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Hamtramck, a city filled with political controversy, has chosen two finalists to compete in the mayoral race.
Muhith Mahmood (left), Adam Alharbi
Adam Alharbi, a community activist and former campaign manager for current mayor Amer Ghalib, finished first with 53.6 percent of the vote followed by council member Muhith Mahmood at 28.9 percent, who is under investigation for allegations of residency fraud.
The Detroit News reports:
Mahmood has vehemently denied allegations that he actually resides in Troy, rather than Hamtramck. He said Tuesday's results show that the community believes him.
"This is proof I was not a liar," he said. "People believe in me. They came out and supported me strongly."
Mayor Ghalib did not run this time as he awaits confirmation as President Trump's ambassador to Kuwait.
The Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups have urged Trump to rescind the nomination.
"We strongly oppose the nomination of Amer Ghalib to be the next U.S. ambassador to Kuwait," the ADL wrote on X in March. "Ghalib routinely traffics in antisemitism, actively supports the antisemitic BDS movement, attempted to justify the 10/7 massacre, and refused to take disciplinary action against an appointee who attempted to justify the Holocaust."
Ghalib supported Trump in the 2024 election at a time when many Muslim and Arab voters were angry over the Biden administration's support of Israel in the Gaza war.
