7 candidates filed for Warren mayoral primary election; Fouts disqualified
Nine people filed to run for mayor of Michigan’s third most-populous city, but two of the names have a line through them as one withdrew and the other — longtime Mayor Jim Fouts — was disqualified.
Seven names remain as candidates for the Aug. 8 mayoral primary, according to an unofficial candidate list on the Macomb County Election Department website updated just after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The deadline to file with the city clerk was 4 p.m. Tuesday. Candidates have until 4 p.m. Friday to withdraw their name.
Disqualified, withdrew
Fouts’ name was on the list but has a line through it and “(Disqualified)” listed after it.
On Friday, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled the longtime politician was not eligible to run this year for another term. Fouts, a former city councilman, was seeking a fifth, four-year term as mayor.
The appellate court ordered the city clerk to “immediately disqualify” Fouts as a candidate for mayor and to not place his name on the ballot after lawsuits by City Councilman Ronald Papandrea and the City Council questioned whether Fouts should be allowed to run because of term limits approved by voters in 2020.
Papandrea and the council sued the city clerk and the Warren Election Commission. Lawrence Garcia, an attorney representing the clerk and Election Commission, told the Free Press on Friday that his clients want to file an application to appeal with the Michigan Supreme Court.
More: Jim Fouts ineligible to seek 5th term as Warren mayor, Michigan Court of Appeals rules
More: Warren Mayor Jim Fouts files to run for 5th term despite term limit amendment
If the court takes up the appeal, a more consequential deadline would come within the next few months. Ballots will have to be finalized so they can be printed and sent to clerks by June 24, when clerks must transmit or mail absentee ballots to military or overseas voters who applied for one.
Fouts was not a party in the lawsuits, but the case directly affects his ability to seek a fifth term in office.
Papandrea, who said he would name Fouts deputy mayor if he won the mayoral race, withdrew his name from the mayoral primary.
So who filed to run for mayor?
Former City Councilwoman Kelly Colegio, who lost to Fouts in the general election in November 2019
George L. Dimas, the city’s human resources director
City Council President Patrick Green
Resident Alfonso King
Macomb County Commissioner Michelle Nard
Former City Councilman Scott Cameron Stevens, one of four city council members whose names were removed from the primary ballot for council by the Michigan Supreme Court in June 2019 in a separate term limit lawsuit.
State Rep. Lori M. Stone
Colegio also filed for an at-large council seat as well as the District 2 council seat. She can run for only one office.
City clerk candidates
Three people filed to run for clerk: City Clerk Sonja Buffa, Macomb County Commissioner Mai Xiong and resident Vince Berdy.
City Treasurer Lorie Barnwell was the lone filer for treasurer.
The treasurer and clerk seats each are four-year terms.
Long list of City Council candidates
There’s a laundry list of people who filed for two at-large seats and five district seats on the seven-member City Council, according to the unofficial candidate list. The council terms each are four years.
Twelve people filed for two at-large seats: Colegio and City Councilwoman Angela Rogensues, Marie C. Adkins, Khaja Shahab Ahmed, Jerry T. Bell, Donna Kaczor Caumartin, Dave Dwyer, Joan Flynn, Jocelyn Howard, Mike Reilly, Gloria Sankuer and Gary Skop.
Seven people filed for the District 1 seat, which is currently held by Papandrea. They are Bill Clift, Khaja Afzal Hussain, Mo Islam, Gary E. Jury, Shabbir Khan, Melody Magee and Charles Perry.
Six candidates filed for the District 2 seat: City Councilman Jonathan Lafferty, Colegio, Kabir Ahmed, Toni Kamel Cowper, Michael Howard and Adam Sawka.
Five people filed for the District 3 seat: City Councilwoman Mindy Moore, Jennifer Alton, Daniel Bozek, Chris Gillanders and Crystal Richardson.
Three people filed for the District 4 seat: City Councilman Garry Watts, Gary Boike and Seng Xiong.
Six people filed for the District 5 seat: City Councilman Eddie Kabacinski, Randy Hall, Jay Michael Jackson, Dana Kalinowski, Henry Newnan and Brittani Tringali.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Here's who filed for Warren mayoral primary election
