Flint, MI– Three familiar faces have been officially certified by the Flint city clerk’s office as candidates for the upcoming Mayoral primary election.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley, former Mayor Karen Weaver, and Councilman Eric Mays have each been certified and will appear on the Aug. 2 election ballot.
In order to be certified, each candidate needed to have at least 600 valid signatures by April 19, as required by the Flint City Charter.
Neeley said his administration “has been open and honest with Flint’s tax dollars” and has been successful in dealing with multiple issues.
“My administration has focused on the future of Flint’s residents while successfully addressing the existing challenges of a water crisis, financial crisis, health crisis, and civil unrest,” he said in a statement to Flint Beat.
In running for re-election, Neeley said he wants the city to move “forward together as One Flint.”
“We have provided strong leadership that displays a high-level of integrity, compassion, and dignity,” Neeley said in an emailed statement.
Weaver, Flint’s first female mayor, said that she is looking to be “a real voice” for the community.
“We have taken some wrong turns and it’s time to focus on the lives of the people of Flint,” Weaver said in a press release. “I’m running for Mayor because I want to be that voice for a better Flint.”
Weaver served from 2015 to 2019, surviving a recall election in 2017. She ran for a second term in 2019 but lost by about 200 votes to Neeley.
Now that he’s served his term, Weaver said she’s ready to be mayor again. During her mayoral bid announcement on March 5, she said she was ready to “bring down crime and address blight,” as well as fight for a fair water rate and access to clean water.
In March, Mays told Flint Beat he would want his administration to work together with the city council more than past administrations.
“This is the third mayor I’ve served under. Dayne Walling, Weaver, and Neeley,” Mays said. “And I haven’t seen a mayor attend and work with city council like they should for the betterment of the city. I’m talking about actually bringing staff and department heads constantly to council meetings and being available.”
Mays has served on the Flint City Council for more than eight years, and has run for mayor before.
The council recently voted to remove Mays from his role as council president– a vote he said he would be taking his colleagues to court over. He alleged that the vote was related to his running for mayor.
The Mayoral Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 2. The top two contenders will then face each other in the General Election on Nov. 8.
Two self-acknowledged Mafia members and one recognized for understanding Protocol, Process, Function, and Structure.
Good job Sir—Thank You for your Service.