DEARBORN – Congressman John Dingell (D-Dearborn), the longest-tenured member of the U.S. House of Representatives, officially announced the beginning of his 2012 reelection campaign on Wednesday, May 2.

Dingell

The incumbent in the 15th District will run in the new 12th District of Michigan as defined in the year’s recently redistricted map. The new district includes Dearborn, Ann Arbor, and several Downriver cities among others.

On Wednesday, Dingell joined with friends, students, union workers, small business people, academics, engineers, nurses, doctors, auto workers and executives, and men and women of all ages from throughout the 12th District. 

In Ann Arbor, he was joined by Mayor John Hiefjte, Lisa Wozniak of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, and College Democrat Amanda Caldwell.  Hiefjte praised Congressman Dingell for his efforts in the House, saying, “Through the toughest decade since the Great Depression, Congressman Dingell has been there for Ann Arbor when we needed him.  His commitment to serving his constituents has always been above and beyond what I could have hoped for.” Wozniak noted his accomplishments protecting the environment. In Trenton, he was joined by Mayor Kyle Stack, UAW Local 372 President Gabe Solano and Downriver Young Democrat Avi Lachhman.

Dingell at both events thanked guests for their support. He noted the dysfunction in Washington today and said, “You deserve better.  You deserve legislation to make our food and prescription drugs safer.  You deserve clean air, clean water and an environment worthy of future generations… As consumers, you deserve to be protected from waste, fraud and abuse.  As seniors, you deserve retirement security and a strong Medicare program that continues to meet your health care needs. …But most of all, in these uncertain times, you deserve jobs.  Good jobs with good benefits. Jobs to sustain your families… to see you through today and prepare for tomorrow.  And job training to see that our young people have the skills that are needed for the modern workforce.  It’s not too much to ask…This is my fight and has always been my fight.” 

Finally, Dingell stressed the importance of the 2012 election, saying it will determine, “whether we as a nation move forward or backward.”  He pledged that in addition to campaigning vigorously for reelection, to also campaign vigorously for President Barack Obama and Senator Debbie Stabenow. 

Dingell (third from right) met with Arab American leaders to listen to their concerns on May 3 at UM-Dearborn. PHOTO: TAAN

Dingell meets with Arab American leaders, hears concerns 

Dingell met with several Arab American leaders at University of Michigan-Dearborn on Thursday, May 3, where he listened to concerns that covered a wide spectrum of topics. The continued and increasing problem of Border Patrol harassment of Muslim and Arab Americans was brought up as were recent revelations of spying by law enforcement on community members and anti-Muslim training courses by the U.S. Army and FBI. The leaders feel that their issues are often not being addressed despite dialogue with officials. 

They also brought up concerns about the erosion of civil liberties in the United States specifically the recent passing of the National Defense Authorization Act, which civil rights groups have lashed out against, noting that it allows for the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens without trial.