Michigan election bureau says 2 leading Republican candidates for governor filed fraudulent signatures, disqualifying them

— Michigan’s elections bureau said late Monday that five Republican candidates for governor, including two leading contenders, failed to file enough valid nominating signatures and should not qualify for the August primary.WATCH: How one Michigan family is trying to stay afloat amid historic inflationThe stunning recommendations immediately transformed the race in the battleground state and dealt a major blow to former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who has led in primary polling despite campaign problems, and businessman Perry Johnson, who has spent millions of his own money to run. Please check your inbox to confirm.Johnson, a self-proclaimed “quality guru,” vowed to fight the recommendation from the bureau, which is part of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s department.“The staff of the Democrat secretary of state does not have the right to unilaterally void every single signature obtained by the alleged forgers who victimized five campaigns,” campaign consultant John Yob said in a statement. “We strongly believe they are refusing to count thousands of signatures from legitimate voters who signed the petitions and look forward to winning this fight before the board, and if necessary, in the courts.”The bureau said it was working to refer the fraud to law enforcement for criminal investigation.“At this point, the Bureau does not have reason to believe that any specific candidates or campaigns were aware of the activities of fraudulent-petition circulators,” staff wrote.The bureau identified 36 circulators who submitted sheets consisting entirely of invalid signatures across at least 10 campaigns, including for governor and local judgeships.