Victory margin of just 11 votes triggers recount request

HAMTRAMCK — In one of the tightest local elections in recent memory, Arab American engineer Adam Alharbi clinched victory in Hamtramck’s mayoral race by only 11 votes, defeating Councilman Muhith Mahmood after a tense and closely watched runoff.

Unofficial results from all five city precincts gave Alharbi 2,009 votes (44.56 percent) to Mahmood’s 1,998 (44.31 percent), while write-in candidate Lynn Blasey drew about 11 percent of the vote.

From primary leader to razor-thin finish

Alharbi, a Yemeni American who topped the August primary with more than half the vote, entered the final round as the clear favorite. Mahmood, a Bangladeshi American, rallied strong support from his community, narrowing the gap dramatically on Election Day.

If certified, Alharbi will succeed outgoing Mayor Amer Ghalib, who declined to seek re-election amid his pending nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait.

Recount ahead amid ballot discrepancies

Mahmood quickly called for a recount, citing irregularities in Precinct 2, where City Clerk Rana Faraj reported 37 absentee ballots not matching the number of registered voters. County election officials confirmed they would re-tabulate votes to ensure accuracy.

Mahmood also alleged that some voters submitted ballots without signing required forms. He vowed to “keep looking everywhere for answers” while maintaining confidence that “every legitimate vote will be counted.”

Alharbi stays calm, says lead will hold

In contrast, Alharbi thanked supporters and projected optimism.

“We ran an honorable and clean campaign based on the people’s trust and awareness — not on stealing votes or manipulating their will,” he said.

Alharbi noted that about 150 ballots were initially rejected for minor technical issues but can still be corrected by voters.

“Most of those ballots belong to our supporters,” he added. “We’re confident our margin will grow once the process is complete.”

The newly elected mayor also credited his team’s efforts and said they were ready to defend the integrity of the results.

“We will not allow anyone to cancel the people’s will or tamper with their right to choose freely,” he declared.

Until the recount results are finalized, the official status of the mayor’s office remains undetermined, though Alharbi appears poised to take the helm for the next four years.

City Council race confirms community diversity

In the race for three open City Council seats, voters re-elected Abu Musa (1,645 votes) and returned former Councilman Nayeem Choudhury (1,634 votes) alongside newcomer Yousuf Saed (1,437 votes).

Three Yemeni American contenders, Luqman Saleh, Abdulmalik Kassim and Motahar Fadhel, finished just behind.

They will join sitting members Mohammed Hassan, Muhtasin Sadman and Mohammed Alsomiri on the seven-member Council. Under the city charter, the mayor also serves as Council chair.