District 6 City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero is fighting for the ability to run for re-election after she was disqualified from the August primary ballot over a $250 late filing fee.
Santiago-Romero said she was notified by the Wayne County Elections Division around noon on Monday. She hesitated to share details of the situation, pending possible legal action, but said the problem lies with a fine that she thought had been resolved. Santiago-Romero said the finance director for her campaign is working with the county to resolve the “clerical error,” and she’s confident she will be eligible to run for a second term.
“I hope the clerk sees this mistake and is able to fix this, I would feel better about this being human error,” she said. “If that’s not the case, I will be really upset. This is not my fault ultimately. We did everything correctly and mistakes were corrected.”
Sam Robinson first reported the ballot access denial for his substack reporting project Detroit One Million.
Daniel Baxter, chief operations officer of the Detroit Department of Elections, said he was told privately on Monday by Wayne County officials that Santiago-Romero was disqualified. Baxter said campaign finance issues are handled by Wayne County and declined to comment further on Monday. However, he said Santiago-Romero wouldn’t be the only candidate kicked off the ballot for similar reasons in past elections.
“It’s (Wayne County’s) call,” Baxter said. “Campaign finance is a serious issue.”
Questions posted to the Wayne County Elections Division were referred to Dorian Tyus, a spokesperson for the county clerk. Tyus did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Campaign finance statements posted publicly by Wayne County show Santiago-Romero was issued a notice on Oct. 28, 2024, stating she missed an Oct. 25 deadline to file a quarterly campaign finance statement. The letter said she would be fined $25 per business day, up to $500.
Santiago-Romero said her campaign filed its quarterly statement on time, providing an Oct. 25, 2024 email from the Wayne County Campaign Finance system confirming receipt of her report.
On Nov. 11, another letter informed Santiago-Romero that she filed the campaign statement under the wrong category. The letter states “we have deleted the incorrect report” and she could refile the statement.
The Wayne County Elections Division sent Santiago-Romero another notice on the same day stating that they received the proper documents on Nov. 8 and she would be assessed a fine of $250.
Santiago-Romero said corrections were made and proof was provided, but she was unaware she still had to pay the fee.
Santiago-Romero said the outstanding fine was flagged when she signed an affidavit of identity while dropping off nominating petitions last week at the Detroit Department of Elections.
Santiago-Romero said she needs Wayne County to provide the city of Detroit information that acknowledges the fine was waived. She said legal changes passed by the Michigan Legislature in 2021 removed the ability to resubmit an affidavit. Santiago-Romero suggested she would mobilize a write-in campaign if she is prevented from being on the ballot.
Candidates must sign a notarized affidavit swearing they owe no outstanding fees, are a U.S. citizen and meet other requirements to run for office. City Council candidates must also submit 300 nominating petitions to the Detroit Department of Elections by 4 p.m. on April 22.
Santiago-Romero faces a serious challenger in state Rep. Tyrone Carter, who is running to unseat her. Rapheil Cummings, Anita Martine and Jacqueline Sproles are also collecting nominating signatures, according to the Detroit Elections Department.
Santiago-Romero said resolving the issue has been “anxiety provoking,” as heavy-handed regulations mean an “innocent mistake has grave consequences.”
She was first elected in 2021 to represent District 6, which includes Southwest Detroit and eastenders east to cover parts of downtown and Midtown. New district boundaries take effect in 2026, with a few minor changes.
Santiago-Romero has led new legislation creating environmental protections for commercial dust pollution, advocated for stricter regulation on truck traffic alongside residential neighborhoods, organized immigrant rights education events, and has pushed large developers to strike community benefits agreements with Detroiters.
Santiago-Romero’s October 2024 filing showed she had $3,937 to spend on her City Council campaign. Her campaign war chest grew to $13,381 by the end of 2024. The next round of campaign finance statements are due Friday, April 25.
Candidates have until April 29 to challenge the validity of signatures turned in by their opponents.
