The filing deadline for candidates interested in running for mayor or city council in the city of Flint passed on April 21, and the Genesee County Clerk’s office shared the unofficial list of candidates who submitted nominating petitions.
Once signatures and residency are certified, races with more than two candidates will face off in a primary election on August 4. The top two vote getters in each race will then face each other in the general election on November 3. Council and mayoral elections in the city of Flint are nonpartisan.
The candidates hoping to be on the ballot in each ward and for mayor are listed below.
City of Flint Mayor
- Sheldon A. Neeley (incumbent)
- Tonya Burns
- Micaiah J. Owens
- Roshanda Womack
First Ward
- Debra J. Coleman
- Dione M. Freeman
- Cynthia Haynes
- Skeeter D. Holmes*
- Arthur Woodson
* NOTE: Holmes was disqualified from the ballot, first reported by Kate Stockrahm of East Village Magazine
Leon El-Alamin, the incumbent in the first ward, is now running in the third ward due to ward map boundaries being redrawn last year.
Second Ward
- Maurice D. Davis
- Laquindra Hodge
- LaShawn Johnson
- Ladel Lewis (incumbent)
- Audrey Young
Lewis is the second ward incumbent. Johnson is the third ward incumbent, however she is now running in the third ward due to ward map boundaries being redrawn last year.
Third Ward
- Beverly Biggs-Leavy*
- Leon El-Alamin
- Kiron Green
- Paradise Williams
* NOTE: Biggs-Leavy was disqualified from the ballot, first reported by Kate Stockrahm of East Village Magazine
Third ward incumbent LaShawn Johnson, who was appointed to a partial term last year after the death of former councilman Quincy Murphy, is now running in the second ward after new ward boundary maps were drawn last year.
Fourth Ward
- Judy Priestley (incumbent)*
- Kane Symons**
- Tracy Frazier
- Ramie Yelle
* NOTE: Priestley was disqualified from the ballot, first reported by Kate Stockrahm of East Village Magazine. Priestley told EVM and Flint Beat that she plans to run as a write-in candidate.
** NOTE: Symons posted on is social media that although he collected the required number of signatures, he was disqualified for not being a registered voter within his ward for more than a year. “I lived here for three years in this home in the fourth ward I understand the requirement of being a registered voter in your ward for at least one year,” he wrote.
Priestly has said in media reports that she plans to run as a write-in candidate. There will not be a fourth ward primary since only two candidates have a chance at being certified.
Fifth Ward
- Joel Arnold
- Wantwaz Davis
- Jeron Dotson
- DeWaun Robinson
Incumbent councilwoman Jerri Winfrey-Carter announced earlier this year she would not be running for re-election.
Sixth Ward
- Dakota Starr
Incumbent councilwoman Tonya Burns is not running for re-election because she is running for mayor. There will not be a sixth ward primary since only one candidate has a chance to be certified.
Seventh Ward
- Darell Brown
- Candice Mushatt (incumbent)
There will not be a seventh ward primary since no more than two candidates will be certified.
Eighth Ward
- Monica Doss
- Ezekiel Harris
- Brandan Jamison
- Casey Lester
Eighth ward incumbent Dennis Pfeiffer announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election.
Ninth Ward
- Michael J. Harris
- Jonathan Jarrett (incumbent)
Since no more than two candidates will be certified, there won’t be a primary election for the ninth ward.
The Genesee County Clerk’s office noted that candidates have until April 24 to withdraw from the election.
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