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HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Hamtramck’s contentious mayoral race faces new complications as the city clerk is placed on administrative leave and one candidate files a lawsuit challenging his opponent’s eligibility to serve. Sources confirmed to Local 4 Investigators that City Clerk Rana Faraj has been put on administrative leave following the discovery of 37 uncounted ballots. The case has been referred to the Secretary of State for investigation. “There are so many issues, who knows how long it’s going to take,” Faraj stated to Local 4 before she was put on leave, addressing the ongoing vote canvassing process. Razor-thin margin in mayoral race The mayoral race remains undecided nearly a week after the election. According to unofficial results, Adam Alharbi leads with 2,009 votes, holding a mere 11-vote advantage over Councilman Muhith Mahmood’s 1,998 votes. The final result will be determined once the county completes its canvassing and certifies the results. The board is scheduled to meet on Thursday (Nov. 13). Legal Challenge and Residency Dispute On Friday, Alharbi escalated the situation by filing a lawsuit against multiple parties, including: Opponent Muhith Mahmood City Clerk Rana Faraj The City Council The Wayne County Board of Canvassers The lawsuit challenges Mahmood’s eligibility, claiming he doesn’t meet Hamtramck’s residency requirements for mayoral candidates. The lawsuit claims Mahmood lives outside Hamtramck, making him ineligible for office under the city charter, which requires mayoral candidates to have been residents for at least one year when filing to run. In the lawsuit, Alharbi seeks: A court declaration that Mahmood cannot hold office A temporary restraining order to prevent City Clerk Rana Faraj from swearing in Mahmood until the case is resolved Mahmood previously dismissed these claims. On Monday, Alharbi took to social media, writing, “The era of corruption and voter fraud is over. I promise you: this is the beginning of the end of the broken system.” Community Calls for State Help Mike Petrack, a local business owner and founder of “Hamtramck Citizens Union,” a Facebook group focused on government accountability, expressed deep concerns about the city’s political situation. “Hamtramck has had trouble for a while. We have politicians who are not playing fair, and we have a state government that’s not holding them accountable,” Petrack said. “They were emboldened when they were able to suspend and eventually dismiss our previous city manager, and they’re running the same playbook again.” Petrack called on state officials to step in and help as election fraud and corruption allegations continue to pile up. “I can probably speak on behalf of the business community here that we need help. We need someone to step in and do something about this,” Petrack said. “We certainly saw in the primary a lot of video evidence of election fraud going on, and until that’s addressed, I can’t have confidence in any election.” Concerning the city clerk, Petrack said, “I want to thank our city clerk for sticking her neck out and taking the risk to get the ball rolling on some of these investigations. I know that wasn’t welcomed by the council, but somebody had to do it, and she really stepped up.” Next Steps The city awaits responses from multiple authorities: The Secretary of State’s investigation into the uncounted ballots Wayne County’s completion of the vote canvassing process Court decision on the residency lawsuit Potential state intervention Local 4 reached out to Hamtramck’s new interim city manager for comment, but has not received a response. The Hamtramck City Council is scheduled to meet on Nov. 11, 2025. “I respectfully but firmly disagree with the City’s decision. I will be providing a comprehensive statement at the appropriate time,” said City Clerk Rana Faraj.
