After U.S. Rep. John Conyers's campaign turned in 2,000 signatures—twice the number needed by state law—Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garret first disqualified over 800 of the signatures for various reasons, then found another 317 were gathered by unqualified petition circulators. That's—minus three, carry the one—at least 117 signatures shy of the 1,000 needed.
If Conyers "doesn't make the Democratic primary ballot in the race for his 26th two-year term in office, it will be a major embarrassment, to say the least," say Kathleen Gray and Todd Spangler for the Free Press. But "it will not necessarily spell the end of Conyers' congressional career."
Could he go the write-in route like the one Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan took?
The Freep writes that he could pull it off with his deep connections.
"He's blessed with better name recognition than anyone else planning to return in Michigan's congressional delegation, as well as five decades' worth of favors to call in and high-placed friends to count on. Anyone counting out the 84-year-old Conyers too soon does so at their own risk…
"Besides having some of the best legal representation available, should Conyers not make the ballot, he can tap into a sprawling support network that includes trial lawyers, telecommunications and software firms, long-standing ties with recording artists like Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones—not to mention the UAW and other big unions, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus he helped found.
"And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Ex-Conyers staffers are scattered liberally through Washington's power corridors, including a former staffer who now works in Microsoft's Washington office."
It's all who you know indeed.
Garrett is still deliberating on the validity of the signatures submitted by the Conyers campaign. The decision hinges on whether or not two of his petition circulators were registered voters. That decision—possibly coming as early as this week—could then face legal challenges, according to the Free Press.
Conyers has until June 6 to make it on the ballot. -- Danny Fenster
