A political controversy has erupted in the town of Wilmer after a mayoral candidate was kicked off the ballot.
Emmanuel Wealthy-Williams filed an application to run for mayor with the city secretary on Jan. 22.
"She notarized it, said it was all good, and she approved it. I was so excited. We took pictures, and I left thinking everything was done," Wealthy-Williams said.
On Tuesday, Wealthy-Williams was told that she would be kicked off the ballot.
Her opponent, incumbent Mayor Casey Burgess, complained that her paperwork was incomplete because she did not list an occupation.
Wealthy-Williams is a housewife.
"An occupation is defined by working and getting paid. I'm not working and getting paid, so there was nothing for me to fill out or fill in," she said. "The city secretary addressed that. She knew I was a housewife and wasn't getting paid, so there was nothing to fill in."
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After consulting with attorneys from the Texas Secretary of State's office, the city secretary deemed the application invalid.
The challenge came after the filing deadline, so Wealthy-Williams's campaign was left scrambling.
"I should have been able to have the opportunity to fix it," she said.
Wealthy-Williams refiled her paperwork and can now run as a write-in candidate, but she believes her second chance gives her opponents a clear advantage come Election Day.
According to the Wilmer city secretary, voters will have to go through a multi-step process to vote for Wealthy-Williams.
"They're going in thinking that my name is going to be on there, so now I'm going to have to now educate the community about what it means to be a write in candidate," Wealthy-Williams said. "I believe I have every right to be on that ballot."
Wealthy-Williams called the complaint petty.
In response to her criticism, Burgess said he was simply pointing out a violation of state election laws.
"Ms. Wealthy-Williams's application for a place on the ballot failed to meet the form and content requirements mandated by state law. The application clearly says not to leave the 'occupation' box empty. Ms. Wealthy-Williams inexplicably left this box empty," Burgess said. "I'm sorry that she's upset, but she is the one who failed to properly fill out the application. All I did was point this fact out."
Wealthy-Williams said she is going to take her fight to court.
"(The city secretary) had the discretion to take her name off the ballot, but she also had the discretion to leave her name on the ballot," said Justin Moore, Wealthy-Williams's attorney. "Having her name put prominently on the ballot is best, not only for her but for the folks in Wilmer who might be supporting her."
Regardless of the outcome in court, Wealthy-Williams said she's still going to fight to win the election.
"Wilmer needs, right now, someone to stand up for us," she said. "You won't stand up for a city if you don't stand up for yourself."
