Washtenaw County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi easily defeated Ann Arbor's incumbent mayor Chris Taylor in the primary election on Tuesday.
Taylor, a progressive Democrat, had been mayor for 12 years, casting his vote with a highly cohesive city council that approved the addition of multiple high rise buildings to Ann Arbor's downtown skyline - along with a controversial land use and rezoning plan to increase housing density throughout the city.
Rabhi, a Democratic Socialist, ran on wave of resident discontent for those changes, while outlining a platform of "restoring all power to the people of Ann Arbor, and solutions that work for all of us, not just out-of-town corporate interests."
Taylor ran on his record of balanced city budgets, improving city services and street repairs, an expected tripling of affordable housing units, and increasing housing density to bring down the high cost of housing in Ann Arbor.
Rabhi's victory, however, was not enjoyed by three of the four city council candidates he endorsed. Voters re-elected two incumbents, Jenn Cornell (Ward 5) and Cynthia Harrison (Ward 1), both of whom had voted for high rise developments and the land use and rezoning plan.
Voters also elected two newcomers to city council, Aiden Sova (Ward 4) and Sandy Aldrich (Ward 2), both of whom had been endorsed by Chris Taylor.
Only Ryan Bartholomew, endorsed by Rabhi, won his race for the city council seat in Ward 3.
Rabhi is almost certain to win in the Democratic majority city in November's general election. But he will lead a city council dominated by members who ran as part of the Taylor slate.
In a statement, mayor-elect Rabhi said the "people the people of Ann Arbor sent a message. We are ready to fight for a better tomorrow. We are ready to embrace a vision of the future that works for the many, not just the few."
“I want to thank each and every person who made phone calls, knocked doors, or talked to their friends about this race. This community is incredible. And I am confident that, whether or not you voted for me, our city will unite together in the face of the enormous obstacles facing us."
“Ann Arbor will unapologetically stand up to Trump’s federal overreach and protect our neighbors against ICE. We will push back against rising inequality to make sure that every worker, neighbor, and community member who wants to make their home here can. We will step into our role as a regional leader and redefine what is possible," he said.
