By Simon Albaugh – Yemeni American News
Wayne County, Mich. – The Wayne County Commission is the main legislative body for county-wide initiatives. Setting county-wide laws, providing legislative oversight and allocating county funds for services are just some of the ways the County Commission serves its constituents.
With the 2022 Midterm election, the Wayne County Commission could change entirely. In Dearborn, Hamtramck and Detroit, the mix of those seeking re-election on the commission and new politicians putting their name onto the August Primary ballot will define this race.
Below is a list of candidates for Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park and Dearborn’s County Commission candidates. A complete list of candidates for every race is available on the Wayne County Clerk’s website.
District Two – Detroit
Willie Burton – While on the Board of Police Commissioners in Detroit, Burton was a vocal critic of facial recognition software, even filing a lawsuit after being removed from the meeting when he vocalized his criticism. His current term with the Board of Police Commissioners is set to end in 2026, it looks like he’s vying for County Commission instead.
Jonathan C. Kinloch – Serving as president of a media and public policy consulting company, Kinloch is simultaneously running for his second term on the Wayne County Commission. Previously, Kinloch has been elected to the Detroit Board of Education and other elected offices.
Also running in this district is Matthew Johnson. No public information was immediately available on this candidate.
District Three – Detroit / Hamtramck / Highland Park
Armani Asad – A former Hamtramck City Council candidate, his campaign missed the cutoff for moving past the primary election for Hamtramck City Council.
LaMar Lemmons – Lemmons formerly served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010. According to his archived legislative profile, he’s worked on initiatives like youth homelessness.
Mohammed Alsomiri – Serving a current term until 2024 as a Hamtramck City Councilmember, Alsomiri is active in the city’s Yemeni American Community.
Sam Alasri – A Yemeni American activist, advocate and politician, Alasri serves as chairman of the Yemeni American Political Action Committee based in Metro Detroit.
Sigmunt John Szczepkowski – A reoccurring candidate for State Representative, previous wayne county commission races and the Detroit City Council. Szczepkowski has a felony conviction which he told the Detroit News stemmed from defense during a break-in.
Martha G. Scott – Currently serving her sixth term on the Wayne County Commission, Scott is a former Michigan State Senator and has worked on initiatives like Veteran’s affairs and elderly welfare.
District 7 – Detroit / Melvindale
Alisha Bell – The only candidate in the county commission’s District 7, Bell was first elected to the commission in 2002. When first elected, she was the youngest African American woman to be elected to the commission. Now serving as Chair of the Wayne County Commission, she plays an incredibly active role in county affairs.
District 13 – Dearborn / Allen Park
Abdullatif Al-Jahmi – A real-estate agent in Dearborn, Al-Jahmi is originally from Brooklyn, New York.
Sam Baydoun – Incumbent for the Wayne County Commission’s 13th District, Baydoun also serves Dearborn as an accomplished real-estate agent.
Also running are Anne F. Clark and Mohammad Mubarak. No public information is immediately available on those two candidates.
With primary elections approaching for the 2022 Midterms, the Yemeni American News will be providing detailed views of the every race. Stay tuned for more election coverage.
