Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar has received a major boost to his Congressional campaign as his main opponent Adam Hollier has been disqualified to run for the primary race in the absence of submitting the necessary number of valid voter's signatures.
Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett, in his letter to Mr Thanedar this week, said, "I am adopting the staff's recommendation and hereby determine the nominating petitions are insufficient in number to allow candidate Adam Hollier's name to appear on the August 6, 2024 primary election ballot for the office of U.S. Representative in Congress - 13th District." In a report, Garret's staff said that Hollier had submitted signatures of 1,553 voters. Of these, only 863 were found to be valid against the mandatory signature of 1,000 voters. Mr Thanedar had challenged 575 signatures.
The staff report concluded that many of these signatures were similar handwritings or there were clear indications that they were not genuine.
Mr Thanedar, who was elected to the US House of Representatives for the first time in 2022 and is seeking his reelection, had challenged the nomination process of Hollier as he had not provided enough valid signatures of the voters.
Such a ruling by Garrett assumes significance given that about a month ago, Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford and his immediate predecessor Joyce Beatty had endorsed Adam Hollier over Mr Thanedar in the Democratic primary.
In the American political tradition, it is very rare that a sitting lawmaker is being opposed by their own party leadership in the primary.
The 13th Congressional District of Michigan has a black majority, and this was for the first time that it did not have a black representing them in the House of Representatives.
In a statement, Hollier expressed his disappointment.
"I am extremely disappointed with the news from the Wayne County clerk following her thorough and professional review of our petitions ― not for myself, but for the voters across the 13th District who deserve a real choice in who their next Congressperson will be," Hollier said. He can still appeal the verdict.
"While I put my trust in someone who let us down in the collection of signatures, ultimately the leadership of the campaign falls on me and I must hold myself to a higher standard. It is also clear that our state's system of ballot access and petition collection is sorely in need of reform — so that future campaigns, as well as the voters of this state, do not fall victim to fraud," he said.
Welcoming the ruling, Mr Thanedar said, "Clerk Garrett agreed that Adam did not have enough signatures to get on the ballot and upheld the rule of law. I personally collected hundreds of signatures and enjoyed talking to my constituents directly and listening to their concerns." "I look forward to a vigorous campaign with those on the ballot as I will continue to talk about my record and accomplishments for the 13th District. I'm confident that the voters will put their faith in me for another term," he said.
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