Dearborn voters who once formed the backbone of the Democratic Party are rewriting their ballots ahead of the 2026 midterms. A significant portion of the city's Arab American community is voting third party, driven by frustration over U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and concerns about immigration enforcement.
The shift presents a major challenge for Democratic candidates running in Michigan State Senate District 2 and other statewide races. With the primary election set for August 4, politicians are scrambling to address the concerns of a demographic that has grown increasingly disillusioned with the two-party system.
The Numbers Behind the Shift
Data from the 2024 presidential election reveals the magnitude of the departure from traditional voting patterns. Across Dearborn as a whole, Donald Trump won 42% of the vote, while Kamala Harris received 29.11%. Third-party candidates captured 27.11% of the total.
In East Dearborn precincts with Arab American majorities, the trend was even more pronounced. Third-party candidates, primarily Jill Stein, received 36% of the vote.
"While nationally, the swing away from the Democratic ticket was 12%, in Michigan, Arab Americans moved away from the Democrats at a staggering 35%," according to an analysis by the Arab American Institute.
The institute's report described the 2024 election as "not normal," noting that many Arab Americans found it difficult to choose between a Democratic vice president who supported Israel's military actions in Gaza and a Republican nominee with a history of anti-Arab rhetoric.
The Senate District 2 Race
Abbas Alawieh, a Democratic primary candidate for Michigan State Senate District 2, says he is trying to win back voters who feel abandoned by the party. Alawieh co-founded the Uncommitted National Movement, which declined to endorse Harris in 2024 due to the war in Gaza.
Alawieh said the political sentiment in Dearborn is rooted in "a deep sense of frustration and grief, specifically in response to Trump's illegal wars in the Middle East."
"A lot of folks are fundamentally perplexed. We pay taxes here to improve our lives here, and the tax dollars are being used to destroy our families' homes abroad," Alawieh said. "It's a very difficult and challenging reality to live with."
Alawieh's own family has been affected by the conflict. He said his grandmother's home in Lebanon was destroyed in March.
Immigration Fears Compound the Issue
Beyond foreign policy, immigration enforcement is a top concern for voters in Dearborn. Alawieh said that immigration is the first issue most non-Arab voters bring to him during campaigns.
Some Arab voters are more cautious about voicing their frustrations publicly. Alawieh recounted a recent interaction with a Middle Eastern man with a green card who pulled him aside after a speech.
"He said he's afraid of getting picked up by ICE," Alawieh said.
A Demographic That Matters
The Arab American community in southeastern Michigan is growing and holds significant electoral power. The 12th U.S. Congressional District, which includes Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and parts of Detroit, has the largest Arab American population among Michigan's congressional districts.
According to 2023 American Community Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the district is home to an estimated 82,536 Arab Americans. The Arab American Institute reported that the Arab American population in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties increased from 4.9% to 8.4% between 2010 and 2020.
In Wayne and Macomb counties alone, Arab Americans make up roughly 10% of the population.
Democrats Face a Reckoning
Critics within the community say the Democratic Party failed to engage with Arab American voters in 2024. Hannah Fahoome, a 28-year-old Palestinian American filmmaker and community organizer, said Harris's campaign strategy of speaking "as close to the center as they possibly could" was a "colossal failure."
"They thought they could win over enough Republicans who had lost faith in Trump. They said, we're not going to worry about these radical people over here ... about the Palestinians. We're not going to worry about Dearborn," Fahoome said.
Fahoome recalled pro-Palestinian demonstrators interrupting Harris's August 7, 2024, Detroit rally. She said Harris dismissed them.
"You didn't try to get my vote. You actually laughed in my face," Fahoome said. "So of course, I'm not going to vote for you."
Bilal Beydoun, a 36-year-old writer and policy expert born and raised in Dearborn, said the 2024 election was "a contest between President Trump's lies, Jill Stein's opportunism, and Kamala Harris's absence."
Despite Dearborn being a Democratic stronghold in previous elections, Harris did not make a campaign stop in the city. She made 25 stops in Michigan, according to MLive.
The outcome of the August 4 primary and the November 3 general election will show whether Democrats can rebuild trust with this critical voting bloc. For now, many Dearborn voters remain skeptical.
"I do think the Democratic Party's reluctance to speak out against the Gaza genocide played a major role in its lack of electoral fortunes the last time around. This time around, I think we're seeing a similar dynamic at play," said Zena Ozier, a 35-year-old public interest attorney and mother in Dearborn.
Ozier said she voted for Stein in 2024 because Democrats did not present a "progressive enough" platform. She said some in her community voted for Harris as "damage control," while others were so disenchanted that they voted for Trump.