HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Adam Alharbi has officially been declared the winner of Hamtramck’s mayoral race, following certification of the election results on Tuesday.
Two weeks after Election Day, Alharbi confirmed to Local 4 that he won the race by just six votes against his opponent, city councilman Muhith Mahmood.
The final results show Alharbi with 2,066 votes (44.62%) and Mahmood with 2,060 votes (44.49%).
“Feeling good, it’s finally over,” Alharbi told Local 4 on Tuesday. “Now our focus is going to be on fixing our city and solving the issues that residents are facing every day.”
Alharbi initially led by just 11 votes, with unofficial results showing 2,009 votes for Alharbi and 1,998 for Mahmood.
A winner hadn’t been announced because the city had 150 absentee ballots that had mismatched or missing signatures.
Officials told Local 4 that the majority of those ballots were corrected and returned.
Then, 37 ballots were discovered in Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj’s office following the election. As a result, Faraj was placed on leave.
The board ultimately denied counting those ballots.
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After the election, Alharbi also filed a lawsuit, challenging his opponent’s eligibility.
Mahmood has 48 hours to challenge the results and request a recount. When Local 4 asked for a comment, he said he wants a recount.
A special city council meeting is happening at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18. We will be there and bring you all the latest details as we learn them.