I was disappointed to learn on February 14 that the Franklin County Board of Elections did not certify my petition for the May 6 primary ballot. While I respect the role of the Board in upholding fair elections, I believe that some valid signatures were incorrectly invalidated, and I am committed to ensuring that every voter’s intent is honored.
Upon learning of my petition’s status, I immediately began working to verify and affirm the legitimacy of the signatures we collected. Since then, I have personally reached out to citizens/voters who signed my petition, and I have gathered affidavits confirming that they did, in fact, sign in support of my candidacy.
On February 14, I submitted a request for reconsideration to the Franklin County Board of Elections, and did not receive a communication response for 13 days, and on February 28 I submitted a request for a public review of my petition signatures, as well as an opportunity to present the affidavits I collected. Given that my petition was originally reviewed and certified in a public meeting, I believe that my reconsideration request should be granted the same level of transparency and due process.
Since the very beginning, this campaign has been built on people power, not party politics. The strength of our democracy lies in ensuring that every vote and every voice matters. That’s why I remain committed to seeing this process through—not just for myself, but for the voters who took the time to sign their names in support of my candidacy.
I will continue to fight for fairness, inclusion, and transparency. No matter what, I remain grateful for the support of this incredible community and for the opportunity to work alongside so many people who believe in a more prepared and inclusive Columbus.
-Densil-