Judge denies emergency request to halt certifying Hamtramck mayoral election

George Hunter, The Detroit News on Nov 17, 2025

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HAMTRAMCK, Mich. — A Wayne County judge on Monday denied a request for a temporary restraining order that would have prevented the Wayne County Board of Canvassers from certifying a candidate who may contest losing the city's Nov. 4 mayoral election by 11 votes.

The request for the restraining order was made by the attorney for apparent Mayor-elect Adam Alharbi, who is suing his rival, City Council member Muhith Mahmood, claiming Mahmood lives outside of Hamtramck and is not eligible to run for city office. Mahmood is considering challenging his razor-thin loss based on questions about absentee ballots.

The restraining order request asked Wayne County Circuit Judge Patricia Perez Fresard to prevent the Board of Canvassers from certifying the election, should the board declare Mahmood the winner. The board is set to meet Tuesday to certify the results of the Nov. 4 election races and issues across the county on the last possible day under state law.

Following Fresard's decision Monday to deny the restraining order, attorneys for both sides vowed the battle over the disputed election will continue beyond an expected county decision Tuesday to certify the election.

In a 2-2 vote along party lines, the Board of Canvassers deadlocked Friday on whether to count 37 absentee ballots that were found in the Hamtramck City Clerk's office two days after the election. The decision temporarily upheld Alharbi's narrow victory, although Mahmood's attorney Mark Brewer said there were still 120 ballots that had to be cured due to missing or mismatched signatures that have not been counted, which could still tip the final count in his client's favor.

State law requires the county to complete its canvass by Tuesday, or two weeks after the Nov. 4 election.

After the election results are certified, the runner-up candidate may file for a recount. Under state law, the person who files for the recount must pay for it, but will be reimbursed if the election outcome is changed.

Alharbi's attorney Nabih Ayad said Monday the election results are moot because he claimed Mahmood lives in Troy, not Hamtramck, rendering him ineligible to hold city office. State police were asked to investigate findings of residency fraud by Mahmood and council member Abu Musa following a private investigator's report for the city.

Ayad said he expects his client's victory to be upheld, but said he asked for the restraining order "because we're concerned about the fraud that's been happening in Hamtramck.

"There's a lot of funny business going on, which is why we’ve submitted an official complaint to the FBI, asking them to come in and investigate the election process," Ayad said.

The FBI did not immediately reply Monday to a request for comment.

Ayad added: "(Mahmood) can't run for office no matter what happens with the Board of Canvassers, because he's lived in Troy for the past seven years."

Brewer said Monday the issue of Mahmood's residency was decided last year.

"Last spring, the City Council was asked to remove my client based on his residency, and the Council declined," he said. "They decided the issue, and if someone was upset with that, they should have filed a lawsuit last spring, not after the election."

The council held the vote on May 13. The council voted unanimously against removing Musa, while council member Muhtasin Sadman abstained on the vote regarding Mahmood.

"If it comes down to it, I will demonstrate that my client is a resident of Hamtramck," Brewer said.

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