DEARBORN — With new district maps drawn, State Senator Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) is looking to be re-elected to the newly drawn Second Senate District.

Santana served in the Michigan House of Representatives, serving the Ninth District from 2017 to 2018 when she was elected to represent the Third District, covering the cities of Detroit, Dearborn and Melvindale, as senator.

“The Second District is one of the most diverse and vibrant communities in the state,” she said. “I have represented Detroit and Dearborn since my time as state representative and I look forward to adding the cities of Dearborn Heights and Allen Park.”

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who previously worked with Santana at the state level, said he fully endorses her.

“Sylvia’s all heart and all passion,” he said. “She attends just about every neighborhood or community organization meeting. She understands the issues that impact working people across all of our various respective cities that we call home. And when she’s in Lansing, I’ve seen it myself, she’s advocating day in and day out on what she can do, whether it be advancing legislation to advocate for change, which we know she is a criminal justice reform champion, or whether it’s on securing appropriations to bring down to help move and improve the quality of life for our residents.”

Hammoud also noted that Santana helped in securing the funds that helped improve Dearborn’s 911 dispatch center as well as an entrepreneurial innovation institute at Henry Ford College.

“She’s respected by individuals in both chambers and colleagues on both sides of the aisle and has a strong working relationship with our governor,” he said. “That’s the type of senator that we want to send back to Lansing to help represent the new district. I am fully confident and I stand by her from day one. She’s more than just a colleague, Sylvia’s family. The Santanas are family and they make themselves family because they show up in times of need. They’re not only there for you in moments of joy, they’re there for you in those moments of grief and those moments of sorrow. And that’s the type of leaders we need with that human element, that human touch. So I’m proud to stand up here and say that I proudly support and endorse Sylvia Santana for her re-election to the State Senate.”

While Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi could not be in attendance at the press conference, Hammoud announced Bazzi’s endorsement for Santana on his behalf. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan also voiced his support and endorsement for Santana.

“My priorities for the next four years will focus on strengthening our small businesses and reinvesting in our infrastructure,” Santana said. “A strong Michigan requires a strong logistics and supply chain management system. The pandemic has identified weaknesses in our economy that we need to address in a serious way so that we are an economically competitive state.”