Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett denied a challenge from a Democratic candidate for the Michigan House to have his opponent disqualified from the August primary ballot.

“This moment is a powerful affirmation of justice, and I am deeply grateful to the supporters nationwide, the Michigan Democratic Party, and the elected leaders who stood with us,” Joanna Whaley said in a statement.

Last week, former state representative Frank Liberati, who is running for Michigan’s 2nd House District near Detroit, filed a complaint with the clerk accusing his opponent, Whaley, a Lincoln Park clergy member, of not listing her legal name when she filed to run for office.

Liberati accused Whaley, a transgender woman, of violating state campaign finance law by not listing her deadname in campaign paperwork, citing a lapsed name change petition from 2023.