Lansing — The Michigan Supreme Court on Monday rejected Republican Pastor Ralph Rebandt’s last-ditch bid to get put on the August primary ballot as a candidate for governor.
On May 21, the bipartisan Board of State Canvassers determined that Rebandt of Elmira hadn’t met the required 15,000-signature threshold based on a sample of 750 signatures. He needed 618 of them to be valid to make the Aug. 4 ballot, but only 533 were found to be valid.
Rebandt challenged the sampling process and his disqualification, losing first in the Court of Appeals. Then, on Monday, the state’s high court declined to intervene on his behalf.
“…(W)e are not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court,” a three-sentence order from the Michigan Supreme Court said.
The decision means there will be four GOP candidates for governor on the Aug. 4 primary ballot: former Attorney General Mike Cox of Livonia, U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township, businessman Perry Johnson of Bloomfield Hills and state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township.
In a statement, Rebandt said, “A grassroots campaign got kept off the ballot by a process built to protect insiders. We’re disappointed not done — and we’ll have more to say soon.”
Rebandt also ran for governor in 2022, finishing fifth in a five-candidate field. He attempted to run for lieutenant governor that year but failed to get convention delegates to reject nominee Tudor Dixon’s pick of former state Rep. Shane Hernandez.
Asked if he’ll run for lieutenant governor later this summer, Rebandt said in a text message, “Our team will discuss the options and let you know.”
This year, Rebandt submitted 18,214 petition signatures, 3,214 above the 15,000 required of candidates for governor.
However, the Bureau of Elections found 533 of the 750 signatures to be valid, short of the 618 signatures needed to make the ballot. Of the 217 signatures ruled out, 110 came from people who weren’t registered to vote, 36 didn’t match the signature on file with the state and 22 listed the voter at an invalid city or township.
In posts on social media, Rebandt’s campaign criticized the sampling process.
“Their 750 sample isn’t fair, equitable or just,” Rebandt’s X account said.
But the Court of Appeals said the canvassing board’s use of statistical sampling to invalidate signatures without specifically examining every signature didn’t lack legal authority.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ralph Rebandt loses court fight to get on ballot for governor
Reporting by Craig Mauger, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Craig Mauger, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
