DEARBORN HEIGHTS – With the filing deadline for municipal elections now closed, four candidates have officially entered the race to succeed Mayor Bill Bazzi. Among them is City Council Chair Mo Baydoun, who will face Councilwoman Denise Malinowski-Maxwell, along with two Arab American candidates, businessman Hussein Anani and real estate broker Lena Arzouni, in the August 5 primary election.

Bazzi withdrew from the race by the April 25 legal deadline as he awaits confirmation as U.S. ambassador to Tunisia.

Arzouni is expected to receive his endorsement.

The top two vote-getters in the mayoral primary will advance to the general election on November 4, which will also include races for four open City Council seats, the city clerk and the city treasurer.

Because the number of candidates for Council, clerk, and treasurer does not exceed double the number of open seats, there will be no primary elections for those positions — per the city charter.

Municipal elections in Dearborn Heights are held every four years, except for the City Council, whose seven members are elected in staggered terms, unlike neighboring Dearborn where all Council members are elected at once.

In the race for the four Council seats, only five candidates are running, including three incumbents: Hassan Ahmad, Nancy Bryer and Tom Wencel, all seeking re-election to four-year terms. The other two candidates, Margaret King and Rachel LaPointe, are running for the seat vacated by Malinowski-Maxwell, who opted to run for mayor instead of seeking another term on the Council.

The City Council also includes Hassan Saab and Bob Constan, along with Baydoun, who would have to vacate his seat if he wins the mayoral election in November. His current term runs until the end of 2027.

City Clerk Lynne Senia will automatically retain her position for another four-year term, as she is running unopposed.

In the treasurer’s race, both candidates — incumbent Lisa Hicks-Clayton and Mahdi Baydoun — will automatically advance to the November general election.

Pending confirmation of President Trump’s nomination of the mayor by the U.S. Senate, Bazzi — a Lebanese American — is preparing to relocate to Tunisia. Meanwhile, Dearborn Heights is set to elect its 10th mayor of the city of roughly 65,000 residents.

Bazzi made history as the first Arab American and Muslim to serve as mayor of Dearborn Heights.