Full Statement | Tues. May 7
LANSING, Mich. — In an effort to disqualify Bob Lorinser from the August ballot, his Democratic opponent, Callie Barr, filed a frivolous challenge against the validity of Lorinser's nomination petitions with the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
Barr based the vast majority of the challenge on her false assumption that circulators must collect all signatures in a 180-day window before filing. However, this requirement does not exist for partisan Congressional candidates.
The law is crystal clear. A 180-day statute applies to 'Nonpartisan Qualifying Petitions,' a completely different type of petition for another kind of candidacy, such as a justice without party affiliation. It does not pertain to 'Partisan Nominating Petitions' required for Democrats and Republicans running for federal office. Ms. Barr grossly misinterpreted an election code that is not applicable to the Democratic Congressional Primary.
Callie Barr's attempt to disqualify Bob Lorinser from the primary ballot is based on a "fundamental misunderstanding of the Michigan Election Law," it's "improper," "lacks any credibility," and should be "summarily rejected."
With other frivolous complaints listed in detail below, Barr also attempted to invalidate the signatures of many qualified registered electors.
The Lorinser campaign vigorously defended nearly every nomination that Barr challenged. Barr filed hundreds of challenges to signatures without any legitimate cause. It appears her sole goal was to contest enough nominations to disqualify Lorinser, regardless of their merit.
Ms. Barr used extremely inaccurate data, a flawed unofficial database, and irresponsible misinterpretations of the election code in her effort to discard and disenfranchise voters.
Most egregiously, she falsely claimed that a signer was deceased at the time of signing. The Lorinser campaign proved to the Bureau of Elections that her allegation is patently untrue. These voters have active public voter files with the Secretary of State, and Barr has no discernible reason to challenge many of these signatures.
The challenge is not only a callous attack on Lorinser's integrity but also on the integrity of the Democratic process.
Callie Barr's attempt to disqualify Lorinser is entirely frivolous.
Bob Lorinser is dedicated to running a positive campaign and remains committed to maintaining an open and honest dialogue with the public. He wants the political debate to focus solely on the issues that matter and each candidate's character. It is essential we allow voters to choose the candidate best suited to improve the lives of hardworking people in Michigan's 1st District.
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