Campaign

Deval Patrick fails to make Michigan primary ballot

by Rachel Frazin - 12/27/19 5:17 PM ET

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick did not qualify for Michigan’s Democratic primary ballot.

Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers determined on Friday that Patrick’s petition was insufficient, an official for Michigan’s Secretary of State confirmed to The Hill.

A report from the State’s Bureau of Elections earlier this week found that his campaign had 8,660 valid signatures, less than the 11,345 required to qualify for the primary ballot. The report said that the campaign submitted a total of 13,777 signatures, but that some were found to be invalid.

Patrick was one of the last people to enter the primary race, joining the crowded field of candidates just last month.

Aleigha Cavalier, a spokesperson for his campaign, told The Hill in a statement that the campaign is “weighing our options to ensure that Deval Patrick is on the ballot in Michigan.”

“Our campaign was forced to collect more signatures than any other campaign, and did so,” Cavalier said. “Michiganders deserve to be able to choose from their full range of choices for President.”

A state Democratic party source previously told CNN that Patrick’s campaign hadn’t asked to be on the primary ballot.

“Any candidate who wanted to be included on that list could have contacted the Party,” the source reportedly said. “We were in contact with the candidates included on the list. The candidates have to request being on the list, and (Patrick) did not.”

A Patrick campaign aide told the news network that the campaign “believed we had to be in news coverage by (November 12) to make the party’s list.”

Patrick’s campaign has not yet made a significant impression in the polls in the crowded Democratic presidential field.

Tags 2020 election CNN Deval Patrick Deval Patrick