Democrat Paul Brown and Republican Michael Schostak held the top two positions Wednesday morning in the race for two University of Michigan Board of Regents seats, according to Michigan’s unofficial election results.
As of the state’s 7 a.m. EST update Nov. 4, Brown had 1,692,022 votes, or 25.50%, and Schostak had 1,609,076 votes, or 24.25%. Republican Lena Epstein followed with 1,585,116 votes, or 23.89%, ahead of Democrat Amir Makled’s 1,577,210 votes, or 23.77%.
The state listed 81 of 83 counties as reporting. These unofficial totals do not establish the winners and may change as additional ballots are counted.
University of Michigan regents results
The following figures appeared in the state’s report updated at 7:00:48 a.m. EST Nov. 4:
Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
Paul Brown, incumbent | Democratic | 1,692,022 | 25.50% |
Michael Schostak | Republican | 1,609,076 | 24.25% |
Lena Epstein | Republican | 1,585,116 | 23.89% |
Amir Makled | Democratic | 1,577,210 | 23.77% |
Andrew Chadderdon | Libertarian | 89,471 | 1.35% |
Kyle Maas | U.S. Taxpayers | 81,315 | 1.23% |
Total candidate votes | 6,634,210 |
Schostak led third-place Epstein by 23,960 votes.
Voters statewide could select up to two candidates, including candidates from different parties, according to Michigan Public.
Percentages represent shares of candidate votes, not shares of individual voters. They may not total 100% because of rounding. The number of counties reporting does not establish the percentage of ballots counted statewide.
Who’s running
Brown was elected in 2018, according to his official university biography. Makled is a civil rights attorney and U-M Dearborn graduate, according to his campaign biography.
Epstein is co-owner of Vesco Oil Corporation, according to her campaign biography. Schostak is Bloomfield Township’s treasurer and a former finance lecturer at Wayne State University, according to his township biography.
The winners will serve unpaid, eight-year terms on the board, which oversees the university and its spending, according to the university’s board website.
What’s at stake
Affordability was a central campaign issue. U-M’s Go Blue Guarantee covers tuition for eligible full-time, in-state undergraduates from families earning $125,000 or less annually with assets below $125,000. Eligibility requirements vary by campus.
Brown and Makled support extending the guarantee to selected graduate programs. Makled also favors freezing tuition and reducing students’ living expenses, Michigan Public reported.
Epstein proposes preventing tuition increases and lowering student housing costs, according to her campaign platform. Schostak wants to raise the guarantee’s income limit and exclude home equity and small-business assets from its financial aid calculation, according to his campaign platform.
The proposed U-M and Los Alamos National Laboratory research computing center in Ypsilanti Township was another point of disagreement. U-M says its work would include modeling related to the existing nuclear stockpile.
Brown has criticized the siting decision, according to The Michigan Daily. Makled has urged attention to local opposition, Epstein does not oppose the project and Schostak has criticized U-M’s handling of it, Michigan Public reported.
How to check results
Readers can follow additional returns through the state’s election results page and its county results directory.
Vote totals remain unofficial until canvassing and certification are complete. This article will be updated as additional results become available.
