Ypsilanti City Council member Desirae Simmons intends to run on the spring ballot if a recall effort against her proves successful.
The Washtenaw County Election Commission is reviewing the 747 signatures gathered in support of recalling Simmons. 603 must be valid to open the seat for election on May 7th.
Simmons represents the 3rd Ward and says if the recall is successful, she will seek to win the seat back the spring ballot. Simmons says spring elections typically have low voter turnout, but she says the controversy brought about by the recall effort will bring people out to the polls.
“Local issues bring people to the ballot when they feel really engaged and that they understand what’s going on. And I think that this process has brought a lot of people into attention into what’s going on."
Simmons noted that she won the seat in November of 2022 with more than 75% of the vote. Should there be a special election in May, the winner would serve out the rest of Simmons' current term that expires in November of 2026.
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