Circumstances caused by the pandemic created unique challenges that resulted in some candidates having their petitions rejected. As a result, the August 2021 local primary election has 31 write-in candidates whose petitions to be on the ballot were rejected. Kinda Anderson, candidate for Detroit City Clerk, has been living in Detroit since 2019, was rejected because her paperwork did not list her Detroit home as her official residence. During the pandemic, she was not able to get a Secretary of State appointment to record her address change. David Sanchez, candidate for Police Commissioner in District 6, had his petition rejected by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny. This contentious ruling came as a surprise to most because the judge also presided over the Proposal P ruling.
These candidates are running for the offices of Mayor, City Council, City Clerk, and Board of Police Commissioners. They were required to get their petitions signed despite the hardships imposed by the COVID19 pandemic and an official quarantine. Five hundred approved signatures were required on petitions to seek the offices of Mayor, City Clerk, and City Council at Large. Candidates seeking offices by district on the City Council and Board of Police Commissioners needed a minimum of 300 signatures. All petitions were due April 20, 2021, even though Michigan was still under Covid-19 restrictions.
Petitions can be rejected if there are signatures of unregistered voters or citizens living outside the jurisdiction. Also, the address given by a signer on a petition must match that person’s voter registration address. Further, it is required that all signatures be collected in person, face to face.
Many Detroiters and candidates feel that the rejection of multiple petitions, forcing so many to be write-in candidates, is a direct act of voter suppression. Below is a list of candidates, both those who were accepted and those rejected from the ballot. The list also notes officials in office that are not seeking re-election.
Mayor of Detroit
Michael Duggan (incumbent)
Anthony Adams
Tom Barrow
Kiawana Brown
Myya Jones
Jasahn Larsosa
Charleta McInnis
Danetta Simpson
Arthur Tyus
Not on Ballot
Articia Bomer
Curis Greene
Emanuel Shaw
Cheryl Webb
Detroit City Clerk
Janice Winfrey (incumbent)
Beverly Kindle-Walker
Denzell Jines-McCambell
Micheal Ri’chard
Not on Ballot
Kinda Anderson
Jeffery Robinson
Detroit City Council Council at Large
(Brenda Jones is not seeking re-election)
Janee Ayers (incumbent)
Jermain Jones
Nicole Small
Mary Waters
Coleman Young II
Not on Ballot:
Royce Kinniebrew
Steven Lett
District 1
James Tate (incumbent)
Darryl Brown
Quincy Coleman
Krystal Larsosa
District 2
Roy McCalister Jr. (incumbent)
Angela Calloway
Not on Ballot
Levan Adams
Michael Evans
Jaylin Harris
Andrew Tyus
District 3
Scott Benson (incumbent)
Not on Ballot
Levan Adams
Dennis Green
Jaylin Harris
Adam Mundy
Vanessa Olive
Steven Shelton
Andrew Tyus
District 4
(Councilmember Andre Spivey is not seeking re-election)
Anemashaun Bomani
Michael Elrick
Toson Jewell-Knight
Latisha Johnson
Daivon Reeder
Virgil Smith
Kenneth Snapp
Not on Ballot
Corey Gilchrist
District 5
Mary Sheffield (incumbent running unopposed)
District 6
(Raquel Castaneda-Lopez is not seeking re-election)
Hector Santiago
Gabriela Santiago-Romero
Not on Ballot
Myamika Jordan
David Sanchez
District 7
(Current council member Gabe Leland unable to seek re-election upon felony conviction)
John Bennett
William Davis
Fred Durhal III
Regina Ross
JoAnna Underwood
Angy Webb
Not on Ballot
Robert Dunlap
Terrell George
DeQuincy Hyatt
Ericka Murria
Board of Police Commissioners
District 1
(Darryl Brown is not seeking re-election)
Primary canceled because no candidates on the ballot
Not on Ballot
Joshua Engle
Bryan Ferguson
Tamara Smith
District 2
Linda D. Bernard (incumbent)
Lavish Williams
District 3
(Shirley Burch is not seeking re-election)
Cedric Banks
Not on Ballot
Damian Mitchell
District 4
Willie Bell (incumbent)
Scott Boman
District 5
Willie Burton (incumbent)
Not on Ballot
Michael Farr
District 6
Lisa Carter (incumbent)
Landis Spencer
District 7
(William Davis is not seeking re-election)
Primary canceled because no candidates on ballot
Not on Ballot
Robert Olive
