Detroit Mayoral Election: Hendrix Wants A Recount

Originally posted at LJ's Blogorific.
I just ran across this over at the local ABC affiliates website. I posted on another story here from the Detroit News commenting on irregularities in this Mayor's election in Detroit. Here's the story.

Mayoral candidate Freman Hendrix challenged the results of this month's Detroit mayoral election Tuesday evening. He asked that ballots be recounted by hand.

"It is a provision within the law that any candidate that seeks an office may request a recount," Hendrix told 7 Action News Tuesday.

Hendrix lost to Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick by about 14,500 votes in the November 8 General Election. Those results were certified by the Wayne County Board of Canvassers Tuesday.

More below.

Continued.

The candidate pointed to "Issues leading up to the election, on Election Day, and activities and issues that occurred after Election Day." More specifically, he singled out "canisters that were recovered after Election Day" and "transmission lines that presumably went down on Election Day." He also brought up computer software troubles.

Too bad there aren't any Republicans in Detroit to call Hendrix a sore loser. This is what you're supposed to do when there arediscrepanciess in an election (John Kerry.)

Although I suspect a recount will produce the same results,transparencyy in the election process in imperative.

And shit, who knows, maybe Kwame did lose. But the only way to be certain is to recount.

•  Tip:

  Don't run for office in Detroit.
  

  by The 1n Only Leoni on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 09:19:50 PM PDT

•  It'll be interesting...

  I remember the paper headlines the morning after.  People were standing in front of newspaper stands scratching their heads.  "Kwame won?  Huh?"

  by pico on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 09:47:01 PM PDT

•  I dunno

  Unlike Gore, who withdrew his concession quickly when it became apparent that he was within striking distance, why did Hendrix wait so long?

  by TLS66 on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 10:05:38 PM PDT

  •  I think it has to do with

    the election results being validated first, before a recount can be asked for.

    by The 1n Only Leoni on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 10:10:24 PM PDT

    •  Well..

      I wouldn't be surprised if Hendrix won. Kirkpatrick, from what I hear, is such a sleaze. He would have no qualms about gaming an election.

      by TLS66 on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 10:19:05 PM PDT

      •  No downside for Hendrix

        The recount will cost him only $10 a precinct, or $6,200. And with the irregularities we've read about, anything can happen.

        The big downside is that the GOP will use this election and its aftermath as an excuse to push for Draconian voting "reform" laws.

        by Dump Terry McAuliffe on Wed Nov 23, 2005 at 05:18:20 AM PDT

•  It's weird

  I read about it the day after, there were so many things similar to the 2004 presidential election--two seemingly very polarizing candidates, shady exit polling, the relatively easy concession the next morning by the "loser", even reports of harassment by members of the Michigan Republican Party! This will only get stranger, I know it...

  "Coming Soon: Wal-Mart Super Center"

  by Detroit in Appalachia on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 10:16:09 PM PDT

  •  If Republican's were

    mixing it up in Detroit's election, it wasn't to the benefit of Kwame Kilpatrick.

    Kwame may as well be Fidel Castro to Michigan Republicans.

    This state is getting out of hand.

    by The 1n Only Leoni on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 10:27:40 PM PDT

    •  I know

      That's why it all seems so odd--if it were going the exact same way, Hendrix would have taken the win, and I imagine Kilpatrick would have demanded a recount immediately.

      Re the state: agreed, from my present perch far away from my native land. Detroit politics have always been crazy (I forever have etched in my head the TV shot of the recall petition against former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer with the name "Toyota Camry" in one of the name spaces), but the situation in the last five years since my family left there looks pretty dire. I'm heading up thataways in January, will see as much as I can of the changes that've taken place... I know right before I left Wal-Mart had infiltrated my pristine homeland...

      "Coming Soon: Wal-Mart Super Center"

      by Detroit in Appalachia on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 10:49:36 PM PDT

      •  Dress warmly when you come up here

        Winter is closing in already. We're expecting 1 to 3 inches of snow today, and below-freezing temperatures all day tomorrow.

        At least I can chill my beer in the garage for a few months.

        by Dump Terry McAuliffe on Wed Nov 23, 2005 at 04:57:08 AM PDT

        •  Same here

          Saw the first snow of the winter yesterday in the Huntington Mall parking lot. Been dipping into the 20s the last couple weeks on occasion. But there's nothing like a good old Michigan winter... heheeee...

          "Coming Soon: Wal-Mart Super Center"

          by Detroit in Appalachia on Wed Nov 23, 2005 at 08:07:09 AM PDT

•  Doesn't seem to matter what the candidates want

  If Jackie Currie (the city clerk) wanted Kwame to win, he won.  If Freman had bought her the nicer hat, she would have swung the election to him.

  Sorry, I just remember living there in 2000 and hearing all the stories about all the trouble she caused.  She's got to be the most powerful paper pusher in the country.  I remember something about her office's employees being locked down in Cobo because they were under investigation by the feds.  I don't live there anymore, but my parents still live in Center Line and I try to keep up with what's going on.

  by Slartibartfast on Wed Nov 23, 2005 at 12:17:38 AM PDT

•  Poll amendment

  Could you add a category for: Jeez I hope so.

  by shirah on Wed Nov 23, 2005 at 05:07:42 AM PDT