Sara Cambensy will appear on the November ballot as an Independent candidate for Michigan's 38th Senate District after the Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, to accept her qualifying petitions over a challenge alleging she falsely signed as a petition circulator.

The ruling sets up a three-way general election for the open Upper Peninsula Senate seat: Cambensy against Democrat Kelli Van Ginhoven and Republican Dave Prestin.

Marquette resident Linda Donckers filed the challenge July 23, represented by attorney Mark Brewer of Goodman-Acker. Brewer, described in the complaint as the longest-serving Michigan Democratic Party chairman, argued Cambensy should be disqualified entirely for "falsification of documents," according to Upper Michigan's Source. The central allegation: a friend physically circulated three petition sheets while Cambensy was nearby, yet Cambensy signed as the circulator. Three affidavits from registered voters (John Peter Braamse, Robert Buchkoe and Maija Fox) supported the claim.

Cambensy testified in person at the hearing. She told the Board the challenge was rooted in Democratic Party resentment over her decision to run without party affiliation. She also said two of the three affidavit signers had since emailed her saying they were asked to sign after a few drinks, and that she forwarded those emails to the Board.

She recalled meeting one affidavit signer at Lower Harbor Park in Marquette, being introduced personally and having a lengthy conversation with the woman.

Board Vice Chair Mary Ellen Gurewitz called the allegations "troubling" and said she understood the challenger's argument that a standard should be set to hold circulators accountable. But she said she did not see enough evidence to disqualify Cambensy entirely. The Board voted to accept the petitions.

A staff review posted Aug. 10 had already recommended validation. That review found 197 invalid signatures out of 2,349 submitted, leaving 2,142 valid, well above the 1,500 required for independent candidates, according to WZMQ.

Cambensy submitted her petitions July 16. Donckers' challenge contested roughly 1,000 of those signatures, alleging Cambensy signed 110 petition sheets as circulator, accounting for 837 signatures, without personally collecting them, My UP News reported.

Cambensy told My UP News on Aug. 15 that the effort was politically motivated: "We feel at this point that they were starting with the problem, which is how do we get Sara off the ballot and backing it up from there..."

The Marquette County Democratic Party denied direct involvement, saying in a written statement that the challenger is an individual citizen, not a party member, and that the concerns are a serious matter for the Board to investigate. The party added that Cambensy's public statements had "spent more time making erroneous accusations than addressing the concerns in the challenge." Bobby Anttila, who is employed by the state Democratic Party and serves as vice chair of the Marquette County Democratic Party, was listed in the complaint as the notary who administered the oath and also filed the FOIA requests used to gather evidence. Marquette County Democratic Party Chair Jennifer Figler told My UP News she had called some petition signers to verify whether Cambensy had been their circulator but said she was not involved with the formal complaint.

Neither Donckers nor Brewer has publicly responded to the ruling. The three candidates will face voters in the November general election.