TRAVERSE CITY, MI-- On Tuesday Matt Morgan, Iraq War veteran and Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 1st Congressional District, issued a statement regarding his nomination petitions.
On April 27, the day of the deadline to withdraw from the Michigan primary ballot, the Michigan Bureau of Elections notified the campaign they would not recommend that the Board of Canvassers certify the 1,543 petition signatures submitted March 6 to qualify for the August, 2018 primary ballot.
The grounds for this recommendation had nothing to do with Morgan’s actual eligibility as a candidate, or the legitimacy of voter signatures. Rather, the Bureau determined that the use of a Post Office box on the nominating petition heading was enough to invalidate Morgan’s nomination as the sole Democratic candidate.
Should the Board of Canvassers fail to certify the nominating petition signatures on a technicality, the Morgan campaign has a clear path to getting on the ballot through a successful write-in campaign.
“As a Marine, I respect the law and the public servants who enforce it. But I will not allow thousands of voters in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula to be disenfranchised based on what is otherwise an easily verifiable fact: That I am a legally qualified candidate with the documented support required to appear on the Primary Election ballot.”
In recent months, election analysis of the race for Michigan’s 1st has indicated the district is trending in Morgan’s favor. Sabato’s Crystal Ball (Center for Politics), Cook Political, and CNN all upgraded the race’s ratings, shifting toward a possible Democratic win.
“Since declaring my candidacy more than a year ago, Angie and I have been blessed with the support of voters throughout the district who have contributed the time and resources that have allowed this campaign to thrive. We thank them for their support. We will do all that it takes to be on the ballot in November and ensure voters in Michigan’s 1st Congressional District are not disenfranchised.”
