PONTIAC, Mich. – The Pontiac Election Commission approved ballots for the August primary election that will not include Mayor Deirdre Waterman’s name.
The approval comes after a Oakland County Circuit Court judge ruled that the commission could not make any changes to it expect for typographical errors. Waterman’s campaign had filed a lawsuit to keep her on the ballot.
READ: Pontiac mayoral race: Waterman files lawsuit to stay on ballot, challenge filed against Greimel
In April, Waterman was deemed ineligible for the ballot after she failed to submit campaign finance reports by the deadline. However, two commissioners said they would put the mayor’s name back on it because that what’s happened to another candidate in a similar situation.
One of Waterman’s top challengers also has had a challenge to his candidacy filed. Tim Greimel, a longtime democrat politician in Oakland County, has run for and won several seats, including county commissioner.
In a campaign finance filing from January in his old county commission fund, he lists Auburn Hills and not Pontiac as his residence.
Greimel said he’s not concerned about the challenge because the address issue is a clerical error. He’s registered to vote in Pontiac and has lived in the city since last July.
“To the extent that those candidates -- Mr. Greimel and Dr. Waterman -- are similarly situation factually, they should be treated the same legally,” said Pontiac city attorney Anthony Chubb. “That’s my concern and I want to make sure that the public understands that I do have the concern. But when we take a vote on this matter, that does not factor into our decision.”
Waterman said she will run as a write-in candidate in the primary election.
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