Arab American voters are often ignored by political candidates, but not by Pennsylvania Governor-elect Josh Shapiro
December 7th, 20220 The day former President Trump issued his travel ban in 2017, all Nagi Latefa could see were his daughters’ faces. Sunken. Disappointed. Scared. The executive order banned travelers from six majority Muslim countries from visiting the United States. Latefa and his family, who are Palestinian Muslims, felt vulnerable. The Muslim...
Midterms 2022: A new wave of Muslim and Arab American politicians have been elected
December 6th, 20220 Democrat Nabeela Syed is on cloud nine: In the midterm elections, the 23-year-old flipped a Republican-held district in Chicago’s northwestern suburbs, becoming not only one of the youngest members of the Illinois General Assembly, but also its first Muslim. “It was wild for me to ever consider running for office at such a young...
Voters of color and women saved the Democrats from disaster
November 19th, 20220 By Peter White Despite new laws to keep people from voting and gerrymandering election districts to take away the power of minority communities, the Republican “red wave” that pollsters predicted ahead of last week’s midterms didn’t happen. Ethnic Media Services debriefed six experts on their reactions to the election...
Michigan voters hand Democrats historic victory, deal a blow to the MAGA movement
November 11th, 20220 The midterm elections shocked most observers and political experts throughout the nation. While Republicans gained a few seats in the Congress, and may perhaps still win the majority there, nothing like the widely predicted "Red Wave" came to fruition. The Senate is still up for grabs, and Democrats scored a number of major victories...
Comfortable victories for Democrats in Dearborn, Hamtramck, despite GOP efforts
November 9th, 20220 Democrats cleared victories with wide margins despite a renewed push by Republicans to make in-roads with voters, with the picture becoming clearer as election results came out of the Dearborn Clerk’s office Tuesday night. With all precincts reporting in Dearborn, unofficial results from the Dearborn City Clerk showed comfortable...
Analysis: What’s at stake in the midterm elections
November 5th, 20220 Control of Congress is at stake in Tuesday's midterm elections, along with President Biden’s agenda for the two years remaining in his term. Republicans stand a strong chance of taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while Democrats retain a slim hope of keeping a majority in the Senate. Republican control of either...
Poll says 54 percent fear U.S. is on path to civil war; democracy may not exist in five years
October 15th, 20220 A new national poll has some disturbing insights into the health of democracy in the country and voters' outlook about unity. The poll commissioned by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and conducted by Brilliant Corners Research and Strategies has found that ahead of the 2022 midterm election, strong majorities of...
It’s time to update the 1887 Electoral Count Act
August 30th, 20220 — Mike Shesterkin is executive director of the Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum. On Jan. 6, 2021 the world witnessed the chaos that gripped our nation’s capital. What took place that day was clearly an attempt to overthrow a duly elected president. What enabled the chaos of January 6, and the brazen attempt to ignore...
Omar wins close House primary against Democratic centrist opponent in Minnesota
August 12th, 20220 MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive Squad, eked out a closer-than-expected Democratic primary victory Tuesday against a centrist challenger who questioned the incumbent’s support for the “defund the police” movement. Omar, who represents Minneapolis and is one of the progressives' leading voices...
Survey: Almost half of Muslim Americans disapprove of Biden; majority to stick with Democrats in midterms
July 8th, 20220 A new report by a Muslim civil rights and political organization shows significant disapproval among Muslim voters of President Biden’s performance, but a projection that voters will prefer Democrats in the coming midterm election. The report was released this week by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) — which calls...
Pro-Israel, pro-corporate outside funds thrown at campaign opposing Talib in 12th District primary
June 5th, 20220 A new political action committee, raising funds from wealthy, pro-Israeli occupation groups and individuals, is mounting attacks against U.S. Rep. Rashida Talib (D-Detroit), in her bid to represent the newly formed 12th District. Urban Empowerment Action is planning to spend upwards of $1 million in campaign funds on one of Tlaib’s...
Andy Levin’s opponent, Haley Stevens, has received biggest support from right-wing, pro-Israeli lobby AIPAC
May 7th, 20220 As primary races for Congressional seats in Michigan ramp up, U.S. Reps. Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township) and Haley Stevens (D-Livonia) are in a rare contest to represent the same district. Michigan lost a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the latest Census revealed its population has declined over the last 10 years....
