AAPAC to community: Don’t vote for either Harris, Trump, Slotkin or Rogers; choose down ballot candidates who’ve earned our support
Date: 10/14/2024 Contact: Osama Siblani 313-505-4889
On Sunday October 13, members of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) met to decide which of the candidates and proposals on the November 5 ballot to endorse, including the hotly contested presidential race.
Arab Americans have long contributed to the fabric of this country and AAPAC has endorsed presidential candidate since its inception in 1998.
This year, we face a choice of two candidates who are harming our communities here and our families and friends in our homelands. We simply cannot give our votes to either Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump, who blindly support the criminal Israeli government led by far right extremists, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Members debated for a long time the options in the presidential election, which either Harris or Trump will win on November 5.
Since its debut, AAPAC has endorsed both Republicans and Democrats for various offices including the presidency. However, in this election, neither candidate represents our hopes and dreams as Arab Americans. Both are a threat to our principles and they cannot be entrusted with our domestic and foreign policies. Our country is at a crossroads and in bad need for a leadership that can bring Americans together and lead a better world. Both candidates have endorsed genocide in Gaza and war in Lebanon. Both compete to please and support the Israeli government led by a criminal and genocidal right-wing extremists.
We at AAPAC have been watching with great pain for the last 12 months the genocide that continues to be committed against innocent Palestinians in Gaza and are not willing to sacrifice our principles for the lesser of two evils. Voting for either of these candidates feels like supporting policies that go against our values, moral compass and the future of America and the world.
By not voting for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, we are not staying silent — to the contrary, we are making a powerful statement and sending a clear message: We refuse to endorse candidates who do not care about us or our concerns, continue to divide America, and are complicit in an active genocide. Our votes matter, and withholding them will show that we cannot be ignored or taken for granted.
What we said on the presidential race also applies to the U.S. Senate race. We ask our community to not vote for either Democrat Elissa Slotkin or Republican Mike Rogers. Frankly, they are both warmongers and do not deserve your vote.
Without our votes, any candidate’s path to victory will be incomplete. This is how we make our voices heard.
Many down ballot candidates do deserve your vote, however, and we urge you to vote for them.
AAPAC is preparing a mailer to be sent to cities with concentration of Arab American voters homes in Metro Detroit.
Between now and Election Day, please VOTE and make sure you tell your family, friends and neighbors to do the same. We have many qualified candidates on the ballot who deserve your vote and need our support.
Thank you!
VOTE for the following candidates:
U.S. President
- No endorsement. Do not vote for Democratic Nominee Kamala Harris or Republican Nominee Donald Trump.
U.S. Senate – Michigan
- No endorsement. Do not vote in the Senatorial Election.
U.S. House of Representatives Michigan District 12
- Rashida Tlaib
U.S. House of Representatives Michigan District 6
- Debbie Dingell
Michigan House of Representatives District 3 (Dearborn)
- Alabas Farhat
Michigan House of Representatives District 15 (Dearborn)
- Erin Byrnes
Wayne County Sheriff
- Raphael Washington
Wayne County Register of Deeds
- Bernard Youngblood
Wayne County Commission District 13
- Sam Baydoun
Macomb County Treasurer
- Matt Churchill
Macomb County Prosecutor
- Christina Hines
Michigan Supreme Court
- Kyra Harris Bolden –
Michigan Court of Appeals
Second District – Non Incumbent
(Genesee, Oakland, and Macomb)
(Vote for no more than one)
- Latoya Willis
Third Circuit Court (Wayne County)
Non Incumbent Position
(Vote for not more than one)
- Adrienne Scruggs
Wayne County Probate Court
- Macie Gaines
Oakland County Circuit Court
- Nicole Huddleston –
Washtenaw County Circuit Court
- Jinan Hamood
16th District Court (Livonia)
- Robin Persiconi
46th District Court (Southfield)
- Robin Dillard-Russaw
52-3 District Court (Rochester Hills)
- Laura Polizzi
35th District Court (Plymouth)
- Michael Woodyard
Board Member – Dearborn Public Schools
- Jamal Aljahmi
- Amer Zahr
Crestwood School Board
- Najah Jannoun
Canton Township Clerk
- Michael Siegrist
Crestwood School Bond – VOTE YES
