L. Brooks Patterson to seek 7th term as Oakland County exec

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) - L. Brooks Patterson says he’ll seek another term as Oakland County executive in suburban Detroit.

Patterson says he’s running for a seventh term. He’s been in charge of Michigan’s second-largest county since 1993.

Patterson said Thursday he wants to keep “fighting” for residents. He’s been one of the most outspoken officials in Michigan, never reluctant to share his opinion on topics as diverse as immigration and his sometimes rocky relationship with Detroit.

Former Farmington Hills Mayor Vicki Barnett, a Democrat, is challenging Patterson.

In 2012, Patterson was in a car wreck that put him in a coma for 17 days. He said he was “stupid” for not wearing a seat belt.

That same year, Oakland County voters picked Barack Obama, a Democrat, for president but also re-elected Patterson, a Republican.