LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The sole Democrat vying to represent northern Michigan’s 1st Congressional District says he can prevail as a write-in candidate should a technical gaffe jeopardize his appearance on the primary ballot.
Matt Morgan said on Monday the state’s Bureau of Elections told him it will not recommend his nominating petition be certified. He said he plans to go before the Board of Canvassers this month and argue to qualify for the August primary. If that fails, he will urge supporters to write him in as the Democratic nominee.
“I want to make one thing clear: We will be on the ballot in November,” he said, adding that there is “sufficient grounds” to argue that his absence from the ballot “would disenfranchise thousands of voters.”
Fred Woodhams, spokesman for Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, said Morgan’s use of a post office box address on his nominating petition threatens his candidacy eligibility. He said he has no memory of past candidates becoming snagged in this specific situation.
“What we consistently tell candidates is they need to provide their residential address,” he said. “This has been a long-standing rule. State law requires the state address to be put on a petition sheet.”
Woodhams said his office is still calculating the threshold of votes Morgan would need to clear to clinch the Democratic nomination in August as a write-in candidate. The minimum would hinge on a formula that state law requires based on the district’s population size.
Morgan, a retired Marine Corps officer and a political outsider, seeks to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman in a seat known as one of the country’s most rural congressional districts. But the region had been in Democratic hands for about two decades until the tea party movement and Republican-led redistricting in 2010. This midterm season, the district could be within striking distance of being swept in what the Democrats describe as a progressive “blue wave” overtaking the House - if this ballot mishap doesn’t sink them.
Michigan Republicans responded to the petition blunder by blasting Morgan’s qualifications.
“Matthew Morgan failed to do the most basic of tasks, that is, putting his correct home address on a government form as required by statute,” said the state’s GOP chairman Ron Weiser. “If you can’t follow a clear legal requirement, you’re probably not the right person to write or review federal legislation.”
Bergman spokesman John Yob chastised Morgan, saying “the incompetence of the opposition will not slow down General Jack Bergman.”
For now, Morgan is soliciting campaign funds to brace for a voter outreach blitz in the event of a write-in campaign. He is also doubling down on his brand of not being a “career politician.”
“When we started the campaign, we didn’t have a physical campaign office,” he said. “We did have a post office box and we thought that was the right address to use.”
As for the possibility of the conundrum escalating to state courts, he said he is “absolutely not taking that off the table.”
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