Lawrence wins backing of Kayrouz in 14th Congressional race in Michigan
By Ray Hanania
Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence, attorney Joumana Kayrouz, and Kayrouz’s daughter Stephanie Shamma (Photo courtesy Joumana Kayrouz Facebook Page)
Southfield Mayor Brenda L. Lawrence has won the backing and financial support of prominent Michigan Accident Attorney Joumana Kayrouz in her bid to become the next Congress woman representing the 14th District.
The 14th District includes Pontiac, West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills, Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake, Orchard Lake, Lathrup Village, Southfield, Oak Park, Royal Oak Township, Harper Woods, the Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck and portions of Detroit. and was created in 2012.
The incumbent Congressman, Gary Peters, announced his intention to run for the United States Senate to succeed retiring Senator Carl Levin who has held the Senate seat since 1979. Levin was the longest serving Senator in Michigan History and served six full terms.
Lawrence was the guest of honor at a fundraiser hosted recently by Kayrouz at her Bloomfield Hills home. Lawrence announced her candidacy Jan. 29 for the Democratic Primary election which will be held August 5, 2014. The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face-off in the General Election on Nov. 4, 2014.
Lawrence addresses the gathering of the home of Joumana Kayrouz
Lawrence is serving her fourth term as Mayor of Southfield where she has lived her entire life.
In 2012, Lawrence ran for the office against Peters when the district was the 13th Congressional District, running second in the Democratic Primary and making her the lead contender in this year’s election. She was the Democratic Party nominee for Oakland County Executive in 2008, and for Lieutenant Governor in 2010.
The involvement of Kayrouz will help coalesce the influential American Arab and Muslim vote behind Lawrence.
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.