Dearborn gears up for high-stakes local elections: Hammoud seeks re-election, 13 candidates compete for seven Council seats
October 3rd, 20250 DEARBORN – Voters across Michigan can now request absentee ballots by mail for the upcoming local elections on Tuesday, November 4. The elections will include mayoral races, City Council contests, clerk positions and ballot initiatives in many municipalities across the state. In Dearborn, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud will seek a second...
Dearborn to reissue corrected absentee ballots after discovering printing error
October 3rd, 20250 DEARBORN – Voters who already received absentee ballots by mail for the November 4 election will be sent new, corrected ballots by October 11, after officials discovered a printing error in the initial batch distributed last week. The city clerk’s office had begun mailing absentee ballots to voters listed on the permanent absentee...
Bernie Sanders visits Michigan and backs Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate bid: Stop funding genocide in Gaza
August 29th, 20250 KALAMAZOO — In a strong show of support for Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, progressive Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joined the Arab American contender at a large campaign rally in Kalamazoo last Saturday. El-Sayed, who seeks to become the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate, drew a fired-up crowd alongside the...
Michigan Democratic Party punishes backers of Mike Duggan’s governor bid
August 29th, 20250 DETROIT – In a development reflecting how worried the Democratic Party establishment is about Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s run for Michigan governor, the state party has moved to punish all Democratic officials who endorsed his independent campaign by cutting off their access to the party’s voter database. The punitive measure —...
Mary Sheffield takes commanding lead in Detroit mayoral race with Duggan’s endorsement
August 23rd, 20250 DETROIT – Following the August 5 primary election that reduced the number of candidates for Detroit mayor from nine to just two, City Council President Mary Sheffield has emerged as the clear front runner to succeed outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan, who opted not to run for another term. Sheffield not only dominated the polls with 51...
Michigan activists push 2026 ballot initiatives on school funding, voting reform and eliminating property taxes
August 23rd, 20250 LANSING – Statewide petition drives are underway to place several referendums on the 2026 general election ballot, including three initiatives seeking constitutional amendments. Under the Michigan Constitution, constitutional amendment petitions must gather signatures equal to 10 percent of the total votes cast in the last...
Dearborn voters to decide on wards system in November ballot showdown
August 23rd, 20250 DEARBORN – The Dearborn City Clerk’s office has confirmed that the Dearborn Wants Wards campaign has submitted enough valid signatures to place a referendum on the November ballot, calling for a change in how City Council members are elected. According to a statement from the campaign, 4,082 of the 8,088 signatures submitted were...
Hamtramck Councilmen Mohtasin Sadman and Mohammed Hassan charged with 2023 election fraud
August 15th, 20250 HAMTRAMCK – In the first criminal charges to emerge from ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and fraud involving several city officials, City Councilmen Muhtasin Rahman Sadman, 26, and Mohammed Kamrul Hassan, 57, appeared in court last week on charges of alleged criminal activity from July 7, 2023, to Nov. 7, 2023 a time...
Adam Alharbi wins decisive Hamtramck mayoral primary; all City Council finalists are Muslim
August 8th, 20250 Arab American candidate Adam Alharbi finished the Hamtramck mayoral primary on Tuesday, August 5, with a decisive victory, far ahead of his closest challenger, City Councilman Muhith Mahmood, with both advancing to the November 4 general election. According to unofficial results from both absentee and in-person ballots, Alharbi, who is...
Mo Baydoun dominates Dearborn Heights mayoral primary, advances with Denise Malinowski-Maxwell to November runoff
August 8th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS – In a sweeping victory, Dearborn Heights City Council President Mo Baydoun decisively won the mayoral primary race on Tuesday, August 5, finishing far ahead of his closest challenger, Councilwoman Denise Malinowski-Maxwell. Baydoun received more than double the votes for Malinowski-Maxwell, with both candidates...
Key results from the municipal primary elections in Metro Detroit
August 8th, 20250 The Aug. 5 primary elections narrowed down mayoral candidates in seven cities across Metro Detroit and also trimmed down the field for City Council races in several other municipalities. Meanwhile, ballot initiatives related to public safety and school funding produced mixed results. Most cities in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties did...
Dearborn School Board member Hussein Berry launches early bid for Michigan’s Second District Senate seat
August 8th, 20250 DEARBORN – In an unusually early move, Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education member Hussein Berry recently announced his candidacy for Michigan’s Second Senate District, which includes all of Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, as well as parts of Allen Park and Detroit. The district is currently represented by Democratic State...
