U.S. Rep. Sander Levin retiring from Congress when term ends next year
December 8th, 20170 ROYAL OAK — After 35 years in Congress, U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak) is retiring and pursing a different career. The 86-year-old Democrat will not run for reelection in 2018, but will instead join the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where he will continue to work on issues that have engrossed...
Detroit City Clerk vote recount begins
December 8th, 20170 DETROIT — The Wayne County Board of Canvassers began its recount of votes for Detroit's City Clerk on Tuesday at Cobo Center, two weeks after candidate Garlin Gilchrist II announced he was requesting it. He lost by a narrow margin to incumbent Janice Winfrey. Gilchrist said he had more than 30 campaign volunteers observing the...
Coalition emerges to fight legalized marijuana ballot proposal
December 2nd, 20172 LANSING — While supporters of a ballot proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational use cleared their first hurdle by turning in more than enough signatures to tentatively qualify for the November 2018 ballot, more challenges are on the horizon. An opposing committee — Healthy and Productive Michigan — formed on Wednesday to...
Dearborn mayoral candidate Tom Tafelski files petition for recount
December 1st, 20170 DETROIT — Dearborn mayoral candidate and current City Councilman Tom Tafelski has filed a petition for votes recount for the November general elections. Tafelski lost the race against incumbent Mayor Jack O’Reilly Jr. 57 to 42 percent . O’Reilly garnered 10,999 votes while Tafelski received only 8,218. Tafelski claimed “voter...
Meet Mike Khader, Yonkers’ first Arab American City Council president
November 17th, 20170 YONKERS, NY — Last week, Mike Khader, an Arab American attorney and a former Central Intelligence Agency official, made history when he beat incumbent Republican City Council President Liam McLaughlin for his seat in the fourth largest city in New York. Khader, 41, had never held elective office, but said he decided to run after he...
Commissioner Gary Woronchak to run for state senate
November 15th, 20170 DEARBORN — On Thursday, Nov. 2, Wayne County Commission Chairman Gary Woronchak (D-Dearborn) announced he won’t be seeking reelection, after being unopposed for reelection in 2014 and 2016, he plans to run for the third state Senate District in 2018. The district encompasses Dearborn and Melvindale and includes a portion of...
Voters in Detroit and Westland stay with the status quo
November 10th, 20170 DETROIT — On Tuesday, Nov. 7, incumbent Mayor Mike Duggan retained his seat, defeating State Sen. Coleman A. Young II in a landslide victory, with 72 percent of the vote. "It's been a year-long campaign and though all of the different kinds of attacks, I've been treated with nothing but warmth and kindness from Detroiters… I am...
Hamtramck’s Karen Majewski wins re-election as mayor, Al-Marsoumi elected to City Council
November 10th, 20170 HAMTRAMCK — Mayor Karen Majewski won reelection to a fourth term on Tuesday, Nov. 7. She received 1,960 votes, while Mohammed Hassan finished with 1,231. The overall voter turnout in the city's Nov. 7 general elections was 22 percent. In the City Council race, Fadel Al-Marsoumi became the second Arab American elected to that...
Dearborn Heights Mayor Dan Paletko wins re-election, Bazzi joins City Council
November 10th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — It looked to be a close race between Mayor Dan Paletko and City Councilwoman Lisa Hicks-Clayton in Tuesday's election, but once the absentee votes were counted, Paletko won by 1,143 votes. Paletko won with 4,467 votes, which was 55.83 percent of the total votes for mayor, and Hicks-Clayton received a total of...
Two new women join Dearborn City Council, Arab Americans top vote getters
November 10th, 20170 DEARBORN — A few months ago, a slew of new names on the Aug. 8 ballot signaled a community was gaining leverage in the local political sphere. While Arab Americans dominated the polls on Nov. 7, their victories were not among the elected candidates, but in the weight of their vote. Dearborn's primary elections saw a handful of...
Dearborn re-elects Mayor O’Reilly to ‘finish what he started’
November 10th, 20170 DEARBORN — It was the city's contentious mayoral race that drove most voters to the polls. Many voters told The AANews reporters they hoped for a change of course in the city government, as things have changed since Mayor O'Reilly was elected a decade ago. But voters re-elected O'Reilly with 10,999 votes (57 percent) in the Nov....
Arab Americans eye voter unity, representation in city government ahead of Nov. 7 elections
November 3rd, 20170 DEARBORN – Since it was established in 1927, Dearborn has become recognized as a model city where families enjoy top-notch public schools, safety, city services and national landmarks. Unified on maintaining that level of city services, residents have taken a particular interest in their municipal elections throughout the decades,...
