U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman ordered U.S. Rep. John Conyers' name placed on the August primary ballot, despite Michigan election officials who said the Democrat was ineligible because of nominating petition problems, The Associated Press reported.
Leitman issued an injunction reinstating Conyers to the ballot, saying a Michigan law that puts strict requirements on petition circulators is similar to an Ohio law that was struck down as unconstitutional by a federal appeals court in 2008, according to the AP.
Longtime Detroit-area Democratic congressman John Conyers' bid for reelection suffered a blow on Friday when state officials said errors in his nominating petitions left him without enough valid signatures to appear on the primary ballot, according to the AP.
The Michigan Secretary of State's ruling came after local elections officials earlier this month tossed out hundreds of signatures collected by campaign workers for Conyers, 85, who was first elected to Congress in 1964 and is second in seniority in the body, the AP reported. Both state and local election officials said the signatures had errors and were gathered by people who were not registered voters in Michigan.
Conyers was required to submit at least 1,000 valid signatures to appear on the August primary ballot, according to the AP. The Michigan Secretary of State's office found that Conyers had just 455 valid signatures.
Conyers is challenging in federal court the Michigan law requiring the circulators to be registered voters in the state. A judge in Detroit is expected to rule as soon as Friday, the AP reported. If his appeals fail, Conyers could attempt to run as a write-in candidate.
Conyers is one of America's most prominent black politicians and is a former chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee, according to the AP. Conyers ranks second in seniority behind fellow Michigan Representative John Dingell. Dingell, who is retiring this year, is the "dean" of the House, having arrived in 1955.
