DEARBORN — This year’s municipality race has, without a doubt, generated some hype from the local Arab and Muslim American communities, as three Arab American candidates vie for the mayoral position and four other Arab American candidates look to fill one of seven positions on the city council.

However, even with the large Arab American contingent seeking office, some challenges remain, as the August 6 Primary approaches. In previous years, low turnouts on this day have cut campaign runs short and cast some doubts on the community’s influence in the race. Overall turnout during the Primary is never as strong as in the General Election, but for the Arab and Muslim American communities, it has proven to be an even greater challenge in the past. 

For the second year in a row, an additional predicament challenges some of the local campaigns; the Holy Month of Ramadan. With polls open, from 7 a.m.-8 p.m., the majority of the local Muslim community will be in the middle of the observance of the fast, from sunrise to sunset, making it difficult to pinpoint just how this factor is going to impact the overall participation during the Primary. 

Last year, 19th District Court Judge Sam Salamey’s campaign had to navigate the challenge of Ramadan as well. According to Salamey’s previous campaign manager, Mallak Beydoun, who is currently running city council candidate Susan Dabaja’s campaign as well, a particular trend was noticed during the day.

“Last year everyone was excited about Salamey’s campaign, but we noticed that the morning and the afternoon of Election Day was pretty slow, and then momentum began picking up later in the evening,” Beydoun says. 

Overall, turnout was good enough to land Salamey on the November ballot, but even he expressed that he wished more local residents would have participated in the voting process when The Arab American News spoke with him later that evening. His wish was granted during the November election, when a record breaking number of Arab Americans turned out to vote for him.  However, it is unclear if that momentum will carry over into this year’s Primary. 

Unlike previous years however, there is definitely excitement swirling from multiple candidates, as opposed to just one.  This year, there seems to be more participation than ever before from the community’s youth. The city council campaigns of Dabaja, Tarek Baydoun and Mike Sareini in particular, have drawn excitement among local high school and college students, some of whom will be participating in the election process for their very first time.

Dalal Sareini, Mike Sareini’s wife, tells The Arab American News that Ramadan shouldn’t be much of a factor during the Primary. Many of Sareini’s campaigners will be fasting, and afterwards, he will be holding a dinner party for his supporters at the Al Ajami restaurant, located on Warren and Chase.

“A lot of them will be fasting, so that’s why most of them have chosen to help us after 2 p.m. We set most of them up to do just two-hour time slots,” Sareini says.  “The feedback we’re getting is that it’s going to be the last day of Ramadan, so there won’t be as much exhaustion and weariness, because they are excited that the next day is Eid.”

The Sareini campaign will also reel in major support from older residents, who have been dedicated supporters of his mother, longtime councilwoman Suzanne Sareini. Those campaigners offered to do early morning slots at polling locations, so as to allow supporters who are fasting some extra time away from the sun, before they turn out later in the day.  

Beydoun echoed Sarein’s statements as well, adding that the excitement among the youth tends to keep them energized throughout the day. Susan Dabaja’s campaign is drawing in younger voters and supporters as well, with some of her prime support coming from Dearborn’s south-end community, where she was raised.

“There tends to be an adrenaline rush during Election Day, so most campaigners will be more excited than they will be tired. We are offering all of them smaller shifts, so that they go home, rest and come back if they chose to,” Beydoun adds. 

Dabaja’s campaign will re-group that evening at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center, where the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) will be holding dinner for local campaigners and supporters.

Also wrapping up their evening there will be Tarek Baydoun’s campaign, which has notably energized younger crowds. Groups, like the Arab Student Union, will be coming out in droves to help support him during the Primary. Baydoun says that he doesn’t expect Ramadan to have a negative impact during the day. In the last month, his campaign has called 2,800 registered, 18-25-year-old Arab American voters, asking for their support.

“Ramadan has made things a little more difficult, but I don’t think it’s slowing us down at all. Our campaign has really energized the youth. We did an online and paper petition, where over 300 youth have pledged to vote. The amount of people we have volunteering and showing their support is amazing,” Baydoun says.