By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Alabas Farhat and Jeffrey Pepper will vie for a chance to run as a Democrat for Mayor Abdullah Hammoud’s vacant 15th District House seat in the March 1 primary election.
The Democratic primary winner will advance to the May 3 general election, where they will face Republican candidate Ginger Shearer, formerly known as Virginia Polk, who is unopposed for the Republican slot.
Shearer did not respond to repeated requests for information and a photo prior to the primary.
The winner of the May 3 general election will serve a partial term until Jan. 1, 2023 as the current 15th District’s state House representative.
Farhat and Pepper answered several questions to help voters decide for whom to cast their vote.
Why are you running for Abdullah Hammoud’s vacant House seat?
Farhat: Dearborn is home. This is where I was raised, and this is where I hope to raise my children, too. I believe in our community, its potential for growth and our shared commitment to change. I believe in our many cultures, and the way we blend, grow and walk together. More than anything, I know that we can identify and tackle our community’s most challenging problems together. However, and especially now that the 15th District’s borders have changed, it is about building understanding of social causes that affect people across city lines. I believe collaboration is key to this process, and I believe I have what it takes to advocate for and empower the many diverse communities that make up our 15th District.
Pepper: There was a vacancy in the state house and Dearborn’s voice was silenced. The duties of a state representative reflect what I have done for 45 years: Represent people and serve them. I deal with laws the legislature has written and I am no stranger to the too many of them that they have. I advocate as a matter of daily practice. I am experienced in reaching across the aisle to resolve differences. I bring a skill set and a lifelong experience as a son of Dearborn that matches perfectly with what our state representative is called to do. I know how to get things done. This is not a promise: It is a fact. It is what I do every single day. My life has prepared me for this moment: To represent a town which has been the home to five generations of my family, which has given me much and to which much is owed. I am fired up and ready to go!
Why should people vote for you?
Farhat: I first discovered my passion for public service in the Michigan House of Representatives, working as a legislative intern for Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. Through my daily communication and work with constituents, I quickly learned that real change starts with the people. Since that time, I have pursued both professional and academic paths that center this belief. In 2020, I negotiated a multi-million-dollar collective bargaining agreement, securing healthcare benefits and better working conditions for nearly 200 union members. With the Wayne County Office of the Executive, I learned how to navigate a billion-dollar budget and coordinate the launching of vaccine centers, such as the one at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. Additionally, I helped business owners and frontline workers access financial relief during the COVD-19 pandemic. I have developed the ability to bring people together and, with my understanding of social policy and public health, can identify and address our community’s most pressing challenges.
Pepper: Why would they not? I am the genuine deal. I’ve introduced myself to this community since I was appointed to serve on the Mayor’s Committee to Combat Drug Abuse when I was 16 years old, and every Rotary, K of C, City Beautiful Commission, City Civil Service Commission, Police and Fire Pension Board, Dearborn Bar Association, Community Crisis Center, Dearborn ARC, PTO, and Democratic Club meeting ever since, not to mention soccer games, and high school football games and theater productions. I am not a stranger here. And, while I run as a Democrat, because I am one, I’ve learned to listen and learn from all points of view. That’s how things get done. There’s a lot to get done and a short time to do it.
What do you hope to achieve in your short time in office?
Farhat: Poor and outdated infrastructure is arguably one of the most important challenges facing our community. From dilapidated roadways to outdated sewage systems, we have experienced unprecedented levels of damage to our lives and property. We will work with our partners at the regional, state and federal levels to pull in our fair share of federally delegated funds to improve our crumbling infrastructure. Taking this on, we need to work hand-in-hand with our local leaders to identify specific areas where investment would make the most impactful and lasting change to prevent infrastructure failures, like the catastrophic flooding in 2021. Beyond this, the conversation about infrastructure investment is not just physical needs but digital ones as well. This means maximizing broadband access. Addressing this facet of infrastructure is crucial to our community’s academic, social and economic success.
Pepper: I hope to effectuate a change in formula for road improvement. A two-lane road up north gets the same per mile funding as a six-lane road in southeast Michigan. This needs to change. I hope to secure additional state funding through supplemental appropriations for our roads and schools. Of urgent need is reestablishing constituent service for the people of Dearborn. It is additionally urgent that we have a strong voice in opposition to any of the majority’s efforts to erode our democratic election principles and to address any other skullduggery that can occur in a lame duck session.
Have you held public office before?
Farhat: No.
Pepper: No.
Do you plan to run for an elected office again in the future?
Farhat: Absolutely. I am here for the long run. We have a unique opportunity to get into office and hit the ground running and hopefully, keep running. The more time I have working with our communities, the more I believe we can get done.
Pepper: Other than, perhaps, to run again in the newly configured 15th District? No. I have not made a decision on whether or not I will do that and will make a decision after the primary and after the dust settles on litigation challenging the districts proposed by the redistricting commission. I do hope that everyone not running for this office does their patriotic duty and gets out to vote on or before March 1.