2 Flint City Council candidates restored to ballot after signature challenges

FLINT, Mich — Races to determine who will represent Flint’s 3rd and 8th wards on the city council have gotten slightly more competitive with the return of two previously disqualified candidates.

Paradise Williams, a candidate for the 3rd Ward Flint City Council seat, and 8th Ward candidate Brandan Jamison have both been added to the August primary ballot as of May 7 after initially being disqualified due to a lack of certifiable signatures on their voter petitions.

The two candidates were both certified by successfully challenging their signature determination after it had been deemed invalid by the initial April 28, 2026 petition deadline, said Flint City Clerk Davina Donahue.

Williams will face 1st Ward council incumbent Leon El-Alamin in the Nov. 3 election. If elected, Williams said she plans to give special focus to the children of her ward by promoting mentorship programs and more opportunities for Flint’s youth. 

El-Alamin is vying for the 3rd Ward seat after redistricting placed his listed residence within the ward’s new boundaries. Current 3rd Ward Councilwoman LaShawn Johnson is also running in a different ward after redistricting shifted her residence into the 2nd Ward.

“I am glad to be back on the ballot,” Williams said. “I’m just a part of the community of the 3rd Ward. I’m in the streets with the people. I’m kind of more hands-on with what’s really going on in the neighborhood.”

Jamison will face Ezekiel Harris and Casey Lester in the Aug. 4 election to decide which two candidates will move forward to the November general election ballot. The 3rd Ward race will not have a primary since it only has two qualified candidates in the running. 

“After fighting hard to reverse my disqualification for city council we WON!!! I’m officially back on the ballot for the 8th Ward,” Jamison said in a May 6 post to his campaign Facebook page. “Never accept defeat and fight for everything you want in life, this is exactly why you should vote for me for city council’s 8th ward! I’ll never stop and I don’t take NO from anyone ever! I feel like we made history today!!!”

Monica Doss, another 8th Ward hopeful, also challenged her disqualification, but couldn’t get enough signatures certified upon review, Donahue told Flint Beat.

City staff validate voter petition signatures using qualified voter files (QVF) that are registered with the State of Michigan, Donahue said. In the event of a challenge to a disqualification, the city clerk is able to use a separate system to validate voter information using an original “master card” signature from when someone first registered to vote.

Donahue gives the example of someone who registered to vote 30 years ago whose signature has changed as they have got older. The “master card” allows certifiers to compare current signatures to an original record.

“We don’t have it for every voter, but when you first register (to vote), that signature that you use is recorded in an original format,” Donahue said. “In the future, as you sign other documents, your signature is recorded in the QVF.”

A total of 22 candidates have qualified for City Council seats now that Williams and Jamison are certified. The official ballot list of Flint City Council candidates currently reads as follows:

1st Ward

• Debra Coleman
• Cynthia Haynes
• Arthur Woodson 

2nd Ward

• Maurice Davis
• LaQuindra Hodge
• LaShawn Johnson (3rd Ward incumbent)
• Ladel Lewis (2nd Ward incumbent)
• Audrey Young

3rd Ward

• Leon El-Alamin (1st Ward incumbent)
• Paradise Williams

4th Ward

• Ramie Yelle

5th Ward

• Joel Arnold
• Wantwaz Davis
• Jeron Dotson
• DeWuan Robinson

6th Ward

• Dakota Starr

7th Ward

• Darell Brown
• Candice Mushatt (7th Ward incumbent)

8th Ward

• Casey Lester
• Ezekiel Harris
• Brandan Jamison

9th Ward

• Michael Harris