Ralph Rebandt and Kim Thomas will not appear on the August primary ballot for Michigan governor. The Board of State Canvassers ruled Thursday that neither candidate submitted enough valid petition signatures from registered voters to qualify.

The decision narrows a gubernatorial race that has drawn intense scrutiny over signature fraud allegations and campaign finance violations.

The Republican Field Shrinks

The board certified petitions for U.S. Rep. John James and businessman Perry Johnson, both of whom faced challenges to their paperwork. The Michigan Bureau of Elections determined each had enough valid signatures to meet the 15,000 threshold required to make the ballot.

James and Johnson will join Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt and former Attorney General Mike Cox on the Republican primary ballot.

Ralph Rebandt, a Southwest Michigan pastor, fell short. Elections staff found his random sample of 750 signatures lacked the number of valid entries needed to qualify.

"I'm still convinced that the 750 sampling is bad, it's a bad process. Nobody's challenged that yet. So our intention is to challenge that in a larger court. So that's where we're headed," Rebandt told reporters after the meeting, according to WEMU.

Rebandt and his lawyer asked the board for more time to prove his signatures were valid. The request was denied.

Johnson Survives Forgery Allegations

Johnson's path to the ballot was not clean. His campaign faced accusations that it printed required "paid for by" campaign finance disclaimers on petition sheets after voters had already signed them.

An affidavit from Johnson campaign staff, obtained by The Detroit News, alleged the campaign added the disclaimers to petitions featuring signatures from 10,000 voters after the forms were signed.

"That's forgery under the election law. That's not even a close call," Michael Pattwell, attorney for the political action committee Mission Michigan, told the board, according to WEMU.

Johnson's lawyer, Jon Burns, dismissed the claims as a bad faith attempt to disqualify his client. Board of State Canvassers Vice Chair Mary Ellen Gurewitz said the board never received a copy of the affidavit.

"We don't have the affidavit. So, what are we supposed to do? Act on a rumor?" Gurewitz told reporters, according to WEMU.

Michigan Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater noted that under the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, it is unclear whether the paid-for-by statement must appear on petitions. Even assuming a violation, Brater said it would not provide a basis to reject the signatures.

Johnson was one of five Republican candidates disqualified in a 2024 signature fraud scandal that resulted in criminal convictions for two individuals charged with criminal enterprise and election law forgery.

Paul Cordes, one of the two Republican commissioners on the board, previously served as campaign manager for Johnson's 2024 presidential campaign, according to Michigan Advance.

Democratic Side: Thomas Ousted

On the Democratic side, Kim Thomas, a math teacher and former federal auditor, was also rejected for failing to gather enough valid signatures.

Thomas vehemently pushed back against that finding during the meeting, according to WEMU.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson will make up the Democratic slate for governor, with both having their petitions certified.

Senate Race Also Affected

The board's decisions extended beyond the governor's race. Bernadette Smith, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, also failed to submit the required number of signatures. That leaves former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers unopposed in the Republican primary for the Senate seat.

The Democratic Senate slate includes U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed.

What Comes Next

The Board of State Canvassers voted unanimously on the recommendations from the Bureau of Elections. The board consists of four commissioners, two Democrats and two Republicans.

Rebandt signaled he intends to challenge the sampling methodology in court. Whether that challenge succeeds remains to be seen. The August primary is now set with a defined field on both sides.

Holland voters in Allegan County will see a narrower choice on the ballot than earlier campaigns suggested.