Ex-Flint mayor ousted in water crisis loses state House bid

FLINT, Mich. – An ex-mayor who was ousted by voters in 2015 amid a lead-tainted water crisis in Flint has lost his bid for a seat in the Michigan House.

Results of Tuesday’s Democratic primary for the Flint-area seat showed Dayne Walling with 31 per cent, while John Cherry, who has worked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, advances to the November election with 47 per cent.

Walling told The Flint Journal that perception of his time as mayor, including his handling of the water crisis, was a factor.

In 2014 and 2015, Flint was run by state-appointed emergency managers when it didn’t properly treat corrosive Flint River water. Lead in old pipes contaminated the water.

Walling and other officials initially told residents the water was safe. They eventually blamed state and federal agencies for the problems.