As Nov. 5 quickly approaches, candidates from around the state are making their cases to voters and weighing in on Northern Michigan’s concerns.
Candidates in the 105th State House District shared their thoughts with 9&10 News — incumbent Republican Rep. Ken Borton is being challenged by Democrat James Wojey, a mechanic.
The 105th District includes all of Otsego, Roscommon, Crawford and Missaukee Counties, along with parts of Kalkaska, Antrim and Oscoda Counties. The District includes Grayling, Gaylord, Lake City and McBain.
Borton was first elected in 2020, and last defeated Adam Wojdan 69%-31% in 2022.
Here are the candidates’ responses to 9&10′s questionnaire on the issues most impacting Northern Michigan.
Stay tuned for coverage on other Northern Michigan races and interviews with the candidates.
Absentee ballots are currently available to voters, and in-person early voting will begin by Oct. 26, with some municipalities having expanded availability. For more information on voting options and election administration, visit the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.
1. Please provide a short personal background and your reasons for seeking office.
Wojey: James Wojey 57, married to Michelle with 4 grown children and 4 grand kids. I am a State of Michigan and ASE Master Automotive and Master HD Truck certified mechanic. We have lived in Roscommon MI for the last 25 years. Mechanics fix things and the State needs things fixed.
Borton: I have over 40 years of real estate and property management experience. I served on the Otsego County Board of Commissioners for over ten years before seeking state office.
In Lansing, I’m proud to have led the charge to preserve snowmobile trails and end burdensome mandates that threaten folks who have recreational bird feeders with criminal penalties.
I believe in sticking up for our rural communities in Northern Michigan. We have a special and unique way of life that folks downstate aren’t that familiar with. I’m proud to represent that way of life and make our voices heard in Lansing.
2. What issues do you think are on the minds of Northern Michigan residents as they prepare to cast their votes?
Wojey: Issues — housing, Camp Grayling expansion, Line 5, PFAS Contamination, Education, School Shooting, Higgins Lake Sewer system, Consumer Energy and DTE price hikes, just to name a few.
Borton: This issue that hits closest to home for my family and others in our community isn’t hard to find, just walk down a few aisles in the grocery store. Folks in Northern Michigan shouldn’t have to break the bank in order to feed a family of four.
But these inflationary conditions aren’t limited to grocery shopping. Prices have skyrocketed over the last four years, including everything from the cost to heat our homes to just taking our kids out to the movies. These pocket-draining conditions will be front of mind for folks when they cast their ballots this November.
3. Do you think that short-term rentals in Northern Michigan are properly regulated, and do you think the state should be involved in those regulation efforts?
Wojey: I don’t have a answer on short term rentals but long term rentals and having multiple rentals needs to be looked at, along with the cost of rentals.
Borton: I believe in local control. Local governments should have the authority to place reasonable restrictions on short term rentals, but they should not have the ability to ban them outright. There is a place for short term rentals in our housing market. But also must ensure that these properties do not become nuisances for communities. There is a middle ground, we just have to find it.
4. What, if anything, should the Legislature should do in response to the 2018 ballot initiative/recent Supreme Court ruling that will raise Michigan’s minimum wage and eliminate the tipped wage next year?
Wojey: I think people should be able to earn a base hourly wage and not have to rely on tips alone.
Borton: If legislators do nothing, folks are going to lose their jobs and many local restaurants will close their doors forever. We have a responsibility to restore the tip wage credit and protect local restaurants that simply can’t afford what’s coming. In fact, a recent survey found that more than 82% of servers want the current tipping system to stay in place. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or Democrat, everyone has a local restaurant they’ve loved for years. Protecting those establishments and the folks they employ should be something that takes top priority for everyone regardless of party.
5. What is your stance on the operation of Line Five? If the pipeline were to continue to operate, do you support the construction of a protective tunnel?
Wojey: Line 5 has been in operation for over 60 years, things don’t last forever. We need to have a plan to replace Line 5 and get moving with it. We can’t keep gambling with our beautiful Great Lakes.
Borton: I absolutely support the continued operation of Line Five. The system is absolutely crucial to ensure that folks in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula have access to the affordable energy they rely on to heat their homes and businesses. Construction of the proposed protective tunnel would further guarantee the safe transportation of fuel, while also protecting the integrity of our Great Lakes.
6. What is your stance on the set of gun control bills signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2023? If elected, would you support any proposals to impose further gun restrictions or roll back existing restrictions?
Wojey: How many more innocent school children have to die before we come to our senses? Are we waiting for it to be one of our children or grand kids? It’s so easy if it is not our child.
Borton: I think the governor and the Democrat majority took things way too far in terms of gun control. Law abiding citizens should not be at risk to lose their firearms because of a disgruntled neighbor or former partner. We need to shift the focus away from vilifying guns and take a deep dive into the mental health crisis that leads people to commit these heinous acts in the first place.
7. What is your stance on Michigan’s environmental policies, including the requirement that the state be carbon-neutral by 2050?
Wojey: I believe at the rate technology is changing we will be carbon neutral before 2050.
Borton: The green energy mandates the Democrats passed last year are chaotic and impossible to achieve. These policies are going to leave families paying more for less reliable energy. We’ve already seen states that adopted similar measures rollback these laws because residents wouldn’t stand for the devastating consequences. The legislature must act to restore local control and ensure residence and businesses have access to reliable energy sources that will not leave them in the dark during the coldest days of Michigan winters.
8. Are there any other Northern Michigan concerns that you feel lawmakers in Lansing should be more aware of?
Wojey: We are the destination for outdoor recreation. There is a ton of things the state should be doing to promote this! Just to be clear I’m not talking about advertising, I’m talking about infrastructure aimed at the outdoors.
Borton: Lawmakers in Lansing must do more to cut burdensome regulatory requirements preventing affordable housing across the state. We have young kids and families who want to stay in Michigan, but they simply can’t find a place to live. We’re losing our best and brightest to other states because the cost to stay is simply out of reach. If we want to reverse our population decline, we must take a serious look at how we’re treating our next generation.