Local Election
Local Election
AAPAC endorses Westland and Dearborn Heights candidates, Proposal A in Dearborn
July 17th, 20210 DEARBORN – On Tuesday, the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) announced endorsements for the local 2021 primary elections. Formed in 1998 by a group of Arab American professionals, AAPAC is a non-partisan political organization that encourages Arab American participation in the political process and encourages Arab...
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans endorses Abdullah Hammoud for mayor: Best choice for Dearborn
July 8th, 20210 DEARBORN — Abdullah Hammoud, who is one of seven candidates running for mayor of Dearborn, has earned the endorsement of Wayne County Executive Warren Evans. Hammoud, a state representative in his final term, announced his candidacy for mayor in January. Hammoud announced the endorsement in a Facebook post. “We are...
Gary Woronchak cites his experience as to why he is the best candidate for Dearborn mayor
July 6th, 20210 DEARBORN — Gary Woronchak, a former editor of the Press & Guide, state representative and chairman of the Wayne County Commission, is running for mayor. Woronchak’s parents moved to Dearborn from the east side of Detroit right before he started kindergarten at Whitmore-Bolles Elementary school. He then went on to Edison...
Hussein Berry campaigning for Dearborn mayor, with focus on public safety
July 3rd, 20210 DEARBORN — Dearborn Public School Board Trustee Hussein Berry is looking to become the next mayor of the city he loves and calls home. “My story is Dearborn’s story,” he said. “I grew up in the Southend, watching the smoke stacks as I went to school. I watched my father create a business that still thrives today —...
Ziad Abdulmalik wants to lead as a “we” if elected to Dearborn City Council
July 3rd, 20210 DEARBORN — Ziad Abdulmalik is looking to obtain enough votes to take one of the seven City Council seats that are up for grabs in this election. The 34-year-old was born and raised in Dearborn, met his wife in Dearborn before getting married nine years ago and has a 4-year-old son in the Dearborn Public School District, with...
Tom Tafelski is campaigning for mayor again, questions O’Reilly’s health and criticizes his absence
June 27th, 20210 DEARBORN — Former long-serving City Council member and 2017 mayoral candidate Thomas Patrick Tafelski is again throwing his hat in the ring for the seat of Dearborn mayor in this year’s election. In 2017, Tafelski ran a campaign for mayor of Dearborn against incumbent Jack O’Reilly and lost, earning 42 percent of the votes to...
Incumbent Leslie Herrick seeking re-election to Dearborn City Council
June 27th, 20210 DEARBORN — Leslie Herrick is looking to retain her seat on the City Council. “I am running for re-election to the Dearborn City Council because I’m eager to continue the work I began four years ago when I was first elected by listening to residents, addressing their concerns, delivering first-class services and improving...
Kalette Willis becomes first African American woman to run for Dearborn mayor
June 26th, 20210 DEARBORN — Kalette Willis, a Henry Ford College (HFC) student and a Gulf War veteran, has become the first African American woman to run for Dearborn mayor. Willis, a pioneer resident artist at Eastborn’s City Hall Artspace Lofts, considers herself a liberal artist in residence. “I am an American soldier, Gulf War Veteran,...
Kamel Elkadri shares his vision for Dearborn in hopes of being elected to the City Council
June 23rd, 20210 DEARBORN — Kamel Elkadri wants to bring his vision for Dearborn to the City Council. “I decided to run for City Council because Dearborn has given me and my family so much and I want that same opportunity for others,” said Elkadri, one of 18 candidates competing for the seven Council seats. “My father immigrated to this...
Taylor City Council candidate responds to criticism over anti-Arab comments
June 19th, 20213 TAYLOR — Following the “Free Palestine” protests in Dearborn last month, one Taylor City Council candidate took to social media to share his views. The protests were in response to the Israeli attacks on Palestine that killed 256 Palestinians, including 66 children, and injured 1,900. Sam Ditzhazy, a resident of Taylor since...
Yemeni-American Michigan Democratic Caucus announces endorsements for Dearborn, Hamtramck candidates
June 16th, 20210 DEARBORN/HAMTRAMCK — The Yemeni-American Michigan Democratic Caucus (YAMDC) announced its endorsements for Dearborn and Hamtramck City Council and mayoral candidates. For City Council in Dearborn, the group is endorsing Mustapha Hammoud, Samraa Luqman, Khodr Farhat, Khalil Othman, Kamal Alsawafy, Saeid Alawathy and incumbent Leslie...
