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By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — Voters in the City of Ludington will elect a new mayor during the Nov. 3 General Election, choosing between current Fourth Ward Councilor Cheri Stibitz and Carol Hoekstra.
Stibitz and Hoekstra advanced from the Aug. 4 primary election, which included three candidates. According to unofficial results, Stibitz received 823 votes, Hoekstra received 507 and Beth Elliott received 479. The top two candidates advanced to the November election.
The winner will succeed Mayor Mark Barnett, who announced in January that he would not seek a second term. Barnett was elected in November 2022 and took office in January 2023. He previously served as Ludington police chief from 2001 until his retirement in 2020. Barnett said when announcing his decision that 2025 had been a challenging year for his family, including losses and illnesses, and that he needed to be more available to help his family.
Ludington’s mayor is elected to a four-year term. The city operates under a council-manager form of government, with the city manager serving as the city’s administrator. The mayor presides over City Council meetings but does not vote except to break a tie. The mayor also makes appointments to council committees and recommends appointments to various city boards and commissions, subject to council approval.
Stibitz currently represents the Fourth Ward on the Ludington City Council. Her council term expires Dec. 31. She is also a third grade teacher at Mason County Central Upper Elementary.
Hoekstra has not previously served on the City Council. She owns and operates Hope Wellness Center of the Great Lakes in Ludington, which provides alternative and holistic health services.
In addition to the mayoral race, voters in three of Ludington’s six wards will elect new councilors. None of the candidates seeking those seats is an incumbent. The November candidate filing lists Eric Gregory Case and Alex Kazmarski for Second Ward; Marco Iafrate and Jack Stibitz for Fourth Ward; and Jacob Brody and Brett Vanderwater for Sixth Ward.
The Second Ward candidates are seeking the seat currently held by Kathy Winczewski. The Fourth Ward candidates are seeking the seat currently held by Cheri Stibitz, while the Sixth Ward candidates are seeking the seat currently held by Jack Bulger. The terms of Winczewski, Stibitz and Bulger all expire Dec. 31.
The council races also create two family connections with the mayoral contest. Jack Stibitz, who is seeking the Fourth Ward seat, is Cheri Stibitz’s father. The two have both worked as teachers at Mason County Central; Jack retired at the end of the previous school year. Iafrate, who is running against Jack Stibitz for the Fourth Ward seat, is Hoekstra’s son.
The council positions are also four-year terms. Earlier this year, none of the three incumbent ward councilors with expiring terms filed for re-election.
The City of Ludington races are nonpartisan. The General Election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3.
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