Democratic Ann Arbor mayoral hopeful Yousef Rabhi faces a challenge from an independent write-in candidate in the Nov. 3 election.
Rabhi, a former Michigan state representative and current Washtenaw County commissioner, defeated incumbent Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor in the August primary election. Rabhi won more than 55% of the vote in the primary.
He is widely expected to win the general election, in which he faces write-in candidate Elizabeth Kurtz. She has not debated Rabhi, nor run an extensive campaign.
Kurtz is a self-described journalist who is currently experiencing housing insecurity. She says she wants to help unhoused people find stability to help them access needed resources to get back on their feet.
"A stabilization center is crucial. And that's the missing gap between people living on the streets and people who are not housed."
Kurtz also wants to make stabilization a central focus of the city’s housing strategy. She says this means 24-hour access to fundamental resources like showers, storage and laundry.
"The struggle is compounded by the fact that people are living in the elements and they lack the basic fundamentals to navigate their lives."
Rabhi says he wants to foster dialogue within city government. He says he has met with the council members to discuss the city's future and is excited for new people coming in. He says it comes down to collaboration.
"You know, it's okay that we don't always agree. It's about making an environment where we can all roll up our sleeves and work together for the betterment of the community."
Rabhi says he wants publicly owned electricity and stronger clean-energy measures, stronger tenant protections and residents being offered a greater role in decisions that directly affect people's lives.
"The most important thing with all of this is, like, re-centering the voices of the community. I keep hearing even now, since I've won the primary, how frustrated people are with the city basically, like, not listening to residents when it comes to core issues."
Both Rabhi and Kurtz have criticized the disconnect between government decisions and people’s lived experiences.
This story is part of a series previewing major local races in the 2026 midterm elections. Click here for more of WEMU's local election coverage.
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