League of Women Voters Withdraws Sponsorship of SVSU Candidate Forum Because Qualified Libertarian Candidate, Ali Sledz, Was Excluded

-- All Three Local Leagues Withdraw from Saginaw Valley State University’s Great Lakes Bay Region Candidate Forum, Citing Failure to Provide Voter and Candidate Opportunities –

MIDLAND, MI – February 27, 2026 – On Thursday, February 26, the League of Women Voters—including its three local chapters consisting of  the LWV of Michigan, LWV of the Saginaw Area, and LWV Midland Area—withdrew sponsorship of Saginaw Valley State University’s (SVSU’s) Great Lakes Bay Region Candidate Forum to be held on March 25, 2026 on the premises of taxpayer-funded SVSU.

In a brief email to attorney Kerry Lee Morgan on Thursday, Judy Florian (Michigan League of Women Voters Vice President of Voter Service) wrote the following:

I am writing in response to your February 23 email…regarding the 35^th District Forum and the exclusion of the Libertarian candidate.

The League of Women Voters of the Saginaw Area and the League of Women Voters of the Midland Area have withdrawn their sponsorship of the forum hosted by Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU).

The League will not serve as a sponsor for any event that does not include all qualified candidates. We strongly believe that every candidate should have the opportunity to participate.

Please note that participation decisions are made by SVSU, which controls the format and invitation process for this event.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to contact me.

Attorney Kerry Morgan, recipient of the email, specializes in municipal law, employment discrimination, civil rights, and educational policy, among other disciplines. He has received recognition as a Michigan “Super Lawyer,” an honor given to fewer than 5% of the state’s most respected attorneys.

Running as The Accountability Candidate, Ali Sledz expressed gratitude for the League of Women Voters decision: “We live in a highly polarized climate. Publicly funded institutions and high officials are frequently unaccountable for their actions. I was deeply heartened by the League decision. It’s exceptional and refreshing to hear that an organization of the League’s standing immediately recognized the injustice of SVSU’s discriminatory behavior when informed about it. SVSU purports to be an ‘educational’ institution, but it screens out libertarians, who preserve the most vibrant and consistent political ideas. It’s an indictment that they have betrayed their educational mission.”