There doesn’t appear to be any signature issues that should prevent major Michigan gubernatorial candidates from appearing on the August primary ballot, Bureau of Elections staff reported Wednesday, May 20.
But two candidates who faced steep if not insurmountable challenges to winning their parties’ nominations, Democrat Kim Thomas of Battle Creek and Republican Ralph Rebandt of Washington, Michigan, should be disqualified from appearing on the primary ballot due to not turning in enough valid petition signatures, staff told the Board of State Canvassers.
The board is set to meet May 28 to decide if gubernatorial hopefuls should qualify for the August primary ballot. Other than Rebandt and Thomas, all other major party candidates turned in sufficient signatures, staff reported.
The Board of State Canvasser is a four-member body, made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, which canvasses and certifies statewide election results and petition submissions for statewide races. The board made headlines in 2022, when a signature forgery scandal roiled the Republican gubernatorial primary race. Canvassers deadlocked on certifying petitions submitted by five GOP candidates, leading to the candidates being disqualified from appearing on that year’s August primary ballot.
To qualify for the August primary ballot, partisan gubernatorial candidates are required to submit 15,000 valid signatures from registered Michigan voters. Bureau of Elections staff take a random sample of signatures to comb for possible issues, like signatures not matching names, signees not being registered to vote, and other issues. If enough signatures in the random sample are determined valid, the staff recommends the candidate be placed on the ballot.
Canvassers can choose not to heed staff recommendations, and it’s likely Rebandt and Thomas make their case to the board for still appearing on the primary ballot at the May 28 meeting in Lansing. Rebandt and Thomas’ campaigns didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment from the Free Press left Thursday, May 21.
Thomas is an entrepreneur. Rebandt is a retired pastor. Rebandt also sought the Republican nomination for governor in 2022, finishing fifth with 4.2% of the vote in that year’s primary election.
Bureau of Elections staff recommended every other candidate’s petition signatures be deemed sufficient. On the Democratic side of the race, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are running. The Republican field includes former Attorney General Mike Cox; U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township; businessman Perry Johnson; and state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township.
Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running for governor as an independent candidate and is required to submit 12,000 valid signatures by July 16 to appear on the November ballot, according to Board of State Canvassers materials.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 candidates for Michigan governor shouldn’t make ballot, bureau says
Reporting by Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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