MDP Chair Lavora Barnes issued the following statement in response to the Board of Canvassers deadlocking on Bureau of Elections suggestions to exclude James Craig, Perry Johnson, and other Republican gubernatorial candidates from the August primary ballot:
“James Craig, Perry Johnson, and Tudor Dixon, and other Republican candidates for governor made a farce out of Michigan’s electoral system, and today all four members of the Board of Canvassers confirmed that they submitted petitions with extensive fraud and forged signatures. Fraud is fraud, and under Michigan law, candidates are required to submit a minimum of 15,000 lawfully collected signatures. They did not meet that requirement.
“We are disappointed that two members of the Board of Canvassers made admissions that the nominating petitions contained fraudulent and forged signatures, and didn’t vote to keep them off the ballot.
“To keep the integrity of Michigan’s democratic process intact, all Republican gubernatorial candidates whose petitions were under consideration at today’s meeting should swiftly withdraw from the race. Michiganders deserve accountable leaders, and these candidates have shown they are not capable of that.”
