There will be a Democrat on the November ballot running against Congressman Bill Huizenga after all. Holland resident Joseph Alfonso has been able to get on the ballot with a write-in campaign in the primary. The Board of State Canvassers on Friday certified the results of the primaries after Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater recommended Alfonso be on the ballot despite not officially being on the primary ballot.
“There was no Democrat on the ballot, but Joseph Alfonso ran as a write in, and to qualify for the November ballot, he had to get at least 5% of the votes that the Democratic governor candidate got. He was able to do that by a substantial margin. He needed about 3,000 votes and he got about 10,000.”
Alfonso is a Marine Corps veteran whose website says he has worked as an electrician, sales attendant, banker, and inspector for the city of Kentwood. His campaign put out a statement saying, “It’s official, voters Michigan’s new 4th Congressional District will have a choice when voting for U.S. Congress this November.” The Fourth District includes northern parts of Berrien County, all of Van Buren and Allegan counties, and parts of Kalamazoo, Calhoun, and Ottawa counties.
