Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, endorsed Washtenaw County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi Friday for Ann Arbor’s mayoral Democratic primary election on Aug. 4. Rabhi, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is challenging progressive incumbent Christopher Taylor, who has held the office since 2014 and would become Ann Arbor’s longest serving mayor if reelected.
Rabhi’s platform focuses on expanding public services and affordable housing, as well as replacing DTE Energy with publicly owned energy. In the past week, Rabhi has also received endorsements from U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and the Ann Arbor Education Association. During a speech announcing his endorsement, Sanders said Rabhi is committed to expanding public healthcare and making Ann Arbor more affordable overall.
“From taking on (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to leading the fight for single-payer health care in Michigan, Yousef Rabhi has had the courage to stand up for working people and challenge powerful interests,” Sanders said. “As mayor, he will fight to lower costs in Ann Arbor by building truly affordable housing, protecting public services and holding corporations accountable.”
Taylor’s campaign prioritizes increasing Ann Arbor’s housing supply, improving infrastructure and increasing sustainable energy across the city. Taylor has been endorsed by all 10 city council members, Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer and state Reps. Jennifer Conlin and Jason Morgan.
Sanders has endorsed several other progressive candidates in the 2026 elections, including Rabhi. In the same endorsement speech, Rabhi said his campaign is part of a movement looking to make Ann Arbor a more welcoming place for the working class.
“Our campaign is about making Ann Arbor a city where working people can afford to stay,” Rabhi said. “Too many residents feel like they are being priced out of their own community. We are building a movement to change that.”
Rabhi and Taylor will meet in Ann Arbor for candidate forums on June 8 and June 24 before the primary election in August.
Summer News Editor Niko Wilson can be reached at nikow@umich.edu.
