Detroit 2005: A Profile Of A Hectic Election Recount
“They are often resembling hand-to-hand combat.”
A presidential recount would be an enormous undertaking unlike any we’ve seen in the history of Michigan elections. It’s been decades since the last statewide ballot recount, and that wasn’t related to a presidential race.
But we have had a high-profile recount more recently right here in Detroit.
In 2005, Freman Hendrix, who was challenging incumbent Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, sought a hand recount for a race he lost by about 15,000 votes. That’s a wider margin than the presidential race in Michigan this year by about 4,000 votes.
Attorney Melvin “Butch” Hollowell, who now serves as Detroit Corporation Counsel, was in the room while that recount took place. He joins Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson to talk about that experience.
“I think I lost five pounds during that recount,” says Hollowell. “They are often resembling hand-to-hand combat.”
Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.
