BAILING OUT

Wayne State University trustee Dr. Anil Kumar of Bloomfield Township, who had announced his candidacy for Oakland County’s 11th District congressional seat, currently held by Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens who is running for Senate, announced he is dropping out, “citing personal reasons and a commitment to lead with integrity in this moment,” he said in a release. Democrats running for the open seat are Michigan state Senator Jeremy Moss, Don Ufford, Aisha Farooqi and Mike Steger, while Republican candidates are Anthony Paesano, Stu Baker, Antonio Prieto and John Paul Torres. Kumar was lagging in funding, notably behind Moss, who earlier had only raised $5,000 to Moss’ over $627,000. Kumar previously unsuccessfully ran for this congressional seat, in both 2014 and 2016. In 2014, he came in second (32 percent to 34 percent) to candidate Bobby McKenzie, who eventually lost to Republican Dave Trott. In 2016, Kumar was the Democratic candidate, losing in the general election to Trott, 40 percent to Trott’s 53 percent. In 2018, Kumar, a physician and educator, turned his sights to the Wayne State University Board of Governors election, where he was one of two Democrats to win a seat. “I did not enter this race as a job promotion or for job security,” Kumar said. “I entered because our community deserves experienced leadership that truly cares – leadership with the courage and ability to fix a broken healthcare system, expand educational opportunity, and build real prosperity for every family who calls Michigan’s 11th District home.”

Dr. Anil Kumar