The Arab American Political Action Committee on Wednesday voted to contribute to several state election campaigns and endorse one candidate for Democratic nomination.

Jocelyn Benson

The group will give $1,000 each to Michigan gubernatorial candidates Andy Dillon, a Democrat, and Michael Bouchard, a Republican, and to Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
AAPAC also endorsed Benson for nomination. Democratic party leaders are to decide on Secretary of State and Attorney General nominations at an April 17 endorsement convention.

“Benson is a breath of fresh air for that position,” said AAPAC President Mariam Saad-Bazzi. “She’s a fighter for civil rights… voting rights. She’s a person that would be great for not only this community but for the whole state.

Benson has met Arab Americans in Dearborn multiple times and has spoken in favor of measures that would help immigrant communities vote like election-day registration, multi-lingual ballots and no-reason absentee ballots.

AAPAC members said the contributions to the Dillon and Bouchard campaigns were a “token of appreciation” for maintaining ties with the community over the years.

Ficano announces re-election bid

Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced he will run for re-election on Thursday during a reception at a UAW Solidarity House.

A crowd of about 250, including Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, both of whom have been considered potential rivals for the county executive, attended and showed support.

“We know the future is going to be in Wayne County, that’s why we’re not running for governor, we’re running for re-election in Wayne County,” Ficano said.

UAW President Bob King also expressed support for Ficano. County unions have been at odds with Ficano over furloughs and budget cuts.

Cox joins challenge to federal health care legislation

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox joined several states this week in filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of health care legislation signed by the President.

The lawsuit challenges Congressional authority to force citizens and permanent residents to purchase health insurance or face penalties.

Cox is running for the Republican nomination for governor. One of his GOP opponents, Michael Bouchard, who is Oakland County Sheriff, also spoke out against but called the legal challenged flawed. He told the Macomb Daily on Wednesday the state should skip the lawsuit and instead withhold federal tax payments to protest the program.

Democrats have blasted Cox’s move. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, another gubernatorial candidate, accused Cox of “wasting state tax dollars, disenfranchising Michigan residents who need affordable health insurance, and undermining the state’s economic recovery.”

“He knows perfectly well that there is no legal merit whatsoever to his claims,” Bernero said in a statement. “He is simply playing to the irrational fears of the far right wing of the Republican Party to boost his bid for governor.”

The challenge posed by Cox and the 12 other attorneys general was filed immediately after President Barack Obama signed the overhaul bill Tuesday. Cox has also criticized a measure in the legislation that Republicans have called the “Cornhusker Kickback,” which allows the State of Nebraska to avoid paying a share of an expansion of Medicaid, forcing other states to pick up the tab.