Genesee County Republicans show new strength, add two commissioners on Election Day

epublicans delivered a wakeup call to a Genesee County Board of Commissioners that's been historically jam-packed with Democrats in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Democrats currently outnumber Republicans 8-1 on the county board and have commanded similar overwhelming majorities since before the county changed its form of government from a board of supervisors to a board of commissioners in 1970.

But on Tuesday, the GOP not only won three seats for the first time since the switch, they also ran extremely competitive campaigns against incumbent Democrats in four other districts.

"Our Genesee County Republican Party has stepped up (its) game - more coordinated than they've ever been," said Commissioner Shaun Shumaker, R-Fenton Twp. "Instead of just me being a voice ... it's going to be big to have three" elected Republicans.

Shumaker has been the lone Republican on the county board since 2022 when former Commissioner Meredith Davis, R-Flushing Twp., lost the 8th District seat, which covers the Flushing and Swartz Creek areas.

He won't be in that situation for long.

Voters in District 3 - representing the Burton and Davison areas - elected Republican Gary L. Goetzinger rather than Democrat Ellen Ellenburg, the longest-serving member of the commission.

In District 9, Republican Brian K. Flewelling also defeated Democrat Wendy Wolcott, adding another voice from the GOP to the board.

Both Goetzinger and Flewelling credited the county Republican Party, family and friends who supported them, as well as grass-roots campaigning for their victories.

They also benefitted from 56,963 straight-party Republican ballots, nearly 5,300 more than the 2020 presidential election and the highest such total since at least 2008.

Republican Donald Trump's presence at the top of the ticket also helped.

Trump won 105,284 votes in the county in Tuesday's election compared to the 98,714 he tallied four years ago.

Trump lost to Harris by just 9,448 votes in the county, which hasn't favored a Republican since Ronald Reagan's landslide victory over Walter Mondale in 1984.

Goetzinger, a public school administrator, visited polling places all day on Tuesday, personally meeting with as many voters as he could before they cast their ballots.

Often wearing a Make America Great Again cap, Goetzinger and his supporters hand-delivered more than 5,000 pieces of campaign literature on doorsteps in the district in the weeks leading up to the election.

"Going out and talking to people, they told me, 'You're the only one knocking on my door so you've got my vote,' " he said. "People come to the polls knowing" who they'll vote for for president.

"But when they get down to county commissioner (many) don't have a clue."

In unofficial results, Goetzinger defeated Ellenburg, whose political background included eight years as a commissioner and nine years on the Burton City Council, by 366 votes, according to unofficial results from the general election.

Flewelling, a first-time candidate for public office, also defeated a previously-elected official in Wolcott.

Flewelling received 13,642 votes compared to 10,330 votes for Wolcott, a member of the Mott Community College Board of Trustees.

District 9 includes Forest Township, Otisville, Genesee Township, Richfield Township, Davison, and a portion of Davison Township.

Current Commissioner Michelle Davis, a Richfield Township Democrat, was knocked out of the race after she switched parties and ran for re-election as a Republican against Flewelling.

Flewelling said he approached his first campaign by incorporating a part of his life experience into the effort.

"You're there to serve everyone," the Davison-Richfield fire Chief said. "There's no party lines when someone needs help. That's the message I put out there."

Flewelling said his own history - having grown up in a family of Democrats - helped him build bridges with voters.

"My opponent had a pretty substantial track record but I didn't run my campaign to beat her. I ran it to further my own service to the community," he said.

Flewelling said the Genesee County Republican Party "was huge" in securing the win.

"They worked their tails off in time and resources," he said. The party "was very instrumental in the success of my campaign."

The party supplied candidates with a website platform to share their background and positions, and Goetzinger said it supported him with campaign materials and encouragement.

"I've been involved with the local party for about 10 years," he said. "They've taken it to a whole other level. I can't give (them) enough credit."

"We made some gains even if we didn't win (every race)," Goetzinger said.

Republicans didn't field candidates against Flint Democrats Delrico Loyd and Charles Winfrey in Districts 1 and 2 but ran competitive campaigns in Districts 4, 5, 7 and 8 in addition to winning Districts 3 and 9 and holding District 6.

Facing incumbents in Districts 4, 5, 7 and 8, each Republican challenger won at least 46.9% of the votes cast.

Goetzinger said Tuesday's results showed voters recognize having a single party in charge doesn't result in good government.

As the lone Republican on the board, Shumaker needed crossover help from a Democrat, for example, just to bring resolutions to the floor of commission meetings.

"Eight to one is a bad (configuration) whether Republicans or Democrats are in a lopsided majority," Goetzinger said. "There's no accountability - no checks and balances."