Kelly Takes Out Petitions for Ann Arbor Mayor

Ann Arbor city clerk staff have confirmed that Bryan Kelly has taken out petitions to run for mayor of Ann Arbor as an independent candidate. Kelly took the petitions out on June 3, 2014. To appear on the Nov. 4, 2014 general election ballot, he’ll have until July 17 to collect at least 50 valid signatures from each of the city’s five wards.

Kelly is the only potential candidate so far who could oppose the winner of the August Democratic primary, which features four sitting city councilmembers: Sabra Briere, Sally Petersen, Christopher Taylor and Stephen Kunselman.

Kelly had previously taken out petitions to run for Ward 1 city council, but had been told by the city clerk that he did not meet the city charter residency requirements. Those requirements were recently struck down in a federal court ruling.

However, it was not that ruling that made it possible for Kelly to run for mayor. According to city clerk Jackie Beaudry, the issue with Kelly’s eligibility to serve as a councilmember related to his residency in Ward 1 for under a year before the election. He’d moved within the city into Ward 1 under a year before the election. But he would have qualified to run for mayor no matter the outcome of the federal court case.

Kelly is employed at Great Lakes Cycling & Fitness.