Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi has filed an emergency appeal after a Wayne County judge ruled that challenger Muhith Mahmood meets the residency requirements to hold office, paving the way for him to take over as mayor.
Judge Kathleen McCarthy’s decision followed the counting of 37 previously disputed absentee ballots from the November 2025 election. The revised tally put Mahmood ahead of Alharbi by 2,089 votes to 2,077.
Mahmood’s residency had been challenged during a legal dispute over whether he was eligible to stand for election. Alharbi’s side argued that he primarily lived in Troy, while Mahmood maintained that Hamtramck was his main home despite his wife and children living in Troy.
In her ruling, Judge McCarthy found there was insufficient evidence to overturn Mahmood’s claim that he was a Hamtramck resident. She also ordered the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to certify the disputed ballots.
The ballots were discovered in the Hamtramck city clerk’s office after the election. They had not been counted initially after officials raised concerns about how they had been stored and whether the chain of custody could be verified.
Alharbi had remained in office while the legal challenges continued. His lawyer, Nabih Ayad, said the mayor was seeking a stay of the ruling and had lodged an emergency appeal with the Michigan Court of Appeals.
“We are filing a request for a stay of her decision,” Mr Ayad said, arguing that the ruling was against the weight of the evidence presented during the hearing.
Mahmood’s lawyer, Mark Brewer, described the decision as a victory for Hamtramck voters and said the county canvassers had been ordered to certify his client as mayor.
The ruling clears a major legal obstacle, but Mahmood’s succession is not yet complete. The Board of Canvassers must still certify the updated result, while the appeal and any request to pause the decision remain outstanding.
