February 4, 2004

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that a special election will be held to fill a vacancy in the 17th District of the Michigan House of Representatives. The special election will be held concurrent with the upcoming August primary and November general election.

The vacancy was created by the resignation of Representative Daniel Paletko who resigned his office to serve as Mayor of Dearborn Heights.

The special primary will be held on Tuesday, August 3, 2004, with the special election held Tuesday, November 2, 2004. The deadline for Democratic and Republican candidates to file nominating petitions or filing fees will be 4:00 p.m. May 11, 2004. Candidates without party affiliation may file qualifying petitions until 4:00 p.m. July 15, 2004

"By holding the special election concurrent with the primary and general election in August and November, local units of government will not have to bear the added cost of holding a special election solely for the purpose of filling the vacancy in the office," Granholm said.

Granholm noted that her decision is consistent with the new election consolidation law recently passed by the Legislature, which she signed into law, limiting the number of special elections in the state.

Holding special elections at the time of a regularly scheduled election is not unprecedented. The vacancies created by the March 1988 resignation of Representative Virgil Smith, the January 1992 resignation of Representative Teola Hunter, and the March 1998 resignation of Senator Henry Stallings were all filled by special elections held in August and November in those years.

Under the Michigan Constitution and the Michigan Election Law, the decision of when or if to call a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of state representative is a decision left to the discretion of the Governor.