Patrick Dunn: Welcome to The Washtenaw Weekly, a new podcast from 89.1 WEMU. I'm your host, Patrick Dunn. Every Friday, we'll bring you the top five stories from the past week of WEMU's reporting on Washtenaw County. From Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti and beyond, we've got you covered on the community news you need to know. The midterm elections dominated the news this week, of course, with Democrats racking up big wins nationwide. Washtenaw County voters turned out in record numbers for a midterm election, with almost 72% of registered voters casting a ballot. One of the most closely followed races across the country was the battle for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat. Abdul El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers for that seat in Tuesday's election. But first, he made one of his final campaign stops at Eastern Michigan University's Student Center in Ypsilanti on Monday. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced El-Sayed, who spoke to a fired-up capacity crowd.
Abdul El-Sayed: One more time so they hear us in Ann Arbor. Money out of?
Crowd: Politics!
Abdul El-Sayed: Money in your?
Crowd: Pockets!
Abdul El-Sayed: Medicare for?
Crowd: All!
Abdul El-Sayed: Oh! Must be in Ypsilanti.
Patrick Dunn: El-Sayed stuck to many of his common campaign talking points. He emphasized lowering costs, improving the health care system, and reducing American spending on foreign wars. He also tested out a line he'd use in his election night victory speech as he took a shot at President Trump.
Abdul El-Sayed: For his part, Donald Trump can't seem to figure out what my actual name is, to be fair. "Abdul." He always says it with a rasp: "Muhammad." At some point, I'm gonna teach him how to say my name properly, but after tomorrow, he could just call me "Senator."
Patrick Dunn: El-Sayed is an Ann Arbor resident, and he kicked off a press conference after his rally by offering a couple of local restaurant recommendations to out-of-town reporters.
Abdul El-Sayed: There's a great barbecue fusion spot called Ricewood, which I highly recommend. And then, if you want a really nice dinner, Bellflower. Unbeatable.
Patrick Dunn: In addition to sealing El-Sayed's victory, the midterms also brought big news on a couple of hotly debated local ballot proposals. On Tuesday, voters rejected Ann Arbor's Proposal E, which would have established a municipal electric utility board to consider a city takeover of DTE's electric infrastructure. The measure failed by 951 votes. Ann Arbor City Council members last month voted 10-1 to formally oppose Proposal E, saying it conflicted with the city's charter and could derail work the city has done on its sustainable energy utility. They also cited the expense and legal risks to the city. Outgoing Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor said yesterday he recognizes that people are frustrated with DTE, but he says the city sustainable energy utility offers a reliable and affordable energy option for city residents.
Christopher Taylor: I appreciate the work done by the activists and the organizers, and I share in their frustration with DTE and investor-owned utilities. We all know that DTE investor-owned utilities are not a force for good, but the honest truth is that our municipal organization cannot handle and the residents of Ann Arbor cannot afford a takeover of the existing grid. And so I think, you know, we dodged a bullet last night with the defeat of Proposal E.
Patrick Dunn: Brian Geiringer is executive director of Ann Arbor for Public Power, which supported the proposal. He said regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's vote, DTE is on notice.
Brian Geiringer: I think that the outcome last night was really, in many ways, a huge victory for the people of Ann Arbor. I mean, despite $2 million and two different lawsuits against Proposal E, we really came within striking distance and showed that there's a huge appetite for public power in Ann Arbor.
Patrick Dunn: Geiringer says a publicly-owned utility would offer residents of the city more influence over electricity policy. He says if DTE insists on remaining a monopoly, it should belong to the people. Meanwhile, Ypsilanti voters approved a controversial ballot proposal in their city. Proposal B requires a public vote any time the city wants to increase the police department budget. It was approved with about 54% of the vote. Those who favored the charter amendment say it will bring accountability to the city's police department. City Councilmember Amber Fellows says the public has shown it's what they want.
Amber Fellows: Leaders in the community have often said over the last 10 years that folks in certain areas, especially in the Southside, which is historically Black, that community wants more police. I think that conversation is put to rest now given that every precinct in Ward 1 supported with an average of 50% approval.
Patrick Dunn: Fellow says many residents told her a January police standoff on Cross Street was a main reason they supported the proposal. During that incident, a man named Ruben Peeler was injured and eventually arrested. Ypsilanti City Councilmember Patrick McLean says Prop B's ballot language misled voters. Last month he introduced a city council resolution asking his fellow councilmembers to formally oppose the proposal.
Patrick McLean: I think they were led to believe that somehow this is simply an exercise in additional democracy.
Patrick Dunn: McLean emphasizes that Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel found that Prop B violates the Ypsilanti City Charter and the state Constitution. Fellows says she's confident the proposal will survive any legal challenges.
