Yousef Rabhi
Ann Arbor Democratic mayoral primary winner?
$3.3K
AUG 5, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleFormer State Representative
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyDemocratic Socialist
LocationMichigan
BackgroundPublic official
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EducationUniversity of Michigan (alum)
Notable personal detailsYousef Rabhi is a Democratic elected official in Washtenaw County, Michigan, and a candidate for mayor of Ann Arbor. He has served on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners and previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives representing the Ann Arbor-area 53rd District. He is a University of Michigan alum and has worked in local environmental and natural-area stewardship roles.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports expanded public investment and city-run services to reduce costs for working-class residents, opposes tax exemptions that favor large data centers, and favors using public funds and policies to support services rather than privatization.
Healthcare
Yousef Rabhi has proposed and promoted a publicly administered single-payer plan (called “MiCare”) to provide comprehensive, universal health coverage for all Michigan residents, including dental, mental health, and prescription drug coverage. He framed healthcare as a human right and has introduced legislation (House Bill 5966) to establish the plan and remove private insurance profit motive.
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Immigration & Border
The candidate supports local protections for immigrants, including measures to limit civil immigration-enforcement activity on county property and to provide county-issued IDs to undocumented residents. He has publicly opposed federal travel bans and condemned aggressive ICE actions, and has worked with immigrant-rights groups on local policy protections.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports protecting and expanding abortion access, co-sponsored Michigan House bills (HBs 5542–5548) to repeal a 1931 abortion ban and to affirm reproductive rights including the ability to terminate a pregnancy before viability and to protect abortion when necessary for life/health. He has participated in abortion-rights rallies and said abortion access was a major driver of voter engagement in his area.
Climate & Energy
Supports transitioning Michigan to 100% renewable energy by 2050 and has sponsored legislation and local initiatives to expand clean energy and energy-efficiency financing. Emphasizes renewable energy, climate mitigation, and county-level actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and review high-energy projects for environmental impacts.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate supports expanded background checks for firearm purchases and emphasizes addressing mental-health funding as part of reducing gun violence. He has also criticized police-caused gun violence and discussed holding officers accountable while treating mental-health intersections with gun policy as important.
News
Yousef Rabhi is in the news as a Democratic candidate for Ann Arbor mayor, where he is facing incumbent Christopher Taylor in the August 4 primary. The campaign has centered on sharp clashes over immigration enforcement and ICE policy, including how strongly the city should resist federal agents and whether to adopt tougher anti-ICE rules. Rabhi has also drawn attention for his positions on city taxes and downtown tax-capture policy, and he recently received a labor endorsement. Separately, he signed a letter supporting medical clemency for an incarcerated woman at Women’s Huron Valley.
Your MLive news to know today, May 18, 2026
Ann Arbor mayoral candidates disagree on how city should fight ‘ICE fascism’
ICE-free zones? Ann Arbor mayoral candidates to discuss immigration justice
‘When to stop asking for more.’ Ann Arbor mayor pledges to oppose new city taxes
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising