The Michigan Democratic Party has dismissed a Michigan State trustee candidate’s appeal rejecting the official results of the annual Democrat State Endorsement convention following allegations of voting fraud.

This follows Sen. Sylvia Santana’s, D-Detroit, May appeal calling for an official recount, alleging that there were errors that occurred during the April 19 Detroit Huntington Place convention. 

In a June 2 press release, the MDP Spokesperson Leah Leszczynski wrote, “The appeal regarding this year’s endorsement convention was dismissed in accordance with the Committee’s appeals process. We thank every candidate who ran for our endorsement. We look forward to coming together to elect Democrats up and down the ballot this November.”

Santana ran against incumbents Brianna Scott, who is currently board chair, and Kelly Tebay Zemke for the two open spots on MSU's board of trustees. 

In the statement, the MDP shared the final endorsement results from the convention, with Scott earning 38.21% of the vote, Tebay Zemke earning 31.01% and Santana earning 30.78%. 

Santana could not be reached for comment at the time of publication. 

These totals are different from what Santana’s appeal alleged the totals were. 

In her appeal, obtained by The State News, Scott received over a third of the vote for endorsement with 38.1%, securing her spot ahead of the November elections. Tebay Zemke, however, received 30.9% of the vote to Santana’s 30.8%, winning by a margin of 15 votes. 

The 53-page May 2 filing reviewed location data tied to voting devices and found that more than 200 votes were cast remotely, violating party rules. Voters are required to be present at the convention when they cast their votes, according to the Michigan Democratic Party.  

Scott and Tebay Zemke will appear on the November ballot as the two Democratic candidates for MSU's Board of Trustees.