In the same preliminary ruling, Washtenaw County Judge Carol Kuhnke also rejected Mark Brant’s request to cancel the Aug. 5 primary election.
MONROE COUNTY, Mich. — A judge in Ann Arbor has sided with the Monroe County Board of Commissioners’ effort to bar embattled former commissioner Mark Brant from reclaiming his seat, while also rejecting Brant’s effort to stop the primary election less than a week away.
On July 28, the attorney representing Mark Brant filed a lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment. The lawsuit was separate from the motion filed by the county last week, which sought a temporary restraining order against Brant, prohibiting him from taking a seat at the Board of Commissioners dais.
According to the county’s attorney, Phil Goldsmith, Brant’s new lawsuit called to “cancel the Aug. 5 primary.” Goldsmith also noted that Brant and his attorney never responded to the initial lawsuit filed by the county.
Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Carol Kuhnke combined the lawsuits from both sides — Monroe County’s case for Brant to be disqualified as eligible for his old seat and Brant’s filing to stop the Aug. 5 primary election — into one case and issued a preliminary ruling Thursday afternoon in her courtroom.
Kuhnke sided with the county, granting the temporary restraining order against Brant until an official ruling is made. She also denied Brant’s lawsuit, meaning the Aug. 5 primary will continue as planned.
Brant was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2024 to allowing his property to be used for illegal marijuana distribution. He resigned, but still won re-election. Commissioners ultimately declared his seat vacant due to his federal conviction.
But, Brant came back to the commissioners meeting on July 13 and defiantly sat in his seat, refusing requests to leave. He was allowed to stay and allegedly access a government-issued laptop and county files as if nothing had happened, despite him being ruled ineligible.
Two commissioner candidates released a statement criticizing the board of commissioners for allowing Brant to stay during that meeting.
No court date has been set as of yet. The case is being heard in Washtenaw County after all three Monroe County Circuit Court judges recused themselves from hearing the case.
Brant’s attorney has until Aug. 11 to file a brief for the judge to further his case. Monroe County has until Aug. 22 to file a brief.
This article was published by Andrew Bailey on 2025-07-31 21:49:00
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