Amber Fellows: This is clearly what voters want and it seems we should look into all the ways we can make it so this can happen and it's in line with state laws and everything. But we need to interpret the will of the residents here and we need to make good on that.
Patrick Dunn: Also on Tuesday night, Yousef Rabhi officially clinched the office of Ann Arbor mayor. Rabhi defeated incumbent Mayor Christopher Taylor, who has held the office since 2014, in the August primary election. Rabhi is a current Washtenaw County commissioner and former state representative. Elizabeth Kurtz ran against Rabhi as a write-in candidate in the general election, but he cruised to victory with 97% of the vote. Rabhi spoke to WEMU on election night about his plans for his first day on the job as mayor.
Yousef Rabhi: First day on the job is about unity. First day of the job is about bringing our council together and bringing the staff together and making sure that we can create a unified effort to move our city forward.
Patrick Dunn: Although primary voters chose Rabhi over Taylor by a nearly 11-point margin, they mostly favored Taylor's allies rather than Rabhi's for city council. Rabhi told us he hopes to bring people together following a contentious time in Ann Arbor politics.
Yousef Rabhi: There's been a lot of division in Ann Arbor, a lot of people on different sides of issues. But I think that's been the symptom of a larger political problem in this country. And I'm hoping that one of the first things I want to do is roll up my sleeves and bring people together.
Patrick Dunn: Taylor attended his final city council meeting as mayor on Thursday night. He gave thanks to everyone he's worked with in his nearly two decades in city government.
Christopher Taylor: You come every single day without fanfare. But if everyone could see you in action as I have, they would know what I know, and that is that you deserve praise beyond measure.
Patrick Dunn: The process to replace Rabhi on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners is now underway. Applications to take over his eighth district seat will be collected from December 1st through 8th. Anyone interested must be a registered voter and a resident of the district, which is in central Ann Arbor. Applicants will be asked to prepare a 200- to 300-word letter of interest describing why they wish to serve on the county commission. They'll also be asked to answer four questions. Interviews, a board deliberation and an anticipated appointment are scheduled for December 16th. And in our top story for the week, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell weighed in on what's next for the Democratic Party after they take control of the Senate and House of Representatives next year. On Tuesday, Dingell won her seventh term representing Michigan's 6th congressional district, which includes Washtenaw County and parts of Wayne, Oakland and Monroe counties. Dingell told me on election night that it's time for Democrats to roll up their sleeves and get to work on the many challenges voters elected them to solve.
Debbie Dingell: We've got to come together. We have got to make sure that we address the issues like the cost of food and gasoline and housing and deliver for the American people. There's a presidential election in two years and if we haven't delivered, they're gonna hold us accountable.
Patrick Dunn: Dingell played a pivotal role last weekend in attempting to broker peace between Senator-elect El-Sayed and his former Democratic primary opponent, Haley Stevens. Those efforts fell apart, and Stevens endorsed El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, citing concerns about El-Sayed's views on Israel. But with the midterms over and El-Sayed victorious, Dingell said it's time to move on from the last-minute conflict.
Debbie Dingell: I was surprised when it happened. I focused on winning the election today and what the issues are about today. And I think we need to put that chapter behind us and that we got to come together and work together. And the issue that I'm the most committed to is standing up to hate and making sure that every single person in Michigan feels safe, is treated with respect and dignity, is not worried about who they are, what their faith is, what their background is, or where they live.
Patrick Dunn: Well, that completes our rundown of this week's top five WEMU local news stories. But before we go, if you're looking for a good new listen this weekend, check out WEMU's new podcast, "'Round Every Corner." It's hosted by Neda Ulaby, who you may be familiar with from her many years working for NPR. Well, she's also an Ypsi resident and she's now on Team WEMU. On "'Round Every Corner," she'll be focusing on the many people creating art and culture in the Washtenaw County community. For the debut episode, she interviewed actor Jeff Daniels about his efforts to nurture the arts in his hometown of Chelsea, first through the Purple Rose Theater and now through his new venue, JDs Stage Bistro.
Jeff Daniels: I don't have to care about Michigan actors. I don't have to care about local musicians or regional musicians. But I do, because I used to be one. Still am, in a way. I've always thought of myself as a working actor, not a star from Hollywood.
Patrick Dunn: That's on the debut episode of "'Round Every Corner." It's available now on WEMU.org or your podcast provider of choice. That's it for the first episode of The Washtenaw Weekly. We'll be back next Friday with another rundown of the week in 89.1 WEMU's local news coverage. The stories you heard today were reported by WEMU's Ana Longoria, Caroline MacGregor, Kevin Meerschaert and myself. Our theme music is by Rick Roe. And I'm your host, Patrick Dunn. Until next time, stay well and stay informed.
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