Some of the most heated races out of Oakland County in 2025 are in Pontiac, Southfield and Royal Oak.
Here’s who is leading in those races in early results, posted by Oakland County, as of 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday (find more election results here):
Pontiac mayor race
Pontiac’s mayoral race is a packed slate, between Mike McGuinness and Kermit Williams, as well as write-in candidates Jashon Gilmore, Sabrina Jernagin and Wendell Woods. McGuinness is on city council, while Williams is co-executive director of Oakland Forward.
McGuinness, with 100% of precincts reporting, nabbed 54% of the vote over Williams’ 45% in the race, the results showed.
Notably, in 2011, McGuinness, once a top official with the Oakland County Democratic Party, was charged with forgery and perjury. McGuinness, along with Jason Bauer, were accused of a scheme to put several Tea Party candidates on the ballot without their knowledge, forging signatures on an affidavit. McGuinness pleaded no contest to six charges, according to the Oakland Press.
Southfield mayor and city clerk races
The only candidate on Southfield’s ballot for city clerk is Gabi Grossbard. However, two challengers, Wynett Guy and Coretta Houge, are waging write-in campaigns. The race has attracted attention from state Democrats, who have raised concern about Grossbard’s role as a plaintiff in a 2020 lawsuit challenging results in the presidential election that year, trying to overturn votes in counties that were favorable to Joe Biden, notably Wayne and Washtenaw counties.
Grossbard, with 52% of the vote, is leading write-in candidates. Totals for write-ins are typically not individually revealed until later.
Southfield’s mayoral race is between former Councilwoman Sylvia Jordan and incumbent Kenson Siver. Siver is leading, with 53% of the vote so far.
Royal Oak mayor
In the Royal Oak mayoral election, incumbent Michael Fournier prevailed over Trish Oliver, with 59% of the votes and 100% of precincts reporting.
The heat is on for Fournier, whose involvement with a political consultant representing Sheetz gas station and a controversial plan for a new Sheetz in Royal Oak, has drawn criticism. Fournier has denied any conflict of interest, but other Oakland County leaders have pledged ethics reform measures in the wake of the scandal, the subject of a Detroit Free Press investigation. However in the last election, Fournier led Oliver by a considerable margin.
Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Results show McGuinness prevails in Pontiac mayor race; Fournier reelected in Royal Oak
Reporting by Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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