve only as BPU Director.

What's on the tableThe council and mayor will choose the next city manager.

4 notes on these statements

Mayor Scott Sessions, who is serving a one-year partial term, is not seeking re-election. Radio Hillsdale · Apr 22, 2026

None of the four council members whose seats are up is running again: Greg Stuchell and Will Morrisey are term-limited, and Gary Wolfram and Joshua Paladino did not seek reelection. Radio Hillsdale · Apr 22, 2026

Joshua Paladino resigned his Ward 4 seat in September 2026, and the council left the mayor pro tem post vacant until after the election. Hillsdale Collegian · Sep 24, 2026

Steve McDowell did not respond to The Hillsdalian's request for an interview for its Ward 4 preview. The Hillsdalian · Oct 12, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Hillsdale keep using special assessment districts, which charge owners along a street, to help pay for rebuilding it?

  2. 2. Should Broad Street downtown be narrowed from four lanes to two with bike lanes?

  3. 3. Should the council have approved the June 2026 BPU electric rate increase?

  4. 4. Should the council have adopted the BPU's state-required Energy Waste Reduction plan as presented in December 2025?

  5. 5. Should the council have extended the Keefer House Hotel's tax abatement deadline in December 2025?

  6. 6. Should Hillsdale offer temporary tax abatements to attract new businesses?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted9 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Jacob Bruns, Robert Socha5 on this ballot

9 council seats. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

  • The Hillsdale City Council has nine members: the Mayor and two elected officials from each of the four city wards. City of Hillsdale
  • The Mayor and Council are elected to four-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. City of Hillsdale
  • The Mayor and one Council Member from each ward are elected in the gubernatorial election cycle, including 2026. City of Hillsdale
  • When more than two candidates file for the same office, the top two in the August primary advance to the November ballot. City of Hillsdale Clerk

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