By James Windell
South Haven’s Ward 2 will be selecting a new representative to the city council this fall.
In Ward 2, the current city council members are Jeff Arnold and Wendy Onuki. Arnold is not up for re-election, however, Onuki has decided not to seek a second term and the voters in Ward 2 will select a candidate to fill her position from three candidates that have filed for the position in January, 2026. Those three candidates to replace Onuki are Kent Brindley, Thomas Capps, and Todd Heinrich.
These three candidates for Onuki’s spot on the South Haven City Council will be narrowed to two candidates in the City Primary Election on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The two candidates with the most votes will oppose each other in the General City Election held on November 4, 2025.
South Haven is divided into three wards with two city council members from each ward serving a four-year term. However, term limits apply for city council members and each person can only serve two terms or a total of eight years. The elections of all city officers are held on a non-partisan basis.
In this issue of the South Haven Beacon, the three candidates for city council in Ward 2 will be profiled. The candidate for city council in Ward 3 will be featured in subsequent edition.
Anyone wishing to register to vote in the Primary and in the November General Election can do so by completing the Voter Registration Application at the City Hall, 539 Phoenix Street, South Haven, at the Secretary of State Office in Paw Paw, or through the Michigan Secretary of State “Renewal by Mail” program. For more information about registering to vote, go to the Department of State website at //www.michigan.gov/sos/elections.
