Snyder Sets Special Election To Fill Detroit-Area House Seat After Criminal Case

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Special races to fill a vacancy created by a Detroit-area lawmaker's resignation will be held in regularly scheduled elections in August and November.

Gov. Rick Snyder announced Thursday that the primary to succeed former Rep. Brian Banks will be Aug. 8. The general election will be held Nov. 7.

Banks, a third-term Democrat from Harper Woods who has a lengthy criminal record, resigned last week as part of a plea deal after being charged with submitting fraudulent pay stubs to secure a $3,000 loan in 2010. He was sentenced Friday to one day in jail -- time served.

Snyder says he wanted to hold the special election as soon as possible but also not schedule a separate election just for Banks' seat, which would have cost communities more money.

The 1st House District includes Harper Woods, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Shores and a portion of Detroit.

Banks, 40, was previously convicted of writing bad checks and credit card fraud. In the current case, he was accused of seeking a $7,500 personal loan from the Detroit Metropolitan Credit Union by submitting false pay stubs from IHI Attorneys + Consultants. He stated the loan's purpose was for a bar review course.

In 2015, the state paid nearly $12,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Banks by a former aide who had been fired. The House spent about $85,000 on outside lawyers in the case.

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