A 25-year-old Brighton man no one in the Green Party says they've met is locked onto the November ballot in Michigan's 7th Congressional District, the Lansing-anchored seat that could help determine control of the U.S. House.

Shane Dedrick was nominated April 25, 2026, at the Green Party of Michigan's virtual convention after joining a Zoom call with his camera off, telling delegates he wasn't a party member and that no one could vouch for him. The whole process took about 30 minutes. He filed for the ballot two days later, according to Livingston County candidate filing records, and has not been heard from since.

Federal Election Commission records show Dedrick donated $1 and $5 to Perry Johnson for President Inc. on March 7, 2023, through WinRed, the Republican fundraising platform. Johnson, a Bloomfield Hills businessman, ran briefly for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before failing to qualify for the debate series. In a separate campaign, Johnson lost the 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary to U.S. Rep. John James on Aug. 4. The Bulwark first reported Dedrick's contributions.

"To my knowledge, no one has heard from him since Saturday, April 25," Green Party of Michigan spokesperson Doug Marsh told WLNS 6 News via text message.

Marsh, who is also running on the Green Party ticket for U.S. Senate, called the situation unusual but said it is "equally likely that Dedrick was planted by Republicans, or that he just changed his beliefs." He said Dedrick left his affidavit of identity in his mailbox and a party member retrieved it. The party has not attempted to make contact at his residence.

WLNS reporters went to Dedrick's listed address, a six-bedroom condominium in a Brighton suburb owned by a family trust and estimated at nearly $1 million, according to a Zillow estimate. Three cars sat in the garage. No one answered. The station found no evidence of a campaign: no fundraising, no website, no FEC-registered campaign committee.

Michigan election law bars certified candidates from withdrawing. Dedrick's name will appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 3, ballot alongside Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett of Charlotte, Democrat William Lawrence of Lansing and Working Class Party candidate Felix Thibodeau of East Lansing. If Dedrick were found to be working for Republicans, Marsh said, the party could only disavow him.

The district went for President Donald Trump by one percentage point in 2024, the same year Barrett won the seat while Democrat Elissa Slotkin carried it in her successful Senate bid. House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Lansing on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and acknowledged the race could determine control of the chamber.

Donating to a political campaign and later affiliating with a different party are both legal. No allegation suggests Dedrick violated campaign finance or election laws, and there is no direct evidence he coordinated with Republicans.

Lawrence campaign manager Stevie O'Hanlon said in a statement that Republicans are resorting to dirty tricks and predicted voters will reject Barrett in November.

The Green Party nominates candidates by convention rather than primary. Marsh said vetting has gotten looser since 2024 as party leaders aim to grow a bigger, younger tent. At the April 25 convention, one delegate raised concerns about nominating someone unknown but later withdrew his objection. Another delegate said he'd vouch for Dedrick simply because the party needed candidates under 30.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.