Election 2021: Will history be made?

This year’s mayoral and city council race could prove to be a turning point in Hamtramck’s history.

By Charles Sercombe
Political watchers will be paying close attention to next Tuesday’s election.
It could be a turning point for Hamtramck.
Mayor Karen Majewski is facing a tough – if not impossible – re-election challenge from candidate Amer Ghalib, who has never held local elective office.
Ghalib came out as the top vote-getter in the primary election last August, pulling 364 votes ahead of second-place finisher, Majewski.
Last August Majewski was optimistic she could recover.
“I’m confident that we can make up the deficit and win the general,” Majewski told The Review at that time.
This isn’t the first time Majewski has had to come from behind, but in previous elections she had only a handful of votes to overcome.
Ghalib, a Yemeni-American, represents the emerging political muscle of the Yemeni community.
If elected, Ghalib would become Hamtramck’s first Yemeni-American to serve as mayor.
After the August election, he told The Review he expected to win.
“It’s not a coincidence, it’s the fruit of many years of serving the community and building good relationships with Hamtramck residents,” Ghalib said.
While that vote gap looks like it’s insurmountable, Majewski is counting on support from the Bengali community to push her ahead. She has been mayor for 16 years, something her challenger and his supporters say is a detriment.
Ghalib has called for a fresh perspective to tackle the city’s many challenges, but he has not yet offered any specifics.
The Review reached out to him via his campaign’s Facebook page for further clarification, but he did not respond.
Majewski has countered her critics by promoting the city’s advances during her tenure, including various state and federal grants that have helped fund needed infrastructure repairs, such as the rebuilding of Holbrook and part of Caniff.
In the city council race, there is a good chance three new faces will come on board.
There are six candidates vying for three open seats on council. They are: Amanda Jaczkowski, Adam Albarmaki, Lynn Blasey, Khalil A. Refai, Muhith Mahmood, and former councilmember Abu Musa.
Refai was the top vote-getter in the primary election, with Jaczkowski in second place and Mahmood in third. None of the three have any prior experience in holding office.
In the general election, it’s common for the order of council candidates to shift dramatically from the primary election, so anything can happen next Tuesday. However, the top vote-getter in the primary usually is guaranteed a seat on council.
Also on the ballot for voters to consider are two city charter changes. Proposal 1 would require future candidates for local office to have been a resident in the city at least one year at the time they register to run for office.
Proposal 2 is another election-related issue that would set term limits for council and mayor office holders. They would be termed out after holding office for three terms.
That proposal, if it passes, would not disqualify Majewski from taking office, but she would be termed out going forward after three more terms.
Each term is for four years.
Majewski has told her supporters that this would be her last term if she is re-elected. Majewski said she wants to hold office while Hamtramck celebrates its 100th year of being an incorporated city in 2022.
Haven’t registered to vote yet? No problem, Michigan allows those eligible to vote to register on election day. If you need to register, you must do so at the city clerk’s office in city hall.
The city clerk’s office will be open this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There has been an issue recently with people who have asked for an absentee ballot but never received one. City Clerk Rana Faraj said those voters must request to have that ballot “spoiled” – or disqualified — so they can still vote.
If you still have not returned your absentee ballot, it is advised that you not mail it at this point, because it might not get to city hall in time to be counted. Instead, voters are encouraged to drop off their ballots at city hall.
Election polling stations will open at 7 a.m. next Tuesday (Nov. 2), and close at 8 p.m.
Posted Oct. 29, 2021