Black lawmakers call for probe of GOP House candidate over campaign ad with wrong election date

Black state lawmakers in Michigan have called on the state’s attorney general and a county prosecutor to investigate Tom Barrett, a GOP candidate for the US House, over a newspaper advertisement in a Black-owned newspaper that listed the wrong date for Election Day.

Black state lawmakers in Michigan have called on the state’s attorney general and a county prosecutor to investigate Tom Barrett, a GOP candidate for the US House, over a newspaper advertisement in a Black-owned newspaper that listed the wrong date for Election Day. The complaint from the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus alleges that the Barrett campaign potentially violated state law with the printing of an ad in the Michigan Bulletin, a Black-owned publication serving Lansing, that tells voters to vote on November 6, when Election Day is on November 5. Barrett faces Democrat Curtis Hertel in a competitive race to succeed Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. Barrett campaign spokesman Jason Roe called the mistaken election date “nothing but a proofing error.” “Our campaign has been committed to outreach to the Black community and Black leaders because it is important to Senator Barrett that every community be heard in this election” Roe said. “The publisher of the Bulletin notified us of the error on Saturday and we’ve provided him with revised art for next week’s issue.” The campaign pointed to other mailers sent to Black voters that have the correct date for Election Day.