DEARBORN — With just under a month to go until the Nov. 2 gubernatorial election in Michigan, supporters of Democratic Party nominee Virg Bernero gathered at Byblos Banquet Hall on Tuesday, October 5 to rally support and raise funds for a candidate who has made a strong effort to reach out to the Arab American community.

Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero listened to concerns from community leaders at a fundraising dinner for his campaign on Tuesday, Oct. 5. PHOTOS: Nafeh AbuNab/American Elite Studios

Titled “Arab Americans for Bernero,” the dinner featured a speech by Bernero during which he outlined his economic plans for the state and reminded the crowd that elections are won on Election Day, not in projection polls or in the media.

“Nowadays you have constant polling, but who are they really talking to?” Bernero asked. “The only poll that matters is the one on Election Day.”

While early projections show that Republican Rick Snyder holds a lead, Bernero’s supporters know he’s capable of rallying support when it counts the most, citing his victory over Andy Dillon in the Democratic Primary before which he was listed by some polls as being 20 points down but ended up winning by an 18 percent margin.

“I don’t really believe that we were 20 points down; I don’t believe that the race swung that much in just a few weeks,” Bernero said, taking issue with polls projecting a win by Dillon prior to the primary.

Bernero meets with local state rep. Rashida Tlaib (C) and an Arab American supporter at the dinner.

U.S. Congressman John Conyers of Michigan’s 14th district said that the Michigan Chronicle predicted he would finish in 5th place in 1964 when he ran for Congress, a race he wound up winning.

“Think of the picture of ‘Dewey Defeats Truman,'” Conyers said, referring to a false headline in 1948 that incorrectly stated that Harry Truman lost the presidential vote to Thomas Dewey as an example of the media’s inaccuracies and potential biases in election reporting.

“Virg is a populist and a man of the people who served in the Michigan legislature and balanced his budget; his record can only be compared as a mayor to that of his running mate (Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence.) We need someone with hands-on experience like Virg who is a representative of the people.”

Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) Vice President and Michigan Civil Rights Commissioner Nabih Ayad, who hosted a fundraising dinner for Bernero at his house in Canton before the primary election, attributed much of the public’s feeling that Snyder is the likely winner to deceptive media practices, including instances of outlets taking polls prior to Bernero’s weekend TV ads coming out and then publishing the results after the weekend to make it look as if the ads had little to no effect on the numbers.

Ismael Ahmed, a co-founder of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services and Director of the Michigan Department of Human Services (although he will begin working at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in January), said that he believes Bernero, with whom he has worked in the past, will be much more considerate and receptive to dialogue than the various politicians who reached out to the Arab American community for votes in the past only to rarely speak with them after taking office.

The Democratic candidate also took questions from the audience during which he lashed out at the Arizona immigration law, calling it the result of “years of failed immigration policy” and saying that even conservatives like John McCain were originally against it.

He said that he would be able to work well with Republicans in state government if elected because of his experience working with various diverse groups as mayor of Lansing while also noting that he has the support of Republicans within the city in the upcoming election.

“It’s all about building trust,” Bernero said about resolving partisan issues in politics.

Bernero also answered a question about using tax incentives to lure the movie industry to Michigan, stating that he is committed to using all of the tools at the state’s disposal to bring new jobs to Michigan.

He also highlighted Lansing’s recent achievement of being named one of the Top 10 Best Cities for Young Adults by Kiplinger Magazine as an example of his ability to keep young people from leaving Michigan, which has become a big problem in recent years.

“It all begins with economic opportunity and jobs,” Bernero said.

AAPAC Spokesman Osama Siblani reminded the crowd about the importance of the upcoming election

“Virg is a friend of this community and he needs your support, and now we need to stand by our friends and believe in them,” he said.

“This is how you show your support, with your money and then with your votes, and this is how you get ahead in politics.”

AAPAC is currently in the process of conducting interviews to gather information for its forthcoming endorsements for the Nov. 2 election, which will be voted on and annonced next week. The 13th Annual AAPAC Strength in Unity Banquet on Friday, October 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Bint Jebeil Cultural Center in Dearborn. For more information visit www.aapac.org or call 313.582.4888.