Brenda Jones launches write-in campaign for congressional seat

(WJBK) - Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones raised questions about the integrity of the race she lost for Congress. So now she's going to try again

Jones says concerns about the integrity of the Democratic primary race she lost for the congressional seat long-held by John Conyers prompted her to launch a write-in campaign.

She called the contest controversial, but did not provide specifics about what may have gone wrong in the race she lost to Rashida Tlaib.  Jones says constituents urged her to run a write-in campaign. 

She will run as an independent against Democrat Tlaib. Because there is no Republican candidate, the winner will go to Washington in January.

ML Elrick: "Madam president, are you worried that people may consider you a sore loser?"
 
"I'm not a sore loser. What's a sore loser?" Jones said. "I'm listening to my constituents who say run a write-in campaign."

Jones is still well, let's not say sore, about losing the democratic primary. It was a close race so close that she says she will wage an independent write-in campaign against Tlaib.

"I was narrowly defeated in a hotly contested and controversial primary election," Jones said. "This raised much concern among the constituents who felt the need for me to address the concern publicly.

"So many voters contacted my campaign with issues about the integrity of the process. so let me say that their concerns are my concerns as well."

Elrick: "So did Rashida Tlaib steal this election, or did Janice Winfrey fail to count the votes?"
 
"I don't know what happened, I can't say because I wasn't there," she said.

Jones did not provide specifics about what she believes went wrong on election night, beyond citing some of the vote counts she saw posted as evening went on.

"The votes were at a specific number and the screen changed again, indicating they were just doing maintenance, and then when the screen came back up, the numbers changed completely," Jones said.

Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey dismissed Jones' concerns.  She said both the Wayne County and State Board of Canvassers found no problems with the election.

Winfrey also says Jones is one of the three members of the Detroit Election Commission and is therefore part of the process she is now criticizing. 

TJ Bucholz, an adviser to Tlaib, says jones is wasting her time.

"To win an effort like the one (Jones) is undertaking, you have to have time, money and worth ethic. And Jones doesn't check any of those boxes."

In the meantime, Jones doesn't seem interested in getting to the bottom of what she says went wrong with her last race with Tlaib.

Elrick: "Madam president should that primary be investigated? You're raised some very serious questions."
 
"I have a meeting," Jones said.

"But that's a just a yes or no question," Elrick said.

Jones didn't offer many details about how she can win the race, but she says she's doing it "for the people of Detroit."