Misconduct allegations resurface against Dearborn Councilman Tafelski
November 3rd, 20170 DEARBORN ― Longtime Dearborn City Councilman Tom Tafelski and candidate for mayor, has been accused by multiple citizens of abusing his power while on the council. Tafelski, who has held the position since 2001, is fighting a heated race against Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly. He denies that any of allegations are true, calling...
Dearborn Heights City Council set to see new faces; Arab Americans hope to expand representation
October 27th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The main races in the November 7 election are between incumbent Mayor Dan Paletko and challenger Lisa Hicks-Clayton, and also for the four open City Council seats. Paletko has been mayor since 2004. He came in first in the Aug. 8 primary election, with about 1,000 votes more than Hicks-Clayton. In the City...
Dearborn to elect seven council members, new clerk in lukewarm races
October 27th, 20170 DEARBORN — There are only ten days left until the November 7 general election and residents are still considering their options, but not much has changed since the primary election. The city council and clerk races are still overshadowed by the contentious mayoral race. City Council President Susan Dabaja and Councilman Michael......
Detroit: The comeback city to hold first post-bankruptcy elections
October 27th, 20170 By Farah Harb The Arab American News – intern DETROIT – On Nov. 7, Detroiters will vote for mayor, elect City Council candidates and choose a city clerk. These elections are the first to take place since the city emerged from state control under Michigan’s emergency manager law. Because it has come a long way since 2013,...
Mayor O’Reilly discusses achievements, lays out his plans for Dearborn
October 27th, 20170 DEARBORN — There is a lot on the line in the city — from major investments and revitalization projects, to alleviating high property taxes and diversifying the workforce. As they battle in a heated race, the two mayoral candidates say that on Nov. 7, Dearbornites will have a chance for the first time since 2001 to stick with already......
Tafelski shares why he should be Dearborn’s next mayor
October 27th, 20170 DEARBORN — This Monday, mayoral candidate and council President Pro-Tem Tom Tafelski was supposed to take part in a video interview with reporters from The AANews, as Mayor Jack O’Reilly had done, but due to a bout of laryngitis, he was unable to participate. Instead, he answered our questions via email. Some people believe...
Hamtramck: Fair representation, voter fraud allegations steer elections
October 27th, 20171 HAMTRMACK – A few divisive races and shake ups in the City Council are bound to emerge during elections in a town as diverse as Hamtramck. After a contentious debate over who to appoint as the new city manager, disparaging remarks by a Council member and a state investigation over voter fraud by an incumbent Council candidate,...
AAPAC announces endorsements for key municipal races
October 20th, 20170 DEARBORN – It was an unfavorable outcome for some new candidates in Dearborn and neighboring cities' primary elections, but some might have another shot at making it into office on Nov. 7. After a passionate debate on Tuesday, Oct. 17, The Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) endorsed candidates in the general elections...
Land deal puts Dearborn mayoral race in media crossfire
October 17th, 20170 DEARBORN — The city has had its fair share of shock and scandal during recent elections, but it took the first contested mayoral race since 2001 to land incumbent Mayor Jack O'Reilly and his opponent, long-time City Councilman Tom Tafelski, in a media frenzy over poor judgment and regretted deals. Increasing transparency in......
Bannon: Republicans could lose U.S. House over immigration fight
September 15th, 20170 WASHINGTON ― Republican infighting over the fate of immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children could be so vitriolic that the party loses control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year, Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Trump, said in an interview airing on Sunday. Bannon, whose far-right views...
New York’s first Arab candidate loses shot at City Council, but wins solidarity
September 14th, 20171 New York City— After a groundbreaking grassroots campaign, Yemeni activist Rabyaah Althaibani choked back tears as she mourned the defeat of the first Arab-American candidate for New York City Council on Tuesday night. “Yes we lost, but we won,” Althaibani said at a neighborhood bar, surrounded by dozens of supporters for Khader......
Trott’s retirement creates opportunity for Michigan Democrats
September 14th, 20171 WASHINGTON — As U.S. Rep. Dave Trott (R-Birmingham), known for his anti-immigrant stance, is set to retire from Congress at the end of his second term and return to the private sector, questions have been raised regarding the possibility for a Democrat to take his place. “Our country’s Founding Fathers envisioned a government...
Hamtramck: Arab Americans make headway in council race
August 11th, 20170 HAMTRAMCK — Even though 33 percent of Hamtramck's residents are Yemeni, only one Yemeni candidate— Mohammad Al-Somiri— made it to the general elections this year. Yemeni American Councilman Saad Almasmari said the community was hoping educator Akil Al-Halemi would make it through the City Council primary race because of his high......
