Half of the eight candidates who will appear on the primary ballot for Detroit’s mayoral race are felons, according to a report by the Detroit News.
The News reported that three were charged with gun crimes, and two for assault with intent to commit murder. The earliest was reportedly committed in 1977, and the latest crime in 2008.
Greg Bowens, an NAACP actives and onetime press secretary for Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, told the News that having felonies on your record isn’t new — nor is it isolated to Detroit.
“Black marks on your record show you have lived a little and have overcome some challenges,” Bowens said. “They (candidates) deserve the opportunity to be heard, but they also deserve to have the kind of scrutiny that comes along with trying to get an important elected position.”
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