March 19, 2024
Annapolis, US 36 F

DaJuan Gay’s candidacy rejected by City of Annapolis, appeal in the work

DaJuan Gay

DaJuan Gay was running for Alderman in Ward 6’s special election yesterday. Today he is not.  Gay’s name was pulled from the City’s website leaving former Alderman Kenny Kirby and Yiannes Kacoyianni as the two democrats in the June 4th primary election.

We spoke to  Gay and learned that his candidacy was invalidated because the second page of his Certificate of Candidacy was missing the signature of his  campaign treasurer.  Gay said that he turned in the Certificate on the May 13th and it was accepted. He was notified on Thursday evening , May 16th that form would not be certified and that his name would not be on the primary ballot.

Gay is not a stranger to Annapolis politics as he ran for this seat in 2017 and lost to former Alderwoman Shaneka Henson in the primary. “Whenever I turned in a form in the past, they always looked at it to make sure it was complete; but this time they didn’t.”

We reached out to City Clerk Regina Watkins-Eldridge and our phone calls were not returned.

“Usually when you turn in a form, be it a campaign finance report or other election form, the Clerk’s office will review it for completeness prior to stamping the received date and time on it.” said a former elected official with the City.

Gay said he tried to appeal the decision earlier today and “didn’t get very far”; but plans to continue the appeal on Monday and feels confident that it may be reconsidered.

If not, he said he is fully prepared to mount a vigorous write-in campaign in the general election on July 2, 2019.

Gay’s candidacy is not the only one with questions. Several residents have questioned the legal residence of former Alderman Kenny Kirby who is also running to regain his seat. In 2012, an apartment in the HACA owned Harbor House community was raided by Annapolis Police where they discovered the Alderman. He explained he was staying with a niece.  Less than a month later, he told The Capital that his legal address was 100 Conley Drive, but “where I lay my hat, at the end of the day, is my personal business.” In August 2013, in the heat of a campaign, his residence was challenged and the Board of Supervisors of Elections claimed that he lived at 1236 Crow’s Nest Court which is the same address he is claiming now. But according to this WNAV report, the Board of Supervisor’s of Elections may have gotten it wrong as the residents of the address (in 2013) were unaware of who Kenny Kirby was.

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