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neonvincentLast of three in a row about 2015 Ann Arbor City Council elections. A topic I mentioned here, the "sore loser law," will feature prominently in the next article.
Only one independent running for Ann Arbor City Council
Tuesday's primary election may have determined the Democratic nominees for Ann Arbor City Council, but the final line-up wasn't determined until Thursday. That's when the signatures on nominating petitions submitted by the 5 P.M. Wednesday deadline were checked to see if enough valid signatures had been collected.
Only one independent made the November ballot, Jane Lumm. Lumm, who represents Ward 2, is currently the only sitting member of City Council who is not a Democrat. She is facing a challenge from Sally Hart Petersen, a Democrat who had represented Ward 2 alongside Lumm from 2012-2014.
Another independent submitted signatures to the City Clerk, but failed to get on the ballot. The Ann Arbor News reported late Thursday afternoon that Kevin Leeser submitted 104 signatures, but only 92 were of registered voters in Ward 5. Leeser thus fell eight short of the 100 minimum required.
The Ann Arbor News also reported that incumbent council member Mike Anglin submitted 180 signatures on Wednesday to defend his seat after losing to Chip Smith in the primary. The City Clerk rejected Anglin's petition, saying that Anglin's candidacy violated state election law. The City Clerk most likely was referring to the provision called the "sore loser law," which prevents the loser in a primary election from running as an independent in the general election.
Anglin said he would talk to an attorney about challenging the City Clerk's interpretation of the law. Barring a successful court challenge, Smith will be the only candidate on the November ballot as the Democratic nominee.
Another independent candidate failed to materialize. The Ann Arbor News reported that Jeff Hayner, who had challenged Democrat Sabra Briere in Ward 1 two years ago, had pulled petitions for an independent candidacy. A representative from the City Clerk's office said in a phone interview that Hayner did not submit the signed petitions by the deadline. That means that incumbent council member Sabra Briere, who fended off a challenge from Will Leaf in the primary, will appear on the ballot by herself in November.
Briere in Ward 1 and Smith in Ward 5 will join Zachary Ackerman in Ward 3 and Jack Eaton in Ward 4 in running unopposed in the general election. Ackerman, who defeated incumbent Stephen Kunselman on Tuesday, and Eaton, who successfully defended against a challenge by Jaime Magliera, are also Democrats.
While they may be the only candidates on the ballot, Briere, Ackerman, Eaton, and Smith could still face opposition in November. Write-in candidates have until October 23 to submit notarized statements of identity to the City Clerk.
In Ward 5, Leeser said that he would not declare a write-in candidacy this year. Instead, he plans on challenging Democratic incumbent Chuck Warpehoski next year.
Only one independent running for Ann Arbor City Council
Tuesday's primary election may have determined the Democratic nominees for Ann Arbor City Council, but the final line-up wasn't determined until Thursday. That's when the signatures on nominating petitions submitted by the 5 P.M. Wednesday deadline were checked to see if enough valid signatures had been collected.
Only one independent made the November ballot, Jane Lumm. Lumm, who represents Ward 2, is currently the only sitting member of City Council who is not a Democrat. She is facing a challenge from Sally Hart Petersen, a Democrat who had represented Ward 2 alongside Lumm from 2012-2014.
Another independent submitted signatures to the City Clerk, but failed to get on the ballot. The Ann Arbor News reported late Thursday afternoon that Kevin Leeser submitted 104 signatures, but only 92 were of registered voters in Ward 5. Leeser thus fell eight short of the 100 minimum required.
The Ann Arbor News also reported that incumbent council member Mike Anglin submitted 180 signatures on Wednesday to defend his seat after losing to Chip Smith in the primary. The City Clerk rejected Anglin's petition, saying that Anglin's candidacy violated state election law. The City Clerk most likely was referring to the provision called the "sore loser law," which prevents the loser in a primary election from running as an independent in the general election.
Anglin said he would talk to an attorney about challenging the City Clerk's interpretation of the law. Barring a successful court challenge, Smith will be the only candidate on the November ballot as the Democratic nominee.
Another independent candidate failed to materialize. The Ann Arbor News reported that Jeff Hayner, who had challenged Democrat Sabra Briere in Ward 1 two years ago, had pulled petitions for an independent candidacy. A representative from the City Clerk's office said in a phone interview that Hayner did not submit the signed petitions by the deadline. That means that incumbent council member Sabra Briere, who fended off a challenge from Will Leaf in the primary, will appear on the ballot by herself in November.
Briere in Ward 1 and Smith in Ward 5 will join Zachary Ackerman in Ward 3 and Jack Eaton in Ward 4 in running unopposed in the general election. Ackerman, who defeated incumbent Stephen Kunselman on Tuesday, and Eaton, who successfully defended against a challenge by Jaime Magliera, are also Democrats.
While they may be the only candidates on the ballot, Briere, Ackerman, Eaton, and Smith could still face opposition in November. Write-in candidates have until October 23 to submit notarized statements of identity to the City Clerk.
In Ward 5, Leeser said that he would not declare a write-in candidacy this year. Instead, he plans on challenging Democratic incumbent Chuck Warpehoski next year.
