By By NORMA LERNER / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – The Cass County Democratic Committee Thursday night chose a Dowagiac business owner to fill a ballot position for the District 2 Cass County Board of Commissioners seat.
Nominated to be on the Nov. 7 ballot will be James Kladis, 51, of 54998 Sunset Drive, Dowagiac.
He replaces the late Democratic candidate Myron Miller, 56, of Dowagiac who died Aug. 20.
With the nomination, Kladis will square off with county board Republican Chairman Robert Wagel, 66, of 53725 O'Keefe St., Wayne Township, Dowagiac.
Wagel received 252 votes to Miller's 127 votes in the Aug. 8 primary election.
Kladis has no political background other than being a precinct delegate for First Ward in Dowagiac to the Democratic convention. He was voted to the position Aug. 8.
He owns Market Place Caf and Donut Shop at 227 S. Front St., the former KFC restaurant.
He and his wife, Dawn, and daughter, Jacque, moved to Dowagiac from Chicago four years ago.
While in Illinois, he attended college for two years and was a real estate investor and business broker.
He belongs to the Veteran of Foreign Wars, the Eagles, the Moose Lodge and sponsors the girl's softball team in Dowagiac on which his daughter plays.
The county board seat is for two years.
Second District encompasses Wayne Township and part of Volinia Township.
Kladais said he came to Cass County to fish and play golf, but instead bought a piece of commercial property where he opened up the doughnut shop.
He has five employees and delivers doughnuts in Cass and Berrien counties and elsewhere.