Half of Michigan’s GOP gubernatorial candidates reportedly don’t qualify for Primary Election

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - The Michigan Bureau of Elections announced Monday that five Republican candidates for governor failed to file enough valid signatures to qualify for the August primary.

According to documentation from the Bureau of Elections, frontrunners former Detroit police chief James Craig and businessman Perry Johnson are included in those who may not qualify.

Related: James Craig denies ballot signatures are fraudulent

In addition to Craig and Johnson, the Michigan Bureau of Elections determined that three other lesser-known GOP candidates -- Michael Brown, Donna Brandenburg and Michael Markey -- did not turn in enough valid signatures.

The Michigan Democratic Party had challenged three GOP candidate’s petitions, alleging forgery, duplicates and other issues. GOP candidate Tudor Dixon had also challenged Craig’s signatures.

According to documentation from the Michigan Bureau of Elections, of Craig’s 21,305 signatures, only 10,192 were valid.

Documents claim of Johnson’s 23,193 signatures, only 13,800 were valid. The documents said only 4,430 of Markey’s signatures were valid, Brown only had 7,091 valid signatures and Brandenburg only had 6,634 valid signatures.

The bipartisan Board of State Canvassers will meet Thursday to consider the elections bureau’s recommendations. If they board agrees with the findings, the 10 GOP candidates would be cut in half to five.

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