Clerks Garrett and Darany: Get the translation done
April 16th, 20220 On March 22, the Dearborn City Council unanimously passed a resolution requiring ballot translation to any language spoken by more than 10,000 residents (or 5 percent of the population, whichever criteria is met first). The resolution also calls for implementation to start as early as the August primary election. This was a historical...
A year on, the ideological insurrection against our democracy continues
January 8th, 20220 — This article by Abdul El-Sayed originally appeared in the newsletter The Incision. It has been edited for style. Subscribe to The Incision here: incision.substack.com When I told my parents that I was going to run for governor of Michigan, I could see through the windows of their eyes the emotions battling in their minds....
Redistricting Commission adopts final maps, offering possibilities for Arab American enclaves
December 29th, 20210 The state’s citizen-led, bipartisan Redistricting Commission has adopted its final versions of political maps by the expected timeline. Although experts are now anticipating legal challenges to the maps, residents at least get a good glimpse into how they could be represented in state House and Senate seats as well as the important......
Redistricting maps continue to face criticism for lack of minority and ethnic representations
December 24th, 20210 MICHIGAN — The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) is expected to vote on the final political district maps starting Dec. 28. The upcoming finalization of the state’s political boundaries comes after months of debate and deliberation over the drawing of state and federal districts, with the aim to give...
Muslim Somali American Deqa Dhalac inaugurated as mayor of predominantly White Maine city
December 7th, 20210 MAINE — The City Council of South Portland, Maine unanimously voted on Monday to elect the city’s first Muslim mayor. Deqa Dhalac, 53, is believed to be the country’s first Somali American mayor. Dhalac won a City Council seat back in 2018, being the only non-White candidate for a Council seat in the Whitest state in the U.S.......
Republican state senator-elect who expressed Islamophobia in tweets “committed to renouncing” hate speech during meeting with Muslims
November 12th, 20210 NEW JERSEY – The Republican who defeated New Jersey's State Senate president last week has "committed to renouncing" hate speech amid criticism of old tweets he posted expressing Islamophobia, a Muslim advocacy group in the state said Wednesday. State Sen.-elect Edward Durr met with Muslim community leaders in the state last...
Palestinian American Huwaida Arraf announces Congressional bid for Thumb district
November 11th, 20210 A Palestinian American has announced her campaign to represent Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. Huwaida Arraf is a "working mother, human rights advocate, attorney and first-generation American," says a campaign press release. She is vying for a Congressional seat in a state that is slated to see a reshaping of its political...
Redistricting: What is it and why it matters
May 29th, 20210 By Hayg Oshagan What is it? Every 10 years, every state redraws all of its district election maps. For Michigan, that’s 110 House district maps, 38 Senate district maps and 13 U.S. Congressional district maps. Once these are drawn, you elect your Michigan House, Michigan Senate and U.S. Congressional representatives based on...
Audit shows accuracy of presidential election in Michigan
February 12th, 20211 LANSING — After months of accusations about widespread voter fraud in Michigan, results of an audit exercise to determine the accuracy of the results of the November presidential election give a clearer picture. A hand count of more than 18,000 ballots randomly selected throughout the state affirms the electoral victory of......
Capitol protests result in more than 50 arrests, 14 officers injured and four deaths; state of emergency extended
January 7th, 20210 WASHINGTON D.C. — Thousands of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol building Wednesday resulting in four deaths, 14 officers being injured, and more than 50 arrests. As a group of rioters broke through the windows, a woman jumped onto the pane to get into the building and was shot by Capitol police. Later in the day, the...
U.S. Congress confirms Biden, Harris victory
January 7th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — After a day of chaos in Washington, D.C., and with outgoing Vice President Mike Pence presiding, the U.S. Congress has now confirmed the results of the November 2020 presidential election, affirming the victory of Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris. An earlier debate over Arizona election results,......
Ossoff wins the remaining Senate seat in Georgia; Dems now in control of the Senate
January 6th, 20210 ATLANTA, GA — Hours after Rev. Raphael Warnock made history in Georgia, Democrat Jon Ossoff has clinched the remaining senate seat in the state. Ossoff, a 33-year-old head of a video production company who has never held a public office, defeated Republican David Perdue, who just finished his first term as a senator. Ossoff has...
Guns and tear gas in U.S. Capitol as Trump supporters attempt to overturn his loss
January 6th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Police in the U.S. Capitol responded with drawn guns and tear gas on Wednesday as swarms of protesters stormed in and sought to force Congress to undo President Trump’s election loss shortly after some of Trump’s fellow Republicans launched a last-ditch effort to throw out the results. Police evacuated the......
