Detroit senator, Trump supporters among candidates booted from primary election ballots

Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press
·4 min read
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A sitting state senator, embattled judge from Detroit and a handful of ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump — including one spoofed on national television after spreading misinformation about the 2020 election — were disqualified Tuesday from running for state office, according to the Michigan Department of State.

Those ousted from the ballot include:

  • State Sen. Betty Alexander, D-Detroit, the only currently serving lawmaker who was disqualified.

  • 36th District Court Judge Kahlila Davis, on the bench since 2017. She was suspended in 2020 after allegations of misconduct by the Judicial Tenure Commission and filed a $10 million federal lawsuit against a former judge she accused of harassment, according to the Detroit News. She faces new allegations of misconduct and as of late April remained suspended.

  • Mellissa Carone, whose combative and misleading performance next to ex-Trump campaign attorney Rudy Giuliani at a 2020 legislative hearing garnered lampooning on "Saturday Night Live." Carone was disqualified from running for a state Senate seat in Macomb County, after she was already disqualified from running for a state House seat in the area.

  • Jon Rocha, a west Michigan Republican endorsed by Trump. He sought to represent the new 78th House District, located just east of Grand Rapids.

  • Eddie Kabacinski, a Republican and Warren city councilman, who sought a statehouse seat. He was arrested in 2020, accused of impersonating a police officer and assaulting a woman who put Black Lives Matter stickers on Trump yard signs. He's awaiting trial.

More: Dominion tells Mellissa Carone, others to stop spreading election misinformation

More: Analysis: Michigan GOP lawmakers silent as party leader, others spread incendiary rhetoric

Mellissa Carone, left, joined Trump campaign attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis at a Michigan legislative hearing in December. She is one of several people Dominion Voting Systems has accused of spreading misinformation about the vote tabulating company.
Mellissa Carone, left, joined Trump campaign attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis at a Michigan legislative hearing in December. She is one of several people Dominion Voting Systems has accused of spreading misinformation about the vote tabulating company.

The department indicated these four and seven others were booted from the ballots because they did not pay outstanding fines or file missing campaign finance reports at the time they filed an affidavit necessary in order to run for office, violating state campaign finance law.

The affidavit, which candidates must sign, indicates all reports, fines, fees and other necessary payments or paperwork are in order at the time the document was filed.

"Some of the candidates paid fines after signing their affidavit of identity, or subsequently paid their fines, then withdrew their affidavits of identity and filed new affidavits of identity," states a news release from the Michigan Department of State.

"Regardless of steps the candidates took after submitting affidavits of identity with false statements, the department is prohibited by the Michigan Election Law from certifying the candidates’ names to the ballots for this election because they executed an affidavit of identity containing a false statement."

Alexander's chief of staff, LaMar Lemmons, told Gongwer News the issue is a $50 fee that was paid after she filed her affidavit of identity. The campaign plans to hire an attorney to contest the department's ruling, he said.

The Detroit Democrat is in her first term as a state senator. Her 2018 primary victory came as a bit of a surprise to the party establishment after she handily defeated well-known Democratic Sen. David Knezek.

More: Meet 'mystery person' Betty Jean Alexander who won state Senate primary

More: Benson: No mass mailing absentee ballot applications, but clerks need help

Other candidates disqualified for filing affidavits despite not paying fees or filing reports include:

  • Alberta Talabi, a former state lawmaker and Detroit City Council member, running for a state Senate seat.

  • Ronald Cole, a Detroit Republican running for a state House seat.

  • Chris Martin, a candidate for 54B District Court judge in East Lansing.

  • Vernon Molnar, a Pontiac Democrat running for a state Senate seat.

  • Chase Turner, a South Lyon Republican running for a state House seat.

  • Lawanda Turner, a St. Clair Shores Democrat running for a state House seat.

The state also disqualified four candidates for reportedly not providing enough information in their filing, or for providing information that indicates they are ineligible to run.

Those candidates are:

  • Faiz Aslam, running to represent Ann Arbor and other parts of metro Detroit in the 6th Congressional District.

  • Michael Shallal, a Sterling Heights Republican running for a state House seat.

  • Steven Thomas, a Dryden Republican running for a state Senate seat.

  • Howard Weathington, a candidate running for a Metro Detroit state Senate seat.

Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit senator, Trump supporters among candidates booted from ballots