GOP candidate for Michigan governor loses key ballot ruling

By ED WHITE
Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — A Republican candidate for Michigan governor has lost his bid to get on the Aug. 2 primary ballot. It’s the first key court decision since election officials found campaign petitions rife with fraudulent signatures. The ruling affects Perry Johnson, a wealthy businessman considered to be a leading candidate for the GOP nomination. But the decision could also apply to three other candidates, including former Detroit Police Chief James Craig. He’s also been dropped from the ballot. There seems to be no dispute that fraudulent signatures were turned in by paid circulators, though there’s no evidence that the candidates were aware of the scam. Johnson says he would meet the 15,000-signature threshold if the state elections bureau would examine each petition line by line.