At first there was Gov. Bobby Jindal from Louisiana. Then there was Nikki Haley from South Carolina. Now, there is a new contender in the Desi-Running-For-Governor category. Hansen Clarke from Michigan announced today that he is running for Governor in 2010.
State Sen. Hansen Clarke tossed his hat in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor Tuesday, only hours after Lt. Gov. John Cherry withdrew from the race, vowing “no more excuses and no more passing the buck.” The 52-year-old Detroit Democrat, [joins] an increasingly crowded primary field…[michiganmessenger]
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Clarke served six years in the House before being elected twice to the