Republican Candidiates Sue Election Officials Over Disqualification Ruling

MICHIGAN — Three Republican candidates eyeing the nomination to challenge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November filed lawsuits after state officials declared them ineligible for August's primary elections.

The Michigan Bureau of Elections disqualified James Craig, Perry Johnson, Michael Markey, Michael Brown and Donna Brandenburg from the primary elections because officials within the bureau said they failed to get enough valid signatures.

Craig and Johnson filed lawsuits Friday with the Michigan Court of Claims, while Michael Markey went to the Court of Appeals on Sunday. Brandenburg was expected to also file suit.

The candidates demanded their names be placed on the ballots, arguing election officials failed to properly check the signatures they challenged on the candidates petition forms.

In order to qualify for the primary ballot, a candidate must receive at least 15,000 signatures from registered voters, including at least 100 voters in half of the state's 14 congressional districts, by its deadline, which was April 19.

Officials said they found massive fraud on the candidate's petition forms, including multiple instances of paid signatures, forged signatures and dead people's signatures. Moreover, they said Craig's campaign hired 18 people to collect more than 9,000 signatures.

Craig, former Detroit Police Chief, was the presumptive front-runner to challenge Whitmer in November, mainly because his name is widely recognized in southeastern Michigan, especially Detroit.

If the ruling holds and the candidates are disqualified from the ballot, former conservative TV news host Tudor Dixon could become the new Republican front-runner in the governor's race, especially since she has the backing of Betsy DeVos, who was the head of the U.S. Education Department during the Trump administration.