Detroit City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero to be on 2025 ballot, drops lawsuit
Santiago-Romero filed a lawsuit last week after the clerk's office did not certify her election paperwork due to an outstanding late fee assessed against her for missing an October 2024 deadline for filing a quarterly campaign finance report with the Wayne County Clerk's Office, which handles campaign finance records. The Detroit clerk's office, in response, disqualified her from the ballot. But Santiago-Romero said she was certain she filed everything on time and provided evidence, such as confirmation receipts, to reporters and the court.
Per a pending court order through the Wayne County Circuit Court, the incumbent District 6 council member will appear on the Aug. 5 primary ballot and the disputed late fee will be waived. Both the campaign and city clerk's office confirmed she will be on the ballot. The order is expected to be signed and finalized on May 6 by Wayne County Circuit Judge Patricia Perez Fresard.
'I'm relieved that the facts have been cleared up, and I'm qualified to be on the ballot,' Santiago-Romero said. 'Last week was truly a nightmare, and the hardest week I've ever had as a candidate. What kept me hopeful was the outpouring of support I received daily from our community — this fight was never about me, it was about us. I look forward to continuing to campaign to represent our district, and I'm grateful to both the Detroit city clerk and the Wayne County clerk for working with me to rectify this error.'
Election 2025: Detroit mayoral, city candidates submit petitions to run for office
Santiago-Romero said she received an emailed confirmation indicating that her Oct. 25, 2024, campaign finance report was filed on time. But the campaign mistakenly filed it as a "pre-general" election statement instead of a "quarterly" statement, and the county asked her to refile it on Nov. 11, 2024 — but not before hitting her campaign with a $250 late fee. The council member said she was unaware of any issues or fees when she filed her nominating petitions and signed her Affidavit of Identity with the city of Detroit on April 17, until her campaign received a letter from the city clerk indicating she was disqualified because of the late fee. Part of the language of the affidavit asks the petitioner to attest that they owe no past fees in order to be eligible to run. In the meantime, the campaign consistently attempted to reach the county clerk, providing several records indicating she turned in her paperwork on time, before filing the lawsuit.
Dozens of supporters on April 25 stood behind Santiago-Romero at Clark Park in southwest Detroit, part of her district, as she demanded to be placed on the ballot, claiming she was wrongfully disqualified, and that she'd be forced to consider running as a write-in candidate if the court ruled against her.
Sergio Martinez, 37, and Ed Gies, 63, were among the supporters who stood behind her. Martinez said Wayne County's handling of the issue was "unprofessional" at the time and should have been "clear, open and honest, and have provided their receipts" as the campaign has.
"She shows up for us. She gets our issues. She was raised in the city. We've known her well before she even got into elected office, and I think that the people who are running against her, in general, don't get our community like she does. They don't show up even to campaign in this area," Martinez said. "We're here to get justice, to get on the ballot, and to make sure that democracy works as it should."
Gies said that "with democracy being under threat," he was concerned that it could affect local politics.
"Seeing our neighborhood champion ... not allowed to be on the ballot, it's really tragic," Gies said.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gabriela Santiago-Romero to be on primary ballot for Detroit council
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