Erin Byrnes looking to serve Dearborn for another term on City Council
June 16th, 20211 DEARBORN — With all seven seats on the City Council up for grabs this election, Councilwoman Erin Byrnes is looking to hold on to her seat by running for re-election. Having been born and raised in Dearborn, Byrnes went on to graduate from the University of Michigan-Dearborn before going on to graduate school and serving as a...
Mike Sareini looking to retain his seat on the Dearborn City Council
June 12th, 20210 DEARBORN — With all seven City Council seats up for grabs, Councilman Mike Sareini is one of 18 candidates and is hoping to retain his seat. Sareini, 49, is a married father of five and a lifelong Dearborn resident. His mother, Suzanne Sareini, held the seat for 24 years before he decided to run the same year she announced she...
Denise Malinowski-Maxwell kicks off her mayoral campaign
June 11th, 20210 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — As one of three mayoral candidates in this year's election, Denise Malinowski-Maxwell has kicked off her campaign with a fundraiser event. The event was held at the American Legion in Dearborn Heights. With recent endorsements from the Teamsters 299 and the Region 1A UAW, many members of the community and...
Mo Baydoun looking to retain his seat on the Dearborn Heights City Council
June 6th, 20210 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Mo Baydoun, who was appointed to the Dearborn Heights City Council earlier this year, is running to retain his seat. Baydoun was appointed to finish out former Councilwoman Lisa Hicks-Clayton’s term once she was elected treasurer in November. In 2017, Baydoun ran for a full-term seat on the City Council and......
Westland mayoral candidate removed from the ballot
June 5th, 20212 WESTLAND — After a hearing on Wednesday, an election commission deemed that mayoral candidate William Asper was to be removed from the ballot. Asper told The Arab American News that he believes he was removed from the ballot illegally. “I am running for mayor to stop the corruption,” he said. “They stated that residency...
James Parrelly wants to show his love for Dearborn by running for mayor
June 3rd, 20210 DEARBORN — Financial planner James Parrelly is one of seven people vying for the residents’ votes for mayor in the August 3 primary election and, ultimately, the Nov. 2 general election. Parrelly had run in the 2017 election, but lost in the primary. He said he believes he is the thought leader in the campaign. “I was...
Emgage endorses Abdullah Hammoud for Dearborn mayor; Hassan Ahmad and Mo Baydoun for Dearborn Heights City Council
June 2nd, 20210 DEARBORN/HEIGHTS — Emgage has announced its endorsement for Abdullah Hammoud for Dearborn mayor and Hassan Ahmad and Mo Baydoun for Dearborn Heights City Council. Emgage's website says it is a family of civic and political institutions dedicated to strengthening the engagement of Muslim Americans in the civic and political process,...
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......
Tom Wencel running for re-election to Dearborn Heights City Council
May 25th, 20210 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Coming off of his first term on City Council, Councilman Tom Wencel has decided his job is not done and is running for re-election. “I decided to run for re-election because during my first term on the City Council we have made such tremendous advancements for the residents of Dearborn Heights, and we’re just...
Dearborn city clerk accepting absent voter ballot applications
May 25th, 20210 DEARBORN — The city clerk’s office is now accepting absent voter ballot applications for the 2021 municipal primary and general elections. The clerk’s office mailed the applications on May 18. Clerk George Darany said that more than 14,000 absent voter (AV) ballot applications were mailed so registered voters could request......
Bill Bazzi kicks off his campaign for Dearborn Heights mayor
May 22nd, 20210 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Friends of Mayor Bill Bazzi helped him kick off his mayoral campaign by hosting a special event fundraiser in his honor. Nasser Beydoun, chairman of the American Arab Civil Rights League (ACRL), hosted the intimate gathering at the Bellagio Banquet Center in Dearborn Heights. “When you pick an elected leader...
Saeid Alawathi looking to serve Dearborn as a member of City Council
May 11th, 20210 DEARBORN — As a resident of Dearborn for nearly 40 years, Saeid Alawathi has decided to put his name on the ballot for one of the seven City Council seats up for election. Alawathi is a Yemeni immigrant who grew up in the Southend of the city before graduating from Fordson High School and later completing his associate degree in......
