Suzanna Shkreli

LANSING, MI -- Macomb Assistant Prosecutor Suzanna Skhreli will officially replace actress Melissa Gilbert as the Democratic candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat, the Secretary of State's office has determined.

The official replacement comes three months after Gilbert, famous for her role as Laura Ingalls on the show "Little House on the Prairie," dropped out of the race due to lingering medical issues from injuries sustained in 2012.

The Democratic candidate in the race faces incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, in the general election. Bishop campaign spokesperson Stu Sandler previously referred to the situation on the Democratic side as "unprecedented" and said the Congressman's focus was on talking with voters and families in the district.

Gilbert appeared on the 8th Congressional District Democratic primary ballot in August because her withdrawal from the race came too late to change the ballot.

But for the general election ballot, some questioned whether Gilbert's announcement was sufficient for her to drop out as a candidate. The 1929 law lists two conditions under which a candidate can drop out: if they move out of state or are "physically unfit" to continue running for office.

At Monday's Board of State Canvassers meeting, Secretary of State Elections Director Chris Thomas said the office had come to the conclusion that it was the party, not the state, that had to determine whether a candidate was medically unfit to serve.

"They're the ones that are basically the filing official, they're the ones that have to accept it in the first place before taking the next step to appointing the nominee," Thomas said.

Thomas said the department looked into the prospect of whether the Secretary of State has the authority to determine whether a candidate was medically unfit to serve "just far enough to know it's not a road we want to be on."

The Michigan Democratic Party had provided the Secretary of State with medical documents from Gilbert and a signed letter from her doctor earlier this month.

In July, Shkreli, who was most recently assigned to the Child Protection Unit of the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, was chosen by district Democrats as the replacement candidate.

Jason Hanselman, legal counsel for the Michigan Republican Party, questioned the party's role in vetting Gilbert's medical documents at Monday's Board of State Canvassers meeting and said either the Secretary of State or the Board of State Canvassers should have to scrutinize the application to withdraw.

"It looks like the Secretary of State has simply abdicated this duty under the Michigan election law," Hanselman said. "There just has to be some sort of check."

Hanselman made the hypothetical argument that if a longtime Congressman was getting old and wanted a family member to take his seat, he could theoretically manipulate the process and announce a candidacy, but drop out and convince the party to nominate his family member in his place.

"This board has a duty and a right to evaluate the application to withdraw," Hanselman said. "Even if the Secretary of State is right and you don't have that authority, the Secretary of State must have that authority. They have to determine whether to permit the candidate's withdrawal."

State Canvasser Norm Shinkle, a Republican, said he's not sure the Board of State Canvassers is the right venue for such decisions.

"We just have never dealt with this before," he said.

Mary Ellen Gurewitz, attorney for the Michigan Democratic Party, said the scenario provided by Hanselman has never happened and has nothing to do with Gilbert's situation.

"It's only the boards of election commissions that have any obligation to do anything, and their job is simply to put the candidate that the party has notified of them on the ballot," Gurewitz said. "It's really the party's decision completely."

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon commended the decision in a statement following the meeting.

"The law was already clear, but we're pleased with the Board of Canvassers' decision today to confirm for Michigan Republicans that the people of Michigan's 8th Congressional District deserve to have a choice on Election Day," Dillon said.

MLive reporter Emily Lawler contributed to this report.