ELECTION 2021: Bazzi elected, reelected on same night in election quirk

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Bill Bazzi

On Nov. 2, Bill Bazzi did something few can do.

He was elected mayor of Dearborn Heights and was reelected as mayor at the same moment.

Bazzi was appointed as mayor in January following the December 2019 death of Daniel Paletko, meaning the election to fill the last few weeks of Paletko’s term was the first time Bazzi was technically elected to the office. Because the seat runs out Dec. 31, the ballot also saw Bazzi win reelection to a full four-year term on top of the partial term to finish out this year.

Bazzi faced off against City Council Chairwoman Denise Malinowski-Maxwell in both races, which favored him by more than 70% of the vote in each. He won the full term 5,958 to 2,280, and the partial term, 5,822 to 2,130.

Election 2021

The mayor’s position earns $89,879 annually.

Bazzi was sworn in in January, replacing Paletko, who was the longest-serving mayor in Dearborn Heights history. Bazzi retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 21 years of service. He has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and worked for Boeing from 1990 to 1998, and for Ford Motor Co. from 1998 to the present.

City Council

In the race for four full terms on the City Council, Bob Constan was the top vote-getter with 4,860 votes. The others elected were incumbent Tom Wencel (4,715), and newcomers Nancy Bryer (4,546) and Hassan Ahmad (4,082).

Rachel LaPointe (3,918) and incumbent Zouher Abdel-hak (2,425) weren’t successful.

  • Robert Constan

  • Nancy Bryer

  • Hassan M. Ahmad

  • Thomas Wencel

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For a partial term election ending Dec. 31, 2022, appointed councilman Mo Baydoun (5,326) won easily over former councilman Ned Apigian (2,182).

For the partial term seat ending Dec. 31, 2021, there was no registered candidate, but 1,058 write-in ballots were cast. Results for that seat won’t be released for about two weeks.

Mo Baydoun

City Clerk

Lynne Senia won both the partial term and a full-term election while being unopposed.

Treasurer

Lisa Hicks-Clayton was unopposed for reelection.

Lisa Hicks-Clayton

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