Editing Van Buren County, Michigan (section)

==Government==
Van Buren County has usually voted Republican in national elections. Since 1884, the county's voters have selected the Republican Party nominee in 81% (29 of 36) of the national elections through 2024. However, the county has become a swing county as well as a bellwether in recent decades, voting for the overall winner in every presidential election from 1964 to 2024 with two exceptions: 1976, when the county backed native Michigander [[Gerald Ford]] who narrowly lost his bid for a full term, and 2020, when Van Buren County stayed with [[Donald Trump]], a popular candidate in this county and other rural bellwethers.
{{PresHead|place=Van Buren County, Michigan|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|website=uselectionatlas.org|accessdate=November 17, 2024}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|23,407|17,175|667|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|21,591|16,803|752|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|17,890|13,258|2,126|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|16,141|16,290|406|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|15,534|18,588|644|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|17,634|16,151|389|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|14,792|13,796|894|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|11,347|13,355|3,273|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|10,357|12,466|7,414|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|14,522|10,668|210|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|16,426|8,853|166|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|14,451|9,248|2,125|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|13,615|10,366|321|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|13,903|7,159|469|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|10,676|7,304|2,627|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|8,120|11,336|48|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|12,903|7,082|111|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|13,291|5,678|94|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|13,231|5,309|119|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|9,511|4,082|411|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|10,951|5,002|84|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|11,571|5,625|101|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|9,110|6,720|825|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|6,954|7,223|464|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|9,325|2,643|82|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|7,384|1,646|1,290|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|6,904|1,988|300|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|4,302|3,225|249|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|2,101|1,994|3,147|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|4,531|2,313|371|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|5,254|1,634|342|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|4,892|3,235|204|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|4,510|3,982|190|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|3,788|2,182|1,038|Michigan}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|4,783|2,986|471|Michigan}}
{{PresFoot|1884|Republican|4,219|2,933|367|Michigan}}

Van Buren County operates the County jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and [[vital records]], administers [[public health]] regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions – police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance etc. – are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

=== Elected Officials ===
==== Four-year terms ending 2024-12-31 ====
* [[Prosecutor|Prosecuting Attorney]]: Susan Zuiderveen (R)
* [[Sheriff]]: Dan Abbott (R)
* [[County Clerk]]: Suzie Roehm (R)
* [[Treasurer|County Treasurer]]: Trisha Nesbitt (R)
* [[Register of Deeds]]: Paul W. DeYoung (R)
* [[Drain Commissioner]]: Joe Parman (R)
* [[County Surveyor]]: Charles Lossie (R)

=== Board of Commissioners: 7 members, elected from districts ===
==== Two-year terms ending 2024-12-31 (changing to four-year terms starting 2025-01-01) ====
==== Current partisan breakdown: 1 Democrat, 6 Republicans ====
{| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
! '''District''' !! Commissioner !! Party !! District's Area
|- bgcolor=#aaaaff
| 1 || Gail Patterson-Gladney|| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]  || City of South Haven and Townships of Covert and South Haven
|- bgcolor=#ffaaaa
| 2 || Mike Chappell  || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]  || City of Hartford and Townships of Bangor, Hartford, and Lawrence
|- bgcolor=#ffaaaa
| 3 || Kurt Doroh || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]  || City of Bangor and Townships of Arlington, Columbia, and Geneva
|- bgcolor=#ffaaaa
| 4 || Dick Godfrey || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] || City of Gobles and Townships of Almena (part), Bloomingdale, Pine Grove, Waverly (part)
|- bgcolor=#ffaaaa
| 5 || Randall Peat (Chairperson)|| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]  || Townships of Antwerp (part), Paw Paw, and Waverly (part)
|- bgcolor=#ffaaaa
| 6 || Tina Leary || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]  || Townships of Antwerp (Village of Lawton only), Decatur, Hamilton, Keeler, and Porter
|- bgcolor=#ffaaaa
| 7 || Paul Schincariol (Vice-Chair) || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] || Townships of Almena (part) and Antwerp (part)
|}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board of County Commissioners |url=https://www.vanburencountymi.gov/459/Boards-Commissions |publisher=Van Buren County}}</ref><small>(information correct in May 2023)</small>