Paid signature gatherers have once again put a candidate for office in peril.
After the Wayne County Clerk’s Office staff reviewed Adam Hollier’s signatures to run for Congress in the 13th District, they found that of 1,553, only 863 were valid.
Hollier needed 1,000 to qualify. He was the candidate multiple powerbrokers in Detroit were coalescing around to bring Black representation in Congress back from Detroit.
Shri Thanedar currently holds the seat in question. Thanedar’s campaign initially challenged the validity of Hollier’s signatures.
The 13th District Chairman, Jonathon Kinloch, said the whole situation is unfortunate.
“The candidates should verify these signatures before they’re filed that has been a known part of the process,” Kinloch said.
A quality control issue campaigns need to be on top of, but one that has reared up in recent election cycles.
In 2022, bad signatures collected by paid signature gatherers were responsible for knocking out former Detroit police Chief James Craig and businessman Perry Johnson from their gubernatorial bids.