Hamtramck election results are in …

Mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi (left) was the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s primary election. He will face-off with Councilmember Muhith Mahmood in the November election for the position of mayor for the next four years.

By Charles Sercombe
As expected, mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi came out on top in the primary election.
He finished with 1,931 votes.
The runner-up in the mayoral election is Muhith Mahmood, with 1,039 votes. He will go on to face-off with Alharbi in the November General Election.
Mahmood is currently serving on city council, and instead of seeking another term on council opted to run for the position of mayor.
Mahmood is currently under investigation, along with Councilmember Abu Musa, for not actually living here. Both deny the allegation.
According to an investigator hired by the city, Mahmood lives in Troy where his wife and children live.
And according to the investigator, Musa lives in Warren with his wife and children.
Mahmood told the Detroit News that the election results are “proof I was not a liar” about his residency status.
Mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi was endorsed by Mayor Amer Ghalib, who did not seek re-election as he waits to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to Kuwait.
In the city council race, City Councilmember Abu Musa cruised to the top spot with 1,129 votes, with former councilmember Nayeem Choudhury trailing not far behind with 1,053 votes.
Joining them in the November final election will be: Yousuf Saed (909 votes); Motahar Fadhel (900 votes); Abdulmalik Kassim (814 votes); and Luqman Saleh (812 votes).
No matter who wins in November, this election ensures that the city council remains all male and all Muslim. Diane Elizabeth Frkan was the only female seeking a seat on the council, but she did not make the final cut.
Tuesday’s primary election brought out 3,829 voters, or 26.52 percent of the city’s 4,437 registered voters, which is typically low.
The election results are unofficial, but due to be certified on Friday. Election results came in shortly before 10 p.m. Polls closed at 8 p.m.
The majority of voters, 2,497, skipped going to the polls and voted via absentee ballot.
Councilmember Abu Musa was the only incumbent seeking re-election.
Councilmember Khalil Refai decided not to seek another term.
Here are the results of the mayoral election:
• Adam Alharbi, 1,931
• Muhith Mahmood, 1,039
• Khandaker Showkat Hossain, 470
• Mister Bangladesh, 102
And, the results for the city council:
• Abu Musa, 1,129
• Nayeem Choudhury, 1,053
• Yousuf Saed, 909
• Motahar Fadhel, 900
• Abdulmalik Kassim, 814
• Luqman Saleh, 812
• Diane Elizabeth Frkan, 751
• Joseph A. Strzalka, 723
• Rezaul Chowdhury, 654
• Russ Gordon, 635
• Khalid Al Qsaimi, 407
• Mahfuzur Rahman, 223

In the mayoral race, the two top-vote getters will go on to battle it out in the November General Election.
In the council primary, the top six finishers advance to the General Election, where the final three candidates will be selected to serve on council.
As for election day, the weather was hot — mid-80s, with the air sticky with humidity.
City Clerk Rana Faraj had some run-ins and skirmishes with candidates and campaign workers illegally approaching voters beyond the boundary set by law – 100 feet from polling entrances.
Updated on Aug. 8, 2025