Michigan Democratic Convention delegates nominate Ilitch, Diggs for UMich Board of Regents

Members of the Michigan Democratic Party voted Saturday to nominate two candidates for the University of Michigan Board of Regents. Incumbent University Regent Denise Ilitch and former University Regent Shauna Ryder Diggs received nominations for the Board, defeating Palestinian American civil rights attorney Huwaida Arraf.

The University’s Board of Regents was the only contested nomination at the Michigan Democratic Convention on Saturday. Results were reported at 7 p.m., an hour after the convention was scheduled to end. They showed the Democratic nominees for the Michigan Supreme Court, the State Board of Education and the University’s Board of Regents, among others. Each category had two open seats.

The University’s Board of Regents 

Ilitch has served on the board since 2008. She previously held positions as the president of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. and as a member on the board of directors of the NAACP Detroit Branch. As a regent, she has advocated for increasing sexual assault awareness on campus, supported the creation of the Go Blue Guarantee and pushed for the creation of a varsity women’s hockey team

Diggs is a dermatologist and a U-M alum. She was elected to the Board in 2012 and served until she lost her bid for reelection in 2020. During this time, she also supported the Go Blue Guarantee and opposed raising tuition during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus points for her 2024 campaign include affordable education and carbon neutrality, according to her nominator, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II.

Arraf was not on the ballot when the day began. According to the Detroit Free Press, she decided to seek nomination to be a voice for U-M student activists who have expressed their disapproval of the way the Board has handled protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Arraf needed 500 signatures from party members to make her eligible for nomination. 

Public Health junior Abigail O’Connell said she was nervous about Arraf’s nomination status in an interview with The Michigan Daily. 

“I was a little worried, because I (didn’t) know if there (were) 500 people or if we got that many signatures,” O’Connell said. “But OK, as the day has gone on, I’ve become more confident.” 

Arraf received enough signatures, but she fell behind in votes based on the convention’s proportional voting system. Under the proportional voting system, votes from each county are weighted according to geographic location to account for the fact that it is easier for residents of nearby counties to attend and vote at the convention in Lansing. The number of votes is based on the Democratic voting strength of that entire county, regardless of how many delegates are in attendance.

Diggs received over 2,800 votes and Ilitch received over 2,400, while Araff got just over 2,300.

Arraf’s supporters made up a large portion of the members of the convention, and most of them wore yellow T-shirts with her name. The crowd of Arraf’s supporters stood up and chanted “show the math” after hearing the results. 

U-M alum Mallery Bee, one of Arraf’s supporters, said in an interview with The Daily after the announcement that she felt the process for calculating the results was unclear.

“Honestly, I’m confused and grieving right now. I feel like the results were not explained clearly or properly,” Bee said. “But, I’m still really proud of this group. … I don’t think this was for nothing.”

Uncontested elections

Michigan Supreme Court:

Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Ann Thomas received the nomination and will be on the ballot for Michigan Supreme Court, a nonpartisan position. Although the candidates will appear on the ballot without parties, both the Republican and Democratic parties nominate potential justices.

Thomas is a law professor at the University of Michigan, and Bolden is the first Black woman to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court. Bolden has authored seven majority opinions in the a year and a half since assuming her seat.

State Board of Education: 

Ted Jones and Adam Zemke are the two Democratic nominees for the State Board of Education. They will move on to face Republican nominees Tom McMillin and Nikki Snyder in November. 

Jones is a social worker and community organizer, and Zemke is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives, where he represented Washtenaw County from 2013 to 2018.

Michigan State University Board of Trustees:

Rebecca Bahar-Cook and Thomas Stallworth III have been nominated for the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. 

Bahar-Cook is an MSU alum and the CEO of Capital Fundraising Associates in Lansing. Stallworth is a former Michigan state representative, serving in the legislature from 2011 to 2014.

Wayne State University Board of Governors:

Incumbent Mark Gaffney and Rasha Demashkieh have been nominated for the Wayne State University Board of Governors. 

Gaffney has served on the board since 2017. Prior to his election, he served as president of the Michigan AFL-CIO, an association of national labor unions. As a member of the board,  he has aimed to use his experience in workforce issues to support positive labor relations.

Demashkieh has previously served on the Port Huron Area School District Board of Trustees and Michigan Civil Rights Commission. According to her website, she is committed to student success, accessibility and affordability.

Daily Staff Reporter Ava Chatlosh can be reached at chatlosh@umich.edu.

The post Michigan Democratic Convention delegates nominate Ilitch, Diggs for UMich Board of Regents appeared first on The Michigan Daily.


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