DEARBORN — Attorney Susan Dabaja has announced her bid for Dearborn City Council, seeking one of seven positions up for election this November. Dabaja, born and raised in Dearborn, is hoping her full-fledged commitment and diverse background as an active member in the community will spark renewed enthusiasm with Dearborn’s residents at City Hall.

Dabaja currently practices at Farhat & Associates, PLLC. Born in Dearborn, she is a first generation American born to an immigrant Lebanese family, who attended Salina Elementary School and Stout Middle School while growing up. In 1995, she graduated from Edsel Ford High School and went on to seek a Bachelor’s degree in Science at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She also attended Wayne State University where she started her Master’s Program before transferring over to the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law. There, she graduated first in her class with a Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude.

Dabaja’s near lifelong residency in Dearborn has also consisted of an impressive amount of community engagement. She is a current member of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) and is the current treasurer of the Dearborn Bar Association, an organization compromised of Dearborn attorneys who network and promote legal issues. Dabaja was recently appointed to serve on the Dearborn Education Foundation, which has provided funding to Dearborn Public Schools for the past 20 years.

With her strong legal experience as an attorney representing families who own local businesses in Dearborn, she believes attracting new businesses and jobs into the city are key to maintaining economic growth. 

Attorney Susan Dabaja.

“Through representation of local business owners, I understand the importance of maintaining our local economy and making sure businesses continue to attract customers, which will in turn attract new companies to Dearborn. Dearborn has a small town charm, yet it is the home of many large companies as well as several historical attractions. As a community we have a great deal to offer and a lot of potential ahead. I would like to see our city continue to build on that,” Dabaja stated.

Another important issue for Dabaja is educating her community on their rights and privileges as citizens. She believes residents are more willing to participate politically if they are informed of their rights and given an opportunity to stand behind a concept they believe in. Dabaja, fluent in both English and Arabic, is hoping her message can translate to voters of all ages and races, including those who may not usually participate due to language barriers. She promises that if elected, she will have an open door policy. 

“There are residents in our city who do not know that city council is very accessible. As an Arab American, I believe it is important to educate the community on how to benefit from this accessibility, such as learning what our duties and rights are as citizens, what services are offered by our city, and how we can get involved as a community. I’ll make a strong effort to keep citizens engaged and let them know that they have a voice in city hall,” Dabaja added.

Dabaja assures voters that she will have no problem working with other city council members if elected onto one of the seven seats. While only a few candidates have announced their bids, some council members have already served 3-4 terms and might be looking to run again. Dabaja hopes she can bring some fresh ideas to the table and believes efficiency best translates through team collaboration.

Organizing Dabaja’s campaign will be Mallak Beydoun, who last year successfully ran a city-wide campaign for 19th District Court Judge Sam Salamey, helping him become the city’s first elected Arab American judge. Beydoun believes Dabaja’s compassion, strong ethics and background make her an excellent choice for the position. “Her professional, academic and family background makes her an excellent representative for the community as a whole,” Beydoun stated.

Dabaja and her husband, Majid, have three children, Claudia, Joel and Adam. As a mother raising her children in Dearborn, she believes one of the most important foundations in securing a community’s future is stronger education for the youth.

Dabaja plans on reaching out to citizens firsthand throughout the course of her campaign this year. She is currently in the process of organizing a “meet and greet” in the spring, and is aiming to build support for the upcoming primary on August 6, where the top 14 candidates will move forward to the general election in November. 

“I’m very loyal, enthusiastic and dedicated towards what I do. If I’m going to commit to something, I will give it my 100 percent. As a mother, I’m compassionate towards people and their issues.  I’m a strong believer in treating others in the way you want to be treated.  I’m at a point in my career and life where I can offer my life experience, knowledge and passion to the community,” Dabaja stated.