Detroit mayoral primary: Mary Sheffield in the lead as battle for second place intensifies
August 1st, 20250 DETROIT – Among the nine candidates vying to succeed Mayor Mike Duggan, City Council President Mary Sheffield stands out as the clear frontrunner in the August 5 primary election. The race will narrow the field to just two finalists who will advance to the November 4 general election. Sheffield’s strong lead is evident through her...
Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver faces familiar challengers in primary as calls for change grow
August 1st, 20250 SOUTHFIELD – Mayor Kenson J. Siver will face voters in the upcoming primary election on Tuesday, August 5, seeking to retain his seat for another four-year term. Southfield is home to approximately 76,000 residents, including a significant population of Arab and Chaldean Americans. Siver, 79, has served as mayor for the past 10 years,...
Chaldean American Tom Semaan seeks reelection as New Baltimore mayor, faces two strong challengers
August 1st, 20250 NEW BALTIMORE, MI – Incumbent Chaldean American Mayor Thomas (Tom) Semaan is running in the August 5 primary election to retain his seat for a third two-year term. He faces two serious challengers: City Council member Ryan Covert and Anchor Bay School Board President Patrick Green. The top two vote-getters in the primary will advance......
Dearborn petition to create election wards falls short on valid signatures; organizers dispute clerk’s rejection
July 27th, 20250 DEARBORN – Last week, due to an insufficient number of valid signatures, Dearborn City Clerk George Darany rejected a petition initiative aimed at restructuring how the City Council is elected. The group behind the petition, however, maintains that the submitted signatures should have qualified, arguing that commonly used Arab and...
A comprehensive look at primary elections in Metro Detroit municipalities
July 18th, 20250 DETROIT – As the August 5 primary elections draw near, voters across many Metro Detroit communities have begun casting absentee ballots to narrow down crowded fields of candidates in various local races. Seven cities are holding mayoral primaries to reduce the number of contenders to two finalists who will advance to the November......
Mo Baydoun launches campaign for Dearborn Heights mayor: “This isn’t just a campaign — it’s personal”
July 18th, 20251 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Council Chairman Mo Baydoun has decided to take his dedication to the city a step further by running for mayor. Baydoun, who has lived almost his entire life in Dearborn Heights, is a proud Crestwood High School alum and earned his master's degree in public administration from Central Michigan University. The...
Elections 2025: Adam Alharbi runs for mayor to unite Hamtramck through service, reform and vision
July 18th, 20250 Adam Alharbi said that he is driven by a deep commitment to public service and a strong belief in the potential of the city where he was born and raised. Alharbi, who is an engineer and a community activist, has announced his candidacy for mayor of Hamtramck this year. His campaign vision centers on infrastructure development, improved...
Abdul El-Sayed raises funds and hopes in Dearborn for 2026 U.S. Senate run in Michigan
July 5th, 20250 Arab and Muslim Americans move from the margins to the heart of political power DEARBORN — The sweeping victory of Muslim American candidate Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary reverberated with excitement and optimism at a fundraising event held Monday evening in Dearborn to support Abdul El-Sayed’s...
Rachel LaPointe vying for a Dearborn Heights City Council seat
July 4th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Rachel LaPointe is hoping to earn a seat on the Dearborn Heights City Council. The proud mother of four is a third generation resident in the south end and a passionate advocate for the city. With a bachelor's degree in fine arts from the University of Detroit Mercy, LaPointe has worked as a communications......
Dearborn Heights Councilman Hassan Ahmad seeks re-election
July 4th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Having been first elected in 2020, Councilman Hassan Ahmad is hoping to retain his seat on the City Council. The proud husband and father of three children has been a resident for nearly 20 years. “This city has become more than just a place I live in,” he said. “It’s home.” Ahmad has an...
Business owner Hussein Anani puts his name in Dearborn Heights mayoral race
July 2nd, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Resident and small business owner Hussein Anani has decided to run for mayor. With experience leading teams, managing budgets and delivering results, Anani said he has a commitment to practical leadership. “I understand how a failure of leadership can hurt real people’s lives,” he said. “Flooded......
Denise Malinowski-Maxwell makes second bid for mayor: Dearborn Heights is the place I call home
July 2nd, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Councilwoman Denise Malinowski-Maxwell is vying for the mayoral seat for a second time. Malinowski-Maxwell served as City Council chairwoman from 2018 until the late Mayor Daniel Paletko’s death in December 2020, when she became mayor pro-tem until the appointment of Bill Bazzi in early 2021. She went on to run...
Lisa Hicks-Clayton seeking re-election as treasurer
July 2nd, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Having served on the City Council for nine years before becoming treasurer in 2020, Lisa Hicks-Clayton is looking to retain her position. Hicks-Clayton is a 20 year resident of the city and sponsored a vicious dog ordinance and tethering ban during her time on the Council as well as co-writing an ordinance......
