The Michigan Bureau of Elections dropped a midterm bombshell Tuesday.
According to its review, five of the 10 candidates running for governor failed to reach the 15,000 signature threshold to get their names on the ballot.
Former Detriot Police Chief James Craig and businessman Perry Johnson were among the most prominent Republican candidates who reportedly failed to submit enough valid signatures.
The Michigan Board of Canvassers met today to review the bureau's findings. The board, consisting of two Democrats and two Republicans, came to split decisions, possibly dooming Craig's campaign — and that of five other candidates.
For the time being at least, none of their names will appear on the August primary ballot.
The Detriot News has more on the election fallout:
Michigan will now likely see a high-profile legal battle play out over the signatures in the coming weeks with absentee ballots for the primary supposed to be available in less than a month.
“We have an obligation to determine whether the requisite number of qualified and registered voters have signed these petitions,” Democratic canvasser Mary Ellen Gurewitz said before the votes. “What we know is for at least 30 circulators, all of the petition signatures that they have submitted are false.”
The two Democratic canvassers voted to accept recommendations from the state Bureau of Elections that the candidates be blocked from the ballot because of the apparent forgeries. The two Republican canvassers went against the recommendations of state election officials, noting that the bureau hadn't individually analyzed every signature.
Republican canvasser Norm Shinkle said fraudulent petition circulators should go to prison. But Shinkle said he wasn't prepared to shift the blame to candidates by blocking their ability to get on the ballot.
According to RealClearPolitics, the latest surveys have shown Craig leading the crowded GOP primary field by 17 points. Whitmer has led Craig by three points on average in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.
Did you expect anything different from Michigan and the Gretchin?
Include Benson and Nessel! The Three Amigos, if it’s wrong or twisted, those three support it.
Poorly written article. Who are you referring to, “For the time being at least, none of their names will appear on the August primary ballot.” Is “none” referring to Craig and Johnson? Probably, but if you had used “neither” it would have been clearer. The “none” you are referring to could be all of the Republican candidates meaning no Republicans will be on the ballot. All of the petitions submitted by 30 circulators (30 individuals) were false. That is unbelievable. Sounds like the petition circulators for the Republican candidates are really Democrats, Democrats are good at cheating.
Just another commiecrat ploy for power control.
Just like the 2020 elections, it seems the democrats have targeted the most electable republican candidates. It is interesting that the same political hacks that refused to look into the 2020 elections and said they were the most secure in history, now find time to challenge these candidates signatures. Why do they even need signatures when signatures are racist and cause people not to vote when the election comes around? If they aren’t appropriate for the election how can they be required for the candidates to run? As usual, a-hole logic is alive and well in Michigan and supported fully by the democrats in charge. A-holes.
For all we know, the canvassers used were Democrat operatives. How is it that the same group of people were used by these 5 Republicans to gather signatures? And what is really suspicious – how is it that the Democrat filing the suits were able to “validate” the signatures against the voter database but the Republicans were not able to before submission?
If they can’t be beaten by invented scandals, that are very expensive then the next step,
just do not allow them to be on the ballot. If they can’t be on the ballot, they can’t win.
I guess all is fair in polotics???????
Leftist Dems doing what they always do. LIE, CHEAT & STEAL to win. They know they are despised by the good masses!
Wonder how many democratic candidates failed to meet the same requirement that is not being mentioned or checked?