Politics & Government

County Commissioner Craig Covey to Run for Re-Election

The Ferndale resident and former mayor said he will continue his campaign plans despite the current redistricting debate.

, who represents Ferndale and the rest of the 25th District, announced Thursday that he will run again for a second term this year.

Covey has served as a member of the Oakland County Commission from the 25th District, which represents 50,000 residents in Ferndale, Hazel Park and the southern part of Royal Oak, for just more than a year.

Priorities include mass transit, diversity

Covey, a and longtime resident of the city, said he would continue to prioritize issues including public transportation in his second term.

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"Our county has been way behind the times," Covey said regarding mass transit in the area.

He would also continue to focus on respect for diversity, environmental issues and government transparency, he said. "It's important to me that we run an efficient county and not waste taxpayer dollars," he said.

Find out what's happening in Ferndalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Debate over controversial redistricting bill

His announcement comes in the middle of debate over a that would reduce the number of Oakland County commissioners and allow the commission to determine its own voting districts.

Covey said , but in the meantime he will begin his campaign anyway.

"I'll run again regardless of what the new district looks like," he said Thursday. "I will just have to wait and see what they determine."

Covey said he was advised to "hold off" when he attempted to file for re-election last week at the Board of Elections in Pontiac, but he filed anyway on Jan. 11.

"The irony is I will not know for sure who is in my district," he said. "My point is I don't care what they're gonna do ... I'll run. If I win, I win. If I lose, I lose."

Other important issues to Covey include better representation and support for southern and urban sections of the county, stronger environmental policies, opposition to urban sprawl and the inclusion and embracing of diversity.

Over the past year Covey said he succeeded in sponsoring resolutions to support policies and issued the first proclamation from the county recognizing Gay Pride. He also joined the public services and human resources committees and had an attendance record of 97 percent.

Covey said there should be news on the redistricting issue by March or April. "Unfortunately it's real confusing and chaotic right now," he said. "I don't think it's good for democracy to be keeping people in the dark."

Covey said he will try to represent the residents in this area regardless of the outcome of the redistricting.

"We're in this little corner of the county and we're often ignored," he said.


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