Garnell Whitfield Jr.'s Buffalo mayoral campaign to run as an independent candidate has been blocked by the Erie County Board of Elections.
The board unanimously decided to block his bid for the fall general election, county board of elections commissioner Jeremy Zellner said. Bipartisan staff questioned several details with campaign signatures, including some names being illegible, residents who did not actually live in Buffalo, and people signing who had already signed for another candidate, Zellner said.
Whitfield stated his case Wednesday to the board, after Buffalo Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon's campaign challenged the legitimacy of Whitfield's registration as an independent candidate earlier in the election cycle.
According to WIVB News, Whitfield has confirmed he will not pursue his mayoral campaign further or challenge the county board of election's decision.
In 2021, then-Mayor Byron Brown lost a similar hearing with the county board of elections after his primary defeat, which led him to file appeals in court, which he ended up losing.
