By Nargis Rahman
Hamtramck voters will be choosing their next mayor in November’s general election. The choices are between two candidates and a write-in option.
In the past several months, Hamtramck residents have witnessed the firing of several city officials for alleged misconduct and pending investigations on allegations of election fraud and residency fraud by several city council members.
Current Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib is not running for re-election due to a pending possible U.S. Senate approval for nomination as ambassador to Kuwait.
MUHITH MAHMOOD
Bangladeshi American candidate Muhith Mahmood, 52, is a current Hamtramck City Councilmember. He also works at D.PRIME Steakhouse inside MGM Grand Detroit for the past 20 years.
Mahmood says he’s running for Hamtramck mayor due to his love for the city.
“Since I have the experience of being on the council and about the city and people that I know of in Hamtramck, I decided to, instead of running for council again, I took a shot for the mayor,” he says.
Mahmood is a part of a pending investigation by the Michigan State Police for alleged residency fraud.
Mahmood says he moved to Hamtramck in 2021 and resides at 3119 Holbrook Street.
“When I decided to run for the City of Hamtramck, I moved accordingly to follow the bylaws… and at that time, they investigated everything. I don’t know why it’s become an issue after a few years,” he says.
Mahmood says he also owns a home in Troy, where his family lives.
“As I mentioned previously, on many occasions, I do real estate, and I have a few houses in different cities, and I do have a house in Troy as well,” he explains.
Mahmood says he loves Hamtramck due to its diversity.
He says his experiences as an immigrant helps him understand the struggles of newcomers in the city.
“I went through the struggle when I came over to this country, and I don’t want them to face the same struggle. You know, if I can be helpful for them for a little bit, I think this is a great achievement for me,” he says.
Mahmood has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Chittagong University in Bangladesh. Soon after getting his degree, he immigrated to the U.S. through a diversity visa, and later was joined by his family members over the years.
Mahmood, who won 29 percent of the votes in the primary election, says Hamtramck voters are concerned about infrastructure and unity among residents.
“Regardless if you’re Bangladeshi, Yemeni, Polish, you name it. We have every ethnicity living in Hamtramck, and we need to find a common ground where we can all live and work together,” he says.
Mahmood is part of Unite Here! Local 24 union, representing hospitality workers, serving as sergeant-at-arms. He has also previously served as the president of the Michigan Bangladeshi American Democratic Caucus (MI-BADC) and the Democratic Party’s 13th district Vice Chair.
Aside from his public service roles, he’s the president and founder of the Golapganj Helping Hand USA, which helps the less fortunate people in Bangladesh and in the U.S.
ADAM ALHARBI
Adam Alharbi, 44, moved from Yemen to Hamtramck as a kid. He grew up in Hamtramck and attended Hamtramck Public Schools, later graduating from Wayne State University with a Bachelor’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Alharbi says he’s running to improve the city he grew up in. He received 1,931 votes in the primary election, the highest of all candidates.
“I’ve been here since I was very young. It’s my city. My parents live here, my friends, my family, and I just love the city. I love that the houses are small and how everything is so close, and it’s just the fact it’s a city I grew up in is where I feel at home,” he says.
He previously worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs and now works at the Department of Commerce as an engineer.
Alharbi says the city “has so many challenges and so much potential as well.”
Alharbi says improving the sewer system, roads, and alleys is a big concern for Hamtramck residents.
“We have sewer systems and water lines that are deteriorated and been neglected for so many years, they were supposed to change 60 years ago, and now we need millions and millions of dollars to change them, and we have water leaking through our water lines because they’re breaking every day, and about 70 or 30% of the water is going to waste,” he says.
Alharbi says he will look into replacing sewer lines in phases over several years.
He says beautifying the city will attract visitors and businesses.
“That is helping the city by increasing our income tax, and that can help the city with funding,” he says.
Alharbi says he would also like to hire a full-time grant writer to bring in additional funds to the city.
He hopes to improve the Banglatown neighborhood, create a Yemen Town and a World Town on Jos Campau.
“We just want to make Hamtramck a better city, with a good reputation and welcoming to everyone,” he shares.
Alharbi joined the Downtown Development Authority in 2023. He hopes to provide incentives for people to open businesses in Hamtramck, and ease permits for business owners.
“I also want to see if I can attract brand-name businesses into Hamtramck, and that’s how you get people from other cities to visit Hamtramck, because not too many brand names are within Detroit and Hamtramck in that area,” he explains.
He says uniting people in the city is a priority for him.
“I want to show that we can be united and we’re the world in two square miles. We can be an example to other cities throughout the nation,” he says.
He hopes to update “the outdated systems we have had in the city from ages ago,address language barriers in City Hall and hold State of the City to create transparency.
Alharbi served as the Vice President of the Yemeni American Leadership Association (YALA) in 2017, and on the Hamtramck Zoning Board of Appeals from 2017-2023.
He says he will serve all residents.
“When I become mayor, I will show that I’m for everyone. I’m not a Yemeni candidate or a Muslim candidate. I’m a Hamtramck candidate that will serve everyone equally, regardless of race, religion… and just focus on Hamtramck, improving our city for everyone,” he says.
LYNN BLASEY
Lynn Blasey, 42, says she is running as a write-in candidate.
“There are a number of residents who don’t feel that either the candidates on the ballot are choices that they can stand behind or feel comfortable voting for, for various reasons,” she says.
“I think we need a strong candidate that will represent all Hamtramckens with dignity and respect,” she says.
Blasey has a degree in Middle Eastern History from Michigan State University and the American University in Cairo, Egypt, where she studied Arabic. Blasey previously worked in the education department at the Arab American National Museum.
She now works at the College of Creative Studies as the co-director, managing and directing youth art programs.
Blasey moved to Hamtramck in 2012, “and fell in love immediately,” with the city – from hearing the call to prayer, to being around diverse neighbors.
Blasey ran for a seat on the Hamtramck City Council in 2021 and 2023, losing both times. She was later nominated to the Arts and Culture Commission, serving as a vice chair.
She says one of the most important issues in Hamtramck is cleaning up its image.
“People across the world have some pretty negative opinions of our city, and so this is a really good opportunity to sway that narrative and help celebrate the wonderful, magical things that make this community so unique and diverse,” she says.
In 2021, Blasey worked with FEMA to start the Hamtramck Area Disaster Recovery Group (HADRG), after the catastrophic floods in the summer of 2021.
She says she will partner with community leaders and organizations in Hamtramck to have town halls, and translated documents at City Hall.
“There’s an opportunity to restructure some of the systems, fix some forms, and just take a real look, take a hard look at how we are communicating and find ways that we can do so more effectively,” she says.
Blasey says the city needs a strong strategy to attract businesses, including leveraging Hamtramck’s artists.
“Hamtramck really needs a leader that everybody can feel comfortable with, and that is approachable and is someone that they can trust to represent them in any situation, any emergency, any environment.”
Hamtramck early voting begins Oct. 25-Nov. 2nd.
The general election takes place Tuesday, Nov. 4th.
