Michigan Primary Election 2022 Candidate Guide: Wayne County Executive

Editor’s note: WDET distributed surveys to some local, county and congressional candidates in key races on the August primary ballot to gain a deeper understanding of what’s motivating them to run. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Democrat

Mohammed R. Alam

Age: 50

Current job: CEO, MS Corporations

Education: B.S. in Biology, B.A. in Political Science, MBA in MIS (Management Information System), M.A. in Mathematics, M.S. in Military Science, Ph.D. in ECMP (Educational Computing), J.D. (Juris Doctorate)

Tell us about yourself in 200 words or less:

• A Veteran of the Iraq War
• A Veteran of Afghan War
• A former United States Army Sergeant
• Former DNC Asian Caucus Chair
• Founder of Asian American Democratic Caucus
• Chairman of American Muslim Political Action Committee (AMPAC-National
  Committee)
• Vice President of Alliance of South Asian American Labor ASAAL-National Committee
• President of ASAAL-Michigan Chapter
• Founder of Bangladeshi American Political Action Committee (BAPAC)
• Founder of BADC-CLUB (Bangladeshi American Democratic Club)
• Satellite Campaign Manager of Barack Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign
• Organizer of Million Muslim March at the National Mall in DC in 2011
• Member of Detroit Local 295 – the APWU
• Interfaith Minister and a Muslim Imam
• IT Analyst, Business Consultant, Educator and a Trainer
• Public Speaker and a Television Talk-show host
• Appeared at CNN, BBC, National Fox, ABC, NBC and World News
• Director of Millennium Television Network
• Former Certified High School Mathematics Teacher
• Former Adjunct Mathematics Faculty Member at Venice University
• Delegate-Alternate at the Michigan Democratic Party Central Committee
• Served twice as the Vice Chair of Michigan Democratic Party 14th Congressional District Committee
• Previously ran for Missouri Secretary of State, Missouri House of Representative, Michigan House of Representative
• Formerly Elected at the Jackson County Committeeman at the 26th Ward in Missouri

Why are you running for executive? Wayne County of Michigan needs change in leadership. The current administration needs to be accommodating with cutting-edge technological integration as well as the digital representation of the county wide services. It is the time now to have fully integrated digital platform to provide services to the citizens. As a Computer Science and Information system scholar, as an educator and a legal expert with a diversity background, we have to accept inclusion and be ready for the 21st century challenges. Having a military science academic background as well as business venture, I would be the perfect county executive to run our county in this fast-paced growing economy and community beyond the borders. We must be ready to accept the paradigm shifting. We must allow our youth as part of the systematic changes and it is critical and fundamentally important to address. As a youth representative I would be able to take our county to the world class county as a whole. I served this county now I am ready to serve our county and our 47 cities as well as our people.

What are the top 3 priority issues that Wayne County faces and what actions would you, as executive, take regarding each of them?
1. Safety and Security — Allow more funding for law enforcement and agencies.
2. Health Care Network — Allow citizens to take benefit from the county where they spend their dollars and be effective, efficient and productive in receiving the world class healthcare services and system.
3. Economic Development and revitalization of distress areas: Allow our localities to be revitalized and Economic Development must be initiated. The demand of revitalization is equivocally important and we must act now.

Warren C. Evans

Age: 73

Current job: Wayne County Executive

Education: Bachelor of Arts – Social Science, Madonna University Masters of Arts – Criminal Justice, University of Detroit Juris Doctor – Detroit College of Law

Tell us about yourself in 200 words or less: Born and raised in Detroit and I’ve lived in Wayne County my entire life. I was raised in a family deeply rooted in service and community. My career in Wayne County began over 50 years ago as a deputy in the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department. I worked my way up to Undersheriff and held other high-level positions in Wayne County government before being appointed as Sheriff in 2003 and winning two subsequent elections in 2004 and 2008. I’m a proud husband, father and grandfather.

Why are you running again for executive and why should voters re-elect you? I have served Wayne County as Wayne County Executive for almost 8 years. As Wayne County Executive, my job is to provide leadership that ensures the county operates efficiently, effectively and responsibly. My approach to the job is one that doesn’t include a lot of fanfare but instead focuses on integrity and hard work. My administration is working hard to build a stronger Wayne County, inclusive of collaboration, innovation and a clear focus on serving our residents. We have more work to do and I’m the best person to continue the critical task of moving Wayne County forward. My team is committed to Wayne County and we want the opportunity to continue to serve the people of Wayne County.

