DETROIT – The Michigan National Action Network and Sam Riddle have called Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to delay a special election to fill Rep. John Conyer's seat in Congress "shameless racism."
Conyers announced Tuesday that he would be retiring before the end of his term next year. Snyder announced Friday that Conyers' seat will be on the primary election ballot Aug. 7, 2018 before voters decide on a new congressman during the Nov. 6, 2018 election.
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“Having ample time for candidates to make a decision about running for office and file their paperwork gives people more options as to who will next represent them in Congress,” Snyder said. “In order to allow several months for that to take place and to reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers, the primary and general elections will be held when regularly scheduled elections are already occurring.”
NAN and Riddle, the organization's political director, fired back at Snyder's decision, calling it racist and saying that the governor "may need to be taken to federal court to preserve the voting rights of 13th Congressional District citizens."
“During our NAN meeting tomorrow (Saturday), I will recommend to our membership that we meet with counsel to explore legal options to stop this exercise of shameless racism by a governor that is again using dollars as an excuse to inflict irreparable harm upon a class of Americans with a history of suffering the vilest forms of discrimination and racist actions by their government since enslavement," Riddle said.
Riddle referenced the Flint water crisis and called Snyder a "racist bean counter."
"Saving of dollars was also the basis for the racist decision that resulted in water poisoning of 100,000 humans that were even lied to by this governor’s administration about the quality of their Flint water," he said.
Riddle also mentioned President Donald Trump.
"We also must ask, 'Where are the great white liberals now when our voting rights are being abridged by these storm troopers of Trump?'" he said.