Detroit — Amir Makled, an attorney who represented University of Michigan student protesters, defeated incumbent Regent Jordan Acker in a heated race for the Democratic nomination for UM’s governing board.
Acker was defeated while fellow incumbent Paul Brown retained his nomination for the University of Michigan Board of Regents at the Michigan Democratic Party’s nominating convention Sunday. Makled and Brown will face off against Republican activists Lena Epstein and Michael Schostak in the Nov. 3 general election.
The state Democratic Party would not release the vote breakdown for any of its winning nominees at Sunday’s convention in Detroit’s Huntington Place convention center.
Makled, a Dearborn attorney who represented several students who faced charges after protests calling on UM to divest from weapons manufacturing and Israel, credited students in part for his victory.
“To these students, the students who spoke up, the students who organized, the students who refused to let anyone tell them that their education wasn’t worth fighting for, you all reminded us what a public university is supposed to be,” Makled said.
The contest between Makled and Acker was particularly heated.
Makled was criticized for reposting, and later deleting, praise for Hezbollah and antisemitic remarks on his social media account.
And The Guardian on Friday reported that Acker appeared to have made obscene sexual comments about a Democratic strategist and lewd comments about a female U-M student in Slack messages.
Acker, when asked about the messages Sunday by The Detroit News, said the allegations were “ridiculous” and “fake.” Acker’s attorney, Ethan Holtz, later sent a statement to The News arguing Acker “has never been on Slack” and that the messages contained elements that appeared to be “doctored.”
Acker and Brown told members of the Michigan Democratic Party’s Jewish Caucus earlier in the day Sunday that Acker had been targeted in his role as regent and in the nomination race because he was Jewish. Brown called it the “elephant in the room.”
Who won the Democratic nomination for Michigan State, Wayne State boards
Michigan State University trustees Brianna Scott and Kelly Tebay Zemke retained their nominations for their seats, fending off a challenge by state Sen. Sylvia Santana for a place on the November ballot for the MS Board of Trustees.
Scott and Tebay Zemke compete in November against former Novi city councilwoman Julie Maday and state Sen. Roger Victory, both Republicans, for two open seats.
Shereef Akeel and Richard Mack earned the Democratic nominations for the Wayne State University Board of Governors.
Akeel and Mack will compete against Republicans Christa Murphy and Andy Anuzis for seats on Wayne State’s board.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Dearborn attorney bests incumbent Acker in UM regent nomination race
Reporting by Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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