Barrow: Duggan write-in campaign a desperate move

[caption id="attachment_4162" align="alignright" width="288"] Mike Duggan[/caption] DETROIT - Mike Duggan is back in the race for mayor of Detroit. Duggan announced June 28 that he’s going to run as a write-in candidate.  Ten days ago the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that Duggan did not meet the Detroit City Charter residency requirement to run for mayor. The following day, June 19, Duggan announced he would respect the Appeals Court ruling and not seek further action in the state’s highest court. “Too much damage” has been done, Duggan said, stating that his campaign couldn’t recover from the two court rulings that he was ineligible to run. At a press conference announcing his write-in campaign, Duggan says the rulings to take him off the ballot fueled his support and thanked mayoral candidate Tom Barrow for filing the lawsuit for having him removed. Barrow called Duggan’s effort "creepy" and "desperate." “It's creepy when a man tries to force himself on you against your will, and that is what Duggan is doing in his last desperate grasp to satisfy the political bloodlust of his supporters," he wrote in a statement. Barrow says Duggan’s actions to move forward despite the court’s ruling show the former DMC CEO, his supporters and campaign contributors seem to care nothing for the rule of law. "With this decision, Duggan thinks he is better than the City Charter, better than the four judges, better than two Michigan courts, better than an entire field of qualified candidates.” Barrow plans to file another suit challenging the write-in. "According to Judge (Lita) Popke's order Mr. Duggan is ineligible to appear on the August 6, 2013 ballot," says Geoffrey Garfield, Barrow's campaign director. Garfield says the judge's order states the defendant (City Clerk) shall remove Duggan's name from the list of candidates. Any action where Duggan's name is on the Aug 2013 ballot is against the judge's order. However, Garfield says, Duggan is free to run as a write-in in the general election in November.   Staff report Related articles: http://michigancitizen.com/duggan-out/ http://michigancitizen.com/duggan-ordered-off-ballot/