Primary election day is Tuesday,  August 5. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. It’s summer and many people are away. But important local races are taking place. They will decide who is to be on the ballot in November when the general elections, including for president of the country, will happen. We urge everyone to understand the importance of the primary. Friends of the community are depending on us to get them in the final election.  In some races, the number of candidates running means that just a few votes could be critical.  If, for example, five candidates are running for the same position and 6,000 votes are cast, fifty votes one way or the other could decide the race. This community needs to understand that the primary is as important as the general election. If our friends are not on the ballot in November, we cannot vote for them, no matter how ready we are then.

The Arab American News endorses the following candidates:

Mary Waters

For U.S. House Representative for the 13th District, we believe Democrat Mary Waters is the best choice. While Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks  Kilpatrick has generally voted our way on the issues, she has been distant with the community.  She is never seen at community functions. Waters, however, has conducted steady outreach to the Arab American community and she impressed members of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) at her endorsement interview with her commitment to civil rights issues, a major domestic concern for us. 

 

Phil Cavanagh

For Wayne County Treasurer, we believe Phil Cavanagh is the right man for the job. Cavanagh has served on the Wayne County Commission and knows the area well. He has plans to emulate programs in Wayne County that have served adjoining counties well in these hard economic times. He  is innovative in his thinking and promises to bring needed change to the post.

Diane Webb

To fill the post on the commission left vacant by Cavanagh’s race for Treasurer, we endorse Diane Webb. Webb, 42, is a former director of government and community relations in the local telecommunications industry. She’s served on the board of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce and on the advisory board of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, where she secured corporate sponsorships for community functions like the ADC’s Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Dinner and the Dearborn Arab International Festival. She’s also served as a councilwoman in Garden City, which, along with her 18 years in corporate management and her familiarity with various ethnic communities, puts her a head above the rest.

Kym Worthy

For Wayne County Prosecutor,  Kym Worthy, running for re-election, deserves our vote. Worthy has handled herself extremely well in the current mess surrounding Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. She has bravely and methodically pursued the case against Kilpatrick, who just can’t seem to understand that everyone wants him gone. Worthy has also been very available to our community and ensures diversity in her office and county government.

Sheriff Warren Evans

For Wayne County Sheriff, we heartily endorse the re-election of  Warren Evans. Evans has done commendable work during his reign as sheriff, taking more than 13,000 fugitive felons off the streets. His Internet Crime Unit has arrested more than 150 child predators and maintains a 100 percent conviction rate. Evans is a man of principle and we want to see him continue overseeing the county.

 

For Wayne County Register of Deeds, we believe incumbent Bernard Youngblood should be re-elected. Youngblood founded the first Document Fraud Task Force in the nation in 2005 and he’s worked alongside Sheriff Evans to fight deed and mortgage fraud problems.

For Wayne County Clerk, we endorse incumbent Cathy M. Garrett.

For Wayne County Circuit Court, where you must choose three of six candidates, we suggest Lynne Pierce, Corbett O’Meara and Daniel Hathaway.

Pierce, a municipal judge in Grosse Pointe for 16 years, has a reputation in the community for being fair, honest and hardworking.  She has been married to Raymond Andary, an attorney of Lebanese descent, for 28 years.

O’Meara, with a strong civil rights background, has represented victims of police misconduct and  individuals falsely accused of terrorism. He’s also coordinated legal services for progressive political organizations.

Hathaway, a practicing attorney for 29 years and founding partner of his own law firm in Allen Park, has been a fair friend to the Arab American community.

 

Rashida Tlaib

For State House Representative in the 12th District, we endorse Arab American Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from southwest Detroit. Tlaib has been involved for years in community organizing with local nonprofits, advocating for low-income families and seniors with organizations like ACCESS and La Sed.

For State House Representative in the 11th District, vote for Gary Pollard, D-Detroit. Pollard, current chief of staff to State Senator Irma Clark-Coleman, has been recognized for his service and commitment to serving the community. 

 

Finally, for State House Representative in the 5th District, we endorse Abdul Algazali,  a Democrat in Hamtramck. Algazali shows real promise as a legislator, having worked hard and accomplished a great deal as a councilman in that ethnically diversity enclave.

On the proposal to levy a tax to support the Detroit Zoo, The Arab American News encourages a ‘Yes’ vote. Since the City of Detroit turned responsibility of the Zoo over to the Detroit Zoological Society in 2006, it’s stuggled to find funding. For the average home in the tri-county area, the increase is only about $10 a year. It’s worth it.