The Michigan Court of Appeals panel voted on Tuesday to uphold a circuit court’s ruling that Mike Duggan is ineligible to run for mayor because he did not meet Detroit’s residency requirements.   

Under the city’s charter, a candidate must be a resident and a registered voter for one (1) year at the time of filing for office. The issue was whether “at the time of filing” means the date a candidate files for office or May 14, 2013, filing deadline. Mr. Duggan registered to vote on April 12, 2012, but filed to run on April 3, 2013.

On Wednesday, Duggan announced he would not appeal the decision to the Michigan Supreme Court nor run as a write-in candidate. This decision means that he is no longer a Detroit mayoral candidate for 2013. During an emotional news conference, Duggan took full responsibility for filing too early and pledged he would continue to support Detroit’s rebuilding efforts.  

The August primary will send the top two vote-getters to the November general election ballot. With Duggan’s departure from the race, the front runner for the position is Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon. However, there are 15 candidates vying for a spot on the November ballot.