• Harris’ losses surpass 20,000 Votes in the three cities compared to Biden’s 2020 results

• Trump gains around 6,000 additional votes in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and 2,000 in Hamtramck to what he received in 2020.

Dearborn

For the first time since 2000, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump won the cities of Dearborn and Dearborn Heights in the November 5 election. Trump’s vote count in these Arab-majority cities rose by approximately 6,000 votes compared to the 2020 elections, where he lost to Joe Biden.

The shift in voting behavior among Arab Americans was evident in Dearborn, where dissatisfaction with Biden’s administration, particularly its support for Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon, led to Vice President Kamala Harris receiving only 23 percent support in Arab-majority precincts, compared to Biden’s 88 percent in 2020.

If similar trends are mirrored across other Arab-majority cities, it’s likely the Arab vote was crucial in Trump’s victory in Michigan. Trump won the swing state by 80,000 votes, reversing Biden’s 154,000-vote margin from 2020. However, 30 percent of voters in Arab-majority precincts opted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein instead of supporting Trump.

Vote breakdown in Dearborn:

• Trump: 17,796 votes (42.48 percent), an increase of 4,557 votes from 2020.
• Harris: 15,189 votes (36.26 percent).
• Stein: 7,697 votes (18.37 percent).

In 2020, Biden won Dearborn with 30,638 votes (68.72 percent), while Hillary Clinton secured 25,000 votes (63 percent) in 2016.

Arab American vote impact:

Focusing on the eastern and southern parts of Dearborn, where Arab voters constitute more than 90 percent of registered voters in most precincts, Trump’s gains were primarily driven by the Arab vote:

• Eastern Dearborn precincts:
  • Trump: 7,449 votes (+3,824 votes compared to 2020).
  • Harris: 3,758 votes.
  • Stein: 4,966 votes.

Trump’s outreach efforts, including promises of Middle East peace and targeted campaigning in Arab-majority areas, resonated with voters disappointed by Biden’s policies in the Middle East and the blind support for Israeli atrocities in Gaza and in Lebanon.

Dearborn Heights

Similarly, Trump secured a majority in Dearborn Heights, where Arab Americans make up 40 percent of the 63,000 residents:

• Trump: 11,079 votes (44 percent), up from 9,749 votes (36.4 percent) in 2020.
• Harris: 9,643 votes (38 percent).
• Stein: 3,789 votes (15 percent).

Voter turnout in the city was 52 percent.

Hamtramck

Although Trump saw a notable increase in support in Hamtramck, a city traditionally aligned with the Democratic Party, Harris narrowly retained a lead:

• Harris: 3,266 votes.
• Trump: More than 3,000 votes, gaining approximately 2,000 more votes compared to 2020.

In 2020, Biden won Hamtramck with 6,000 votes, while Trump had only around 1,000 votes.

Community reactions

Reactions to Trump’s winning in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights were mixed:

• Optimism for Trump: Some voters, like Yemeni American Abdulsalam Al-Madhaji, praised Trump’s promise to halt violence in Gaza and Lebanon and restore stability to the Middle East.
• Concerns about Trump’s Policies: Activist Wissam Charafeddine warned against the return of “fascist rhetoric” under Trump. He noted the unprecedented success of Jill Stein and the Green Party in Arab-majority areas, indicating potential for future political shifts.

Conclusion

While Trump’s victories in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights signal a significant realignment of Arab American voters, the outcome reflects dissatisfaction with the Biden-Harris administration rather than a wholesale embrace of Republican policies. The rise of third party support and the mobilization of Arab American voters could play a pivotal role in shaping future elections.