DETROIT – The Michigan State Elections director has ruled that Mike Duggan can still run for Detroit mayor as a write-in candidate.
Chris Thomas said candidacy requires only that a declaration of intent for a write-in campaign be filed by July 26th. Duggan filed the declaration July 1.
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Thomas also said the recent appeals court ruling on Duggan's candidacy doesn't hinder her ability to run as a write-in.
What happened:
Two courts have said Duggan doesn't qualify for the ballot because he submitted petitions less than a year after becoming a registered voter in the city, a violation of the Detroit City Charter. He moved to Detroit from Livonia in 2012.
A three-member panel of the state Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that removed him from the ballot.
Duggan has said it never occurred to him that he could be kicked off the ballot for turning in signatures too early. He submitted petitions on April 2, 10 days short of the anniversary of his voter registration.
Duggan actually had even more time to submit petitions because the deadline to sign up for mayoral primary was May 14.
His place on the ballot was challenged by another candidate, Tom Barrow, who has run for mayor many times and lost.
Other candidates include Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon and former Detroit city attorney Krystal Crittendon.