Abdul El-Sayed is the first Democrat to turn in his signatures to be on the 2018 ballot for governor. He faces potential challenges down the road.
Abdul El-Sayed was born and raised in Michigan, but he spent several years in New York. And that’s where the problem begins – he voted in that state in 2012.
Now the question becomes whether that invalidated his Michigan registration and subsequent eligibility to run for governor.
A spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office says it won’t look into El-Sayed’s eligibility on its own. Rather, someone would have to file a challenge. El-Sayed says he isn’t worried.
“I can’t tell you what’s on other people’s minds. I do know that I am eligible, and I think everybody else in this race does too, so, we’ll see.”
Two Republican candidates have also filed their signatures for review with the Secretary of State.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
—Cheyna Roth is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org