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Twin brothers who tried to run for Dallas mayor and a Metropolis Council seat have filed lawsuits towards town alleging their bids have been illegally disqualified by election officers.

Jrmar and Lamar Jefferson, each 42, are searching for a Dallas County decide’s assist to order town to place their names on the election poll.

Jrmar Jefferson, who filed to run for mayor, was instructed by Metropolis Secretary Bilierae Johnson that he didn’t have sufficient legitimate signatures from registered voters to qualify by the Feb. 17 submitting deadline, based on his lawsuit. The election is Might 6.

“Plaintiff alleges that the administrator went past the bounds of code and her job description to make sure Plaintiff’s title wouldn’t be positioned on the poll,” his lawsuit mentioned.

Lamar Jefferson, who filed to run to symbolize South Dallas in District 7, was instructed he didn’t qualify as a result of he wasn’t registered to vote in Dallas County, based on his lawsuit.

Lamar Jefferson isn’t listed as a sound voter in Dallas County on-line information as of Wednesday. Jrmar Jefferson, nevertheless, is listed as a registered voter within the county as of Dec. 18, 2022.

“The defendant made (an) egregious error in failing to certify candidate Lamar Jefferson certified software leading to a deprivation of rights and entitlement to poll entry,” his lawsuit mentioned. “Metropolis Secretary Bilierae Johnson knowledgeable plaintiff to ‘problem me in court docket.’”

The Jeffersons and town haven’t instantly responded to requests for touch upon the lawsuit.

The twins are additionally asking a decide to order town to carry separate elections for the mayor and District 7 races, which might be held someday after Might 6.

“Plaintiff has already misplaced beneficial campaigning time as a result of metropolis of Dallas’ actions and plaintiff could also be unable to get well if a brand new election isn’t referred to as,” Lamar Jefferson’s lawsuit mentioned.

The brothers deny that they didn’t meet the necessities to qualify for the poll and are representing themselves of their lawsuits. Each mentioned of their lawsuits that they’d employed consultants, purchased marketing campaign indicators and incurred different bills whereas operating for metropolis elected positions.

Each filed on the final day to qualify for the Dallas election poll.

Incumbent Eric Johnson would be the solely title listed for Dallas voters on the poll for mayor this yr. A challenger, Kendal Richardson, has launched a write-in marketing campaign.

Within the race for District 7, incumbent council member Adam Bazaldua faces Marvin Crenshaw, Tracy Dotie Hill and Okema Thomas.

In November, Jrmar Jefferson misplaced to now-U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran to symbolize East Texas in Congress. He received the Democrat nomination in a runoff to oppose Moran final Might.

He has additionally run for political workplace a number of occasions in California, together with a 2016 run for mayor in Elk Grove, about 15 miles southeast of Sacramento, in addition to for a place on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in 2014.

Jrmar and Lamar Jefferson have appeared as contestants on American Idol

In his go well with, Jrmar Jefferson mentioned he submitted greater than 100 pages of signatures to the Metropolis Secretary’s Workplace, however solely 52 pages have been reviewed as a result of Johnson mentioned the opposite pages weren’t notarized or lacked a time stamp.

Johnson instructed him he had 288 legitimate signatures from registered voters, based on the lawsuit. The requirement for the mayor’s race is at the very least 404.

“The town of Dallas has violated, injured and broken the rights of the Plaintiff by denying placement of Jrmar ‘JJ’ Jefferson’s title being positioned on the poll as a candidate and [subjected] him to public humiliation and embarrassment,” his lawsuit mentioned.

Lamar Jefferson mentioned in his lawsuit that he’s a registered voter and that the county voter register “blended up” his voter identification quantity along with his brother’s.