Michigan voters who want to see Kid Rock upend Washington, D.C., will likely have to mark their ballot for Robert Ritchie if the rap and rock star decides to run for the Senate.
While the Michigan secretary of state hasn’t made a formal ruling, most legal experts in the state are certain that a person’s legal name is what must appear on a ballot, and not a nickname of any kind.
It may sound like a trivial matter, but name recognition is a key factor, and could be the most important factor for Kid Rock if he runs.
The Detroit News reported that Michigan law does have a minor exception for candidates that can prove they’ve used another name in a common-law sense if the name has been used to conduct personal or legal business for six months, but experts say this exception may not apply to Ritchie.
Several polls in July have shown Kid Rock within striking distance of incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow. And while he hasn’t made any formal announcement – not even of an “exploratory committee” of the kind that can do polling and some loose fundraising – he still tweeted in mid-July that his campaign website was real.
“I have had a ton of emails and texts asking me if this website is real… http://kidrockforsenate.com The answer is an absolute YES,” he tweeted on July 12.
Ballot rules wouldn’t prevent Kid Rock from campaigning as Kid Rock, so it’s all a question of educating voters.
“People will come to know his real name. I don’t know if it’s that much of an issue,” Eric Doster, a long time lawyer for the Michigan Republican party told The Detroit News. “Like Eminem. He’s a Michigan guy, and everyone knows his name is … Mathers.”
