Everything you need to know about the primary election in the Pontiac area

State Rep. Dennis Tipsword has a challenger for a spot on the November General Election ballot and there will be a race for seats from District One of the Livingston County Board when voters take to the polls on March 19.

There will actually be three in the running in the 105th House district with one being listed on the Democrat ticket. Tipsword, a Republican from of Metamora and the Chief Deputy of Woodford County, is the incumbent, having won the seat in 2022.

Challenging Tipsword on the Republican ticket is Don Rients, a veteran of campaigns from Benson. Rients ran for the seat in 2022, finishing fourth among the four Republican candidates, though he was second in Livingston County voting.

The winner will face Morgan Phillips, a Democrat from Lostant whose experience includes working as campaign manager for State Rep. Lance Yednock, D-76, in 2022. Phillips is unchallenged in the primary.

There is also a race on the Republican ticket for the 88th District, which includes most of Belle Prairie Township in southeastern Livingston County. This race pits Regan Deering of Decatur against Chuck Erickson of Bloomington. Rep. Dan Caulkins currently represents the 88th District but has decided not to run for a fourth term.

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There is no Democrat candidate running for the 88th seat.

In the 106th, incumbent Rep. Jason Bunting also has no challengers as he runs for his second term. He came into office in February 2023 as the replacement for Tom Bennett when Bennett took over Jason Barickman's 53rd Senate district seat.

Another race of import for Livingston County is in District One, where four Republicans and a Democrat are challenging for three seats.

Current Livingston County Board Chairperson Jim Carley and incumbents Gina Manker and Marty Fannin (a former chairperson) are being challenged by County Republican Chairperson Dave Rice.

On the Democrat side, Mary Comens is running unopposed so she will make the November General Election ballot and square off against the three winners from the Republican race.

The county board is currently working at filling out an empty seat. Mark Runyon, who passed away recently, was a representative from District Three at the time of his passing. He is still on the ballot for the county board and for Indian Grove 2 Precinct committeeperson.

Runyon passed away on Feb. 27, creating an opening on the board that needs to be filled within 60 days. Runyon will likely be on the ballot in November but his seat will probably be filled by the same person who takes the seat by the time the 60 days are up.