LANSING, Mich. – Fifteen candidates have been disqualified from the Aug. 2 primary election ballot.
The Department of State issued letters to the candidates on Tuesday (May 17). They were disqualified from the ballot because of defects on their affidavit of identity.
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The Michigan Election Law prohibits filing officials from certifying to the ballot the names of candidates whose affidavits of identity are missing required information or that contain false statements. Candidates who omit required information cannot be certified.
Four candidates are being disqualified because of missing information or information the candidate is not eligible in the jurisdiction:
- Faiz Aslam (6th District Representative in Congress)
- Michael Shallal (57th District Representative in State Legislature)
- Steven Thomas (31st District State Senator)
- Howard Weathington (3rd District State Senator)
Eleven candidates have been disqualified because of false statements regarding the candidate’s compliance with the Michigan Campaign Finance Act:
- Betty Alexander (6th District State Senator)
- Mellissa Carone (11th District State Senator)
- Ronald Cole (7th District Representative in State Legislature)
- Kahlilia Davis (36th District Court Judge)
- Eddie Kabacinski (14th District Representative in State Legislature)
- Chris Martin (54B District Court Judge)
- Vernon Molnar (7th District State Senator)
- Jon Rocha (78th District Representative in State Legislature)
- Alberta Talabi (3rd District State Senator)
- Chase Turner (49th District Representative in State Legislature)
- Lawanda Turner (11th District Representative in State Legislature)
The 11 candidates above had outstanding campaign finance reports or unpaid fines when they signed the affidavit of identity. Some of the candidates paid fines after signing the affidavit of identity, or paid their fines then withdrew their affidavits of identity and filed new affidavits.
The department is not allowed to certify candidates who initially filed with false statements. The 15 candidates are being disqualified based on their affidavit of identity, not based on the sufficiency of their nominating petitions.
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