What are the top 3 priority issues that Wayne County faces and what actions would you, as executive, take regarding each of them?

1. Growing Wayne County’s Economy, one where everyone participates so that we can become the best version of ourselves.

• A) $50 million spend in Workforce Development to address the talent shortage that exists across the country.
• B) $32 million spend to help small businesses, the backbone of our economy, with technical advice.
• C) Collaborating with 43 municipalities on economic development place making efforts with American Rescue Plan dollars to bring about transformational change to local economies with a focus on helping low income communities.
• D) Ensuring everything we do we consciously take into account diversity, equity and inclusion so we help those we need who need the most help, get the help we have to provide.

2. Build resilient infrastructure that will prevent damage from natural disasters and help grow our economy.

• A) Invest in areas to help mitigate flooding as we see a rise in extreme weather events.
• B) Solicit more resources out of the state and federal government with match funds to bring more of our state and federal tax dollars home.
• C) Strategically invest in roads, bridges, drains, parks, etc. with an eye on how it drives jobs and investment for the greatest return.

3. Provide better access to health care services to raise the life expectancy in Wayne County.

• A) Provide youth programming to get at-risk youth on the right path to life and prevent crime.
• B) Invest in mobile clinics to take our services to people.
• C) Invest in mental health and drug prevention programs to address the increase in related incidence due to COVID.

What are your accomplishments during your term as executive? As the coronavirus pandemic first struck Michigan in March 2020, my administration quickly leapt to action, organizing food pantries and resources for residents across the county’s 43 communities. To date, the Evans Administration has delivered over $90 million in relief to those affected by the pandemic, including direct aid for service workers, rent-burdened tenants, homeless veterans and small businesses struggling to maintain payroll and operate safely. The county has also delivered thousands of personal protection equipment, at-home test kits and air filtration kits to local municipalities and small businesses to ensure a safer environment for all as we battle the worst global health crisis in a century. In my first term, Evans prioritized restoring fiscal stability to Wayne County, eliminating its $82 million accumulated deficit and $52 million structural deficit. With the budget balanced, Wayne County was able to exit a consent agreement with the state in just 14 months despite many thinking the County was headed to bankruptcy. That progress continues today as Wayne County has produced consecutive budget surpluses, increased funding for the county’s pension system, and reduced unfunded health care liabilities by nearly $1 billion. Wayne County’s financial turnaround has earned repeated credit rating upgrades from three Wall Street credit agencies: Moody’s, Fitch Rating and Standard & Poor’s.

Republican

Mark Ashley Price

Age: 36

Current job: Political Activist

Education: Graduate of Highland Park High School, Class of 2004

Tell us about yourself in 200 words or less: I have been politically active since the end of 2005. My political ideology is libertarianism, with leaning more towards anarchy. My entire political career has been based in Highland Park, Michigan where I have spent most of my life and also spent most of my political career within the Republican Party (except two years where I was a precinct delegate in the Libertarian Party). With the exception of two years as a Precinct Delegate in the Libertarian Party, I have been a Precinct Delegate in the Republican Party off and on since 2006. In October 2016, I was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Highland Park City Charter Revision Commission by the other Commissioners. The proposed City Charter I help make for Highland Park was passed in a special election in 2019. In November 2020, I was elected to the Highland Park School Board and officially took in January 2021. I am still currently a School Board member of Highland Park.

Why are you running for executive? Because most of the office holders of Wayne County are members of Democrat Party and that been the case for years and nothing change in a big way for the good. Because I am the only Republican candidate in this year’s race, I will be the Republican Party’s nominee for County Executive and I will be the face and the unofficial leader of the Republican Party of Wayne County base on that. It should be more power to the people; I believe in limited to no government.

What are the top 3 priority issues that Wayne County faces and what actions would you, as executive, take regarding each of them?
The people of Wayne County should always be the top priority. I don’t think it should any specific issues that would be considered as the top priorities besides the People being the top priority because all the issues are very important. My top action as Wayne County Executive to help solve the issues is to bring more power to people by Libertarianism to Anarchy, by limited government to no government at all.