By Simon Albaugh
Detroit, Mich. – The city is an instrumental component in the Partisan Battleground. Michigan is one of the most important swing states for deciding which Political Party will have control over the next four years.
Detroiters, there’s nothing more essential than your voting this year. As the events of recent time have shown, your decision will drive the course of history, especially as residents of the state of Michigan.
So the Yemeni American News would like to provide the most comprehensive information we can on the August Election. As of now, we all have choices. Those choices will drive who’s on the ballot for November. Do your part, Detroit.
What Proposals Will We Vote On?
Wayne County Proposal O
Proposal O is an operating Millage Renewal that seeks to continue taxes at $0.95 for each $1,000 of taxable value. It will provide support for Wayne County Services like Medical Needs for the Poor and Criminal Justice Programs.
Wayne County Proposal P
Proposal P is a Parks Millage Renewal that seeks to continue taxes at $0.25 for each $1,000 of taxable value. The Millage will support Wayne County’s upkeep and improvements on parks throughout the 43 communities, including Chandler Park in Detroit.
Local School District Proposal
Detroit’s Public School District is seeking to continue taxes at $18.00 for each $1,000 of taxable value on non-homestead properties (business, industrial, and commercial properties and rented homes.) The funding will go toward continuing to retire the School District’s operating debt obligations.
Who’s Running for What?
On the Partisan Section of the Ballot, you’ll see that the voting is organized by Office. For all but one of the offices, you’ll be able to either vote for, or write-in the candidate of your choice. Here’s what offices are up for vote:
United States Senator
For the Democratic Party, there’s incumbent Gary Peters, who has represented Michigan since 2015. Originally a 14th District congressional representative, Peters has represented Dearborn and its surrounding communities since 2013.
Going up against Peters is Republican John James, a staple in Michigan’s conservative politics. In his last attempt at one of Michigan’s Senate seats, James was famously endorsed by President Donald Trump, as well as possibly being appointed the United Nations Ambassador after Nikki Haley left the position.
Representative in Congress 13th District
In a demanding Democratic Primary for both candidates Rashida Tlaib (Incumbent) and Brenda Jones, the race for representing the Democratic Party has been challenging over recent months. Tlaib, who’s represented congress since 2016, has been an instrumental challenger of President Donald Trump and his administration. While Brenda Jones has been an important progressive voice for Detroit politics as the President of its City Council.
On the Republican side of the Ticket, there’s David Dudenhoefer, Al Lemmo and Linda Sawyer. Dudenhoefer has been a major voice in Michigan’s Campaign for Liberty, a network meant to preserve constitutional liberties. Lemmo is a retired mechanical engineer for the United States Army who believes in Pro-Life legislation and strict adherence to the constitution. Sawyer is a former Nurse with the American Nurses Association and the University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council.
Representative in State Legislature 14th District
On the Democratic Party side of the Ballot, there’s Incumbent Brenda Lawrence, who has served the 14th District as Congressmember since 2015. Her Democratic Challenger is Terrance Morrison, a repeat challenger for the seat after a 2016 defeat.
On the Republican side, there’s Daryle F Houston II, an attorney and former Wayne County Domestic Violence Assistant Prosecutor. Robert Vance Patrick is also running based on his experience as a construction contractor and one of the central figures that helped reopen the Belle Isle Aquarium.
Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney
Although no Republicans are running for this position, the race between Incumbent Kym Worthy and challenger Victoria Burton-Harris has become a heated campaign.
Under Kym Worthy’s leadership, a number of important programs have contributed to Wayne County’s Criminal Justice System. One of those programs led to the testing of more than 11,000 rape kits, leading to hundreds of convictions.
Burton-Harris is a criminal justice advocate and attorney working to unseat Prosecutor Worthy as part of a broader push for more progressive policies like ending cash bail and ending the War on Drugs.
Wayne County Sheriff
T.P. Nykoriak is a member of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, just outside of Hamtramck.
Next, there’s Charles Corney II, who says his focus will be on Jail Reform, and the various police departments’ relationship with the school systems and communities.
Wayne County’s Sheriff position has been held by Benny N. Napoleon since 2009. He also served as Detroit Police Chief from 1998-2001.
Wayne County Clerk
The County Clerk is responsible for a number of things all stemming from the goal of keeping records for the County. There are only two people running for the position; Incumbent Cathy M. Garrett for the Democratic Party and Dylan M. Gomula for the Republican Party.
Cathy M. Garrett has lead the County Clerk’s office since 2008. In 2016, she won the election by more than 98% of the vote.
Gomula, at 27 years old, wants to lead the County Clerk’s Office in order to improve processing time and customer service, as well as making certain services available 24/7.
Wayne County Treasurer
The County Treasurer is responsible for the collection and disbursement of taxes, as well as any investments of the County’s funds. The office has been headed by Treasurer Eric R. Sabree since 2016.
Going up against Sabree are Angelo S. Brown, Beverly Kindle-Walker along with Anthony Wozniak for the Republican side.
Wayne County Register of Deeds
This office oversees the library of land records for the county, providing information on its usage and other factors. The library goes all the way back to 1703, and is currently overseen by Wayne County Register of Deeds Bernard J. Youngblood.
Going up against Youngblood is Ricardo R. Moore and Parker Burns. Moore is looking to make vast changes to the city of Detroit, like an Indoor Aquarium and an indoor amusement park. While Burns, running as a Republican, is looking for pragmatic solutions to problems like processing times and costs.
On the Nonpartisan Section, the only positions up for vote are two open seats as Judges of the 3rd Circuit Court. This is the largest court circuit in Michigan, with 58 judges and three operating divisions. They have jurisdiction over Civil, Criminal and Family Matters in Wayne County.
The people running to be judges on this court are: Frank Simone, Chandra W. Baker, Deana Beard, Nicholas John Hathaway, Shakira Lynn Hawkins and Mary Beth Kelly.
