By James Windell
The South Haven primary election was held for mayor and city council candidates on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The top two candidates for mayor and for city council in each ward will face each other in the General Election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
In the race for mayor, incumbent Mayor Annie Brown garnered 477 votes, and Mary Hosley tallied 355 votes, nosing out Josh Lemmer by 4 votes. Brown and Hosley will face off for mayor in November.
Commenting on his defeat in a Facebook posting, Lemmer said “Four Votes! That’s how close it was. And while I won’t be moving forward in the race for mayor, I’m walking away incredibly proud and grateful. To everyone who voted, hosted, encouraged, challenged, and believed, thank you. The energy you brought, the stories you shared, and the conversations we had were what made this experience special.”
Lemmer added: “My family and I are glad to be part of South Haven. This place is special. I’m excited to keep showing up, as a neighbor, a business owner, and as someone with a POSITIVE perspective.”
In Ward 1 and the race for city council position starting on January 1, 2026, Eddie Polk finished first with 227 votes, Lisa Krupiarz was second with 158 votes, and Samantha Kellum was eliminated by receiving only 15 votes. Polk and Krupiarz will compete against each other in the November election.
Thomas Capps finished first in Ward 2 with 174 votes and Todd Heinrich was the runner up with 137 votes. Kent Brindley was eliminated by finishing third with 36 votes. Capps and Heinrich will compete for the vacant spot in Ward 2 in the general election.
Dave Flack, the only person running for a single open seat in Ward 3, is automatically elected to the City Council.
According to the City of South Haven’s website and the statistics compiled by the City Clerk, who is responsible for all elections and for tabulating election results, 35 % of the registered voters filled out their ballots for this Primary Election. Of the 3,442 registered voters in South Haven, 1,194 voted in this election.
