JACKSON, Mich. — Incumbent Corey Kennedy and challenger Scott Aughney are squaring off for a Jackson County commissioner seat in the 3rd District, which is located in Leoni and Summit Townships.
Kennedy has been on the Board of County Commissioners for three-and-a-half years and previously served as a Leoni Township trustee from 2016 to 2018. He was also a Jackson County Republican Party delegate and has been an executive committee member of the Jackson County Republican Party.
Kennedy has been a store director at Polly’s Country Markets for more than 20 years. He was born in Jackson and received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Western Michigan University.
This is what he says he’s most proud of during his time on the board.
“Really, the biggest accomplishments I’ve stood up for are conservative values of the amendment to protect citizens’ Second Amendment rights, standing up to big government and opposing the mask and vaccine mandates, and then most recently, the road projects, I was able to partner with Leoni Township to get some well needed roadwork done,” Kennedy said.
If he is re-elected, Kennedy says fixing the county roads remains his number one priority.
“We’ve just got roads all over the county that are failing,” he said. “So, we have to get creative and secure funding in different ways. We need to partner with local municipalities as much as we can to share the burden of the cost. That’s the biggest challenge.”
He’s running against Highland Park native and Jackson resident Scott Aughney. He was a graduate of Morenci High School in southwest Lenawee County. He’s been a resident of Jackson for 13 years, and he says he loves the geography of the area.
Aughney is a drywall contractor by trade. He previously ran against Rep. Tim Walberg in 2010 and for the Jackson mayoral seat in 2011.
Aughney says he is running against Kennedy for commissioner to give the public more of a voice in issues affecting the county.
“I’m not afraid to confront tough issues,” Aughney said. “I believe in the word Republicanism. That basically means that sovereignty and power lies within the hands of the people. I don’t think Mr. Kennedy and [county chairman] Mr. Shotwell and most of the rest of the alleged Republicans on the county board understand that word.”
If elected, the self-proclaimed outspoken, outsider candidate says he wants to host more town hall meetings in each township.
“The decision making by these elitists on that board, and that’s what they are, is it does not represent a republic or a democratic process in any way,” he said. “I’d like to change it. I want to be a public servant. I want to redefine what that is.”
Jackson will have its primary election on Aug. 2. The winner of the primary will advance to the November general election and will likely run unopposed, since no Democrat is running for this seat on the Board of County Commissioners. Non-partisan candidates have until July 21 to file.
EDIT: The original version of this story stated the district encompasses Summit and Leoni Townships. Recent changes to the districts will see this seat represent Leoni and Napoleon Townships.
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