Ward 5 Council Member Kenyan McDuffie filed an appeal Friday to overturn the board of elections ruling that found him ineligible to run for D.C. attorney general.
The board found Monday that McDuffie has not been “actively engaged” as a lawyer for at least five of the past 10 years, as D.C. law requires.
“I have appealed the Board of Elections’ erroneous decision on the minimum qualifications required for Attorney General candidates,” McDuffie said in a statement.
“Legal experts, original proponents of the law that created the independent, elected office of attorney general, and residents across the District all agree that the Board’s decision is simply wrong. I am confident that we will succeed on appeal and ensure that District residents ultimately decide who is most qualified to be our next Attorney General.”
McDuffie said he’s seen an outpouring of support since the board’s ruling.
The D.C. Court of Appeals needs to make its decision by April 28 to meet the deadline for printing ballots. If it doesn’t, McDuffie is asking for “a temporary stay of the Board’s decision and, if necessary, of the upcoming primary election in order to prevent irreparable harm to Mr. McDuffie and to the District’s voters,” the appeal said.
D.C.’s primary is June 21.
The challenge to McDuffie’s candidacy was brought by Bruce Spiva, who’s also vying for the AG position.
