DETROIT—Despite his limited political experience and lack of campaign funds, Palestinian American activist Yusif Barakat is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. And he thinks he can win. 

Barakat, 78, describes himself as an “idealist and a dreamer.” He was elected in 1970 as Oakland County Commissioner and ran unsuccessfully for the Michigan House of Representatives and the U.S. Congress in the following years.

He says he is not a politician. When he ran in the Oakland County commissioner race, he was told to shave his beard to appeal to voters. His response? “If I shave my beard for a vote, what will I do for a dollar,” he said.

Born in Mandate Palestine in the city of Haifa, a coastal town in what is now Israel, Barakat left his hometown for the United States in 1947 in the wake of the events that led to the creation of the Jewish state. He said on his 12th birthday, he found himself on a ship heading west, as Zionist armed groups were attacking Palestinian communities.

Barakat, who holds a master’s degree in international relations, said he will advocate for Palestinian rights in the Senate and will “take on the Israeli lobby head on.”

“We don’t have an Arab voice in Washington. Those who claim to be Arab in Congress are unacceptable,” he said. “I will not go to join ranks with the gridlocks. I will be a new voice.”

Barakat is running as a Democrat, although he said his views are way left of the Democratic Party. He explained that he will not run as an independent, as to avoid drawing votes from the Democratic candidate in the general elections, which would benefit Republicans.

Barakat’s platform contains 48 points, which include advocating for environmental concerns, peace, the working class and gay rights. He said he will take on drug laws. “Look at all the people we have locked up because they were found with a [marijuana] joint,” he said. “And now they’re privatizing jails, so they want to put more people in prison.” 

He said he will also fight against the influence of money in politics. “You need $10 million to win a U.S. Senate campaign. I’m planning to do it with a few thousand. I don’t need the glossy ads,” he states.

The Palestinian refugees dresses casually, dons a beard and wears a ponytail. He says his unorthodox looks for a politician will help him get elected because people are “tired” of  traditional campaigners.

Barakat is still short of the 15,000 signatures he needs to get on to the ballot for the primaries. “I am now concentrating on getting on the ballot. If I can get on the ballot, I can win. Absolutely,” he said.