Shri Thanedar challenging campaign signatures submitted by Adam Hollier

Rep. Shri Thanedar's campaign is alleging one of his most significant primary challengers failed to submit enough valid petition signatures to appear on the Democratic primary ballot for Michigan's 13th Congressional District this August.

In a news release sent Tuesday evening, the Democratic congressman from Detroit's reelection campaign says it's challenging the petition signatures submitted by Adam Hollier, a former state senator who finished second to Thanedar in the Aug. 2022 primary for the 13th District. Hollier, however, told the Free Press Thanedar is attempting to disenfranchise voters and is using "legal tricks" to keep him off the ballot.

Thanedar's campaign says it's challenging 791 of the approximately 1,555 signatures submitted by Hollier's campaign. It alleges several reasons why the signatures shouldn't be accepted, including potential duplicate signatures, signatures from voters registered outside the 13th District, signatures from people not registered to vote or registered at wrong addresses and potentially forged signatures.

"Some of the signatures, the handwriting, look like just one person doing it all," Thanedar said in a Tuesday interview. "It just looks, in general, like the quality of the work seems questionable."

Longtime Michigan political consultant Mark Grebner reviewed the signatures at Thanedar's request, according to an affidavit submitted by his campaign.

Thanedar's campaign says it's asked the Wayne County Clerk's office to investigate the signatures. Ultimately, it's the Board of State Canvassers that will determine who appears on the August primary ballot.

If the signature challenge is unsuccessful and Hollier ends up on the primary ballot, Thanedar said "(w)e'll be happy to engage and show the voters the work that I have done in the job for nearly a year and a half now."

The 13th District covers part of Detroit, several Downriver communities and most of the Grosse Pointe communities. Its heavily Democratic lean makes the primary extremely competitive.

Hollier is one of four primary challengers vying to oust Thanedar after a single term, in a field that also includes Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters. He received the second-most votes among five Democratic candidates in the 2022 primary, receiving nearly 3,800 fewer votes, almost five percentage points, than Thanedar.

He's touted several notable endorsements, including from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and former U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, among others. Hollier said he ultimately believes he will end up on the primary ballot, despite Thanedar's challenge.

"I think Detroiters and people in the 13th Congressional District should be deeply frustrated that their Congressmember is trying to disenfranchise their ability to vote," Hollier said.

Along with Hollier and Waters, attorney Shakira Lynn Hawkins is running in the Democratic primary to challenge Thanedar, according to the Secretary of State's office.

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) @arpanlobo.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Thanedar challenging Hollier's petition signatures for Detroit seat