Democratic Party leaders have picked Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell as a replacement for a dead candidate in a western Michigan state Senate race.
Kalamazoo County and Van Buren County party officials met Tuesday night to chose a replacement for state Rep. Robert Jones on the Nov. 2 ballot. The Kalamazoo Gazette reported the results.
The 66-year-old Jones died Sunday after a yearlong fight against cancer. He also served as Kalamazoo mayor before entering the Legislature.
The 46-year-old Hopewell will run against Republican Tonya Schuitmaker in the 20th district.
The Senate seat is now held by Republican Tom George of Kalamazoo County's Texas Township. George can't run again because of the state's term limits law.