BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Sheriff’s Department Captain and Jail Administrator Fred Blankenship won the Republican Primary for Sheriff on Tuesday.
Blankenship defeated Coldwater Police Department School Resource Officer Robin Swartz as well as Sheriff’s Department Deputy and former Michigan State Police Trooper Michael Thyng.
Blankenship had almost 48 percent of the ballots cast with a total of 2,517 votes. Swartz was second with 1,619 votes (31 percent) while Thyng collected 1,129 votes (21 percent).
As of now, Blankenship will be unopposed on the November General Election ballot as no Democrats filed for the Primary.
Blankenship has served over 28 years for three different Branch County Sheriffs. He worked several positions within the Sheriff’s Office before being promoted to Captain including Court Officer, Road Patrol Deputy, Corrections, and a Special Investigator to the Prosecutors Office. Blankenship was promoted to his current position over 20 years ago.
Current Sheriff John Pollack is retiring at the end of the year.
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