Navigating between residents’ rage over Gaza and Democrats’ fears of Trump, Abdullah Hammoud must decide whether to back Biden in the fall
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud works at his desk in his office on March 27. DEARBORN, Mich. — Abdullah Hammoud had been outspoken about Israel’s assault in Gaza and President Biden’s unconditional support of Israel for nearly four months, but he had not attracted much attention outside his native Dearborn. That all changed in late January, when he made a decision that would catapult him from little-known mayor to national figure.
And still, the 34-year-old Hammoud has to keep his attention on the job he was elected to do: overseeing the city of Dearborn. He now spends hours discussing foreign policy and the political fallout of Biden’s support of Israel. But his days are filled with meetings about budgets, flooding, community parks and city events.
Michigan is home to the nation’s largest Arab American and Muslim population, with about 300,000 people who claim ancestry from the Middle East or North Africa, and that community overwhelmingly supported Biden in 2020. Biden won Michigan by 154,000 votes in 2020 and is expected to face another tight contest this year against former president Donald Trump.
If Hammoud does not support Biden, “I’d be disappointed, because I want the president to win and I think that would make his path more challenging, especially in Michigan,” Khanna added. “But I understand this is a matter of conscience for Abdullah and he’s true to the community he represents.”Hammoud has not yet decided whether he will vote for Biden. But he gets asked that nearly every day, and he knows he can only postpone the decision for so long.
He visited Washington in mid-January, about a week before he turned down the session with Biden’s campaign manager, for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. When Biden hosted the group at the White House, Hammoud skipped the event. Hammoud initially dreamed of medical school as a path to financial stability, but after he failed to get in, he shifted to public health, and by age 25, he was being interviewed for six-figure jobs at health firms.
But Hammoud did win, becoming, at age 26, the first Arab American and Muslim elected to represent Michigan’s 15th district. After a couple years, Hammoud felt he could have more impact directly overseeing Dearborn than as one of 110 in the state House. He ultimately beat out five other candidates and assumed the mayor’s office in January 2022.Many of Hammoud’s experiences growing up have shaped his policies as mayor.
During a recent evening at home, playing with their kids, the two discussed Hammoud’s rise and his potential to swing critical voters. Hammoud expressed discomfort at having that kind of impact.On a Tuesday afternoon in March, Hammoud, who was fasting for Ramadan, held meetings on city business.
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