Abdul El-Sayed is the first Democrat to turn in his signatures to be on the 2018 ballot for governor.
Abdul El-Sayed was born and raised in Michigan, but he spent several years in New York. And that’s where the problem begins – he voted in that state in 2012. Now the question becomes whether that invalidated his Michigan registration and subsequent eligibility to run for governor.
A spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office says it won’t look into El-Sayed’s eligibility on its own. Rather, someone would have to file a challenge.
El-Sayed says he isn’t worried.
“I can’t tell you what’s on other people’s minds. I do know that I am eligible, and I think everybody else in this race does too, so, we’ll see.”
“If you’re asking if I’m eligible to run for governor, I think all of us are here because I am. I’ve been a resident of Michigan since I was a kid. I’ve been registered to vote in this state since I was 18 and registered to vote for John Kerry.”
“I am 100 percent eligible to run for governor and we will do everything that we need to move forward in terms of both getting on that ballot and more importantly having the conversations that matter about ideals and ideas among voters in the state of Michigan to win that election.”
A spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office says it won’t look into El-Sayed’s eligibility on its own. Rather, someone would have to file a challenge.