DEARBORN – After a meeting that took approximately two hours and was punctuated by intense back-and-forth debates, the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) has agreed upon its endorsements for the 2010 Michigan primary election, which will take place on August 3 at polling stations across the state. Absentee ballots for the primary elections must be received by July 31 at no later than 2 p.m.

     The endorsements followed three separate interview sessions last week as the candidates were each given 20 minutes to field questions from AAPAC members.

     AAPAC co-founder and attorney Abed Hammoud said that the debate was perhaps the best and most comprehensive he has seen to date.

“We have a diverse group that is highly experienced and educated; we’ve always had intelligent members but this time the discussion was particularly impressive because everyone was so open and had so many good reasons for recommending each candidate,” Hammoud said.

AAPAC President and attorney Mariam Bazzi agreed with Hammoud’s assertion.

“This was a great process, you could tell the debate was lively and excitable and everyone had a chance to voice their opinion and try to sway people,” she said.

“We have a great group of people who believe in this system and are passionate about it and I’m proud to be a part of it,” she said.

The group’s stated mission is to always put the Arab American community’s best interests first regardless of each candidate’s background.

“It’s a testament to AAPAC’s mission that it doesn’t just vote for Arab candidates, if you have an Arab name it doesn’t give you a free pass, we always vote for the best candidate for this community,” said AAPAC member Rashid Baydoun.

AAPAC member and attorney Ali Hammoud believes that the 2010 Michigan primary election is one of the most important of its kind in recent years and encouraged voters to get out and make their voices heard.

“Today’s vote and the upcoming elections will have an impact on the future of the community for a long time to come and we believe collectively that we made decisions that incorporate exactly what the community asks of us,” he said.

Candidates must submit a request in writing to AAPAC in order to be endorsed for elections.

The following are AAPAC’s 2010 primary election endorsements:

Wayne County Circuit Court

— John Sullivan (Non-partisan)

Sullivan, who finished fifth in a race for three seats in 2008, is hoping to be elected as  for the lone vacant seat this time around. He is a former longtime Wayne County Commissioner who has served on numerous committees and boards in the county and has helped to oversee numerous county lawsuits and legal settlements

Wayne County Sheriff

— Benny Napoleon (Democrat)

Napoleon, the current sheriff, was named to the position by Chief Probate Judge Milton Mack and Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett after ex-Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans ascended to the police chief spot.

Napoleon joined the Detroit Police Department in 1975 and worked his way up to deputy chief in 1994 before becoming chief in 1998. He also has served as assistant executive of Wayne County under Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.

Wayne County Commissioner District 9  — Diane Webb (Democrat)

Webb is seeking re-election after winning in 2008 by receiving more than twice as many votes as competitor Mark Slater. District 9 covers Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and Redford Township. Webb has been endorsed by Michigan Congressman John Dingell and Dearborn Heights Mayor Dan Paletko among others.

Wayne County Commissioner District 3

— Martha Scott (Democrat)

The current State senator for District 2, Scott is challenging for this seat, which covers the northeast section of Detroit and the cities of Hamtramck, Highland Park, Harper Woods, and five Grosse Pointe communities.

She won her current position’s race in 2006 by a differential of over 40% and was also a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1994 through 2001.

Scott has also been present at numerous community events held by Arab American organizations.

State Representative 10th District

— Harvey Santana (Democrat)

Santana  is hoping to represent the lower half of northwest Detroit.

He has a background in urban planning and transportation in the private sector, having worked on three of Michigan largest transportation projects; the Detroit River International Crossing Study, Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal study and the I-75 Environmental Assessment.

Santana has been endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers in Michigan as well as the Detroit News, AFL-Cio, and UAW.

State Representative 12th District

— Rashida Tlaib (Democrat)

The incumbent Tlaib became the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan legislature in November 2008 when she was elected and she is hoping to be re-elected to her post in southwest Detroit, where she grew up.

The daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Tlaib has a B.A. in Political Science from Wayne State University and a law degree from the Thomas Cooley Law School.

Immigration and pollution from nearby factories and refineries are among the most important issues to Tlaib.

State Representative 15th District

— George Darany (Democrat)

or — Suzanne Sareini (Republican)

On the Democrats’ side, Darany, a long-time Dearborn City Councilman of Syrian descent, is seeking a chance to face off with the Republican candidate for the seat that will be vacated by Gino Polidori due to a term limit.

Darany has a degree in Economics from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and owned Classic Trolley Company for 20 years. He has served as the vice president of the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce’s executive board.

Sareini has been a member of Dearborn City Council since 1989 and is a lifelong resident of Dearborn.

She is a founding member of the Lebanese American Heritage Club and graduated from Fordson High School in 1969.

The 15th District covers most of Dearborn except for a few voting precincts in the northeast part of the city.

State Representative District 17

— Phil Cavanagh (Democrat)

An attorney who represented his home city of Redford for eight years on the Wayne County Commission before falling short in a bid for county treasurer, Phil Cavanagh currently runs a consulting business that focuses on bringing jobs to the state. He is considered a financial aficionado who helped eliminate a multi-million dollar deficit as treasurer of the Wayne County Mental Health Board.

State Senate 3rd District

— William Isaac Robinson (Democrat)

Endorsed by U.S. Congressman John Conyers of Michigan along with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Joint Council #43 among others, the Democrat Robinson has been highly visible at numerous events in the Arab American community.

Macomb City Commissioner 5th District — Robert Mijac (Democrat)

The current District 9 commissioner in Macomb County, Mijac has a Master’s in Finance from Wayne State.

Wayne County Executive

— Robert Ficano (Democrat)

Endorsed by the UAW, Teamsters, and politicians like Dingell, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, Worthy and many others, Ficano is seeking his third term in his current position as Wayne County Executive.

He is a staple at many events in the Arab American community and an ardent supporter of Arab American-related issues.

Ficano passed up a chance to run for governor to run for re-election in Wayne County.

Michigan Governor

— Michael Bouchard (Republican)

A former Michigan State Senator from 1991-1999 as well as an ex-police officer and small business owner, Bouchard is often spotted at numerous events within the Arab American community.

He is the current Oakland County Sheriff who made it to the final vote for a U.S. Senate seat in 2006 before falling short to Debbie Stabenow.

Among the issues Bouchard has focused on are educational funding, law enforcement and fiscal conservatism.

The Detroit Regional Chamber, the largest of its kind in the country, and the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce are among the business organizations who support Bouchard.

The Fraternal Order of Police and Police Officers Association of Michigan are also among the many endorsements Bouchard has garnered.

Bouchard graduated from Michigan State University where he majored in Criminal Justice and Police Administration.

Michigan Governor

— Andy Dillon (Democrat)

Another friend of the local Arab American community, Dillon has served as Michigan’s speaker of the house since 2007.

He has received law and accounting degrees from the University of Notre Dame and served on the staff of New Jersey’s U.S. Senator Bill Bradley.

Dillon has used his business experience to become vice president of GE Capital, a diversified financing solution provider, while he also has served as president of the Detroit Steel Company.

Dillon helped create the 21st Century Jobs Fund and believes that his experience in working with the two major parties in Lansing will help him create compromises in the state’s best interest.

Dillon is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the Police Officers Association of Michigan and the Retired Detroit Police and Fire Fighters Association along with Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh and former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer among many others.

AAPAC Makes annual endorsements for local and national elections. Voters must choose one party to make their selections from on the day of the primary election as cross-voting is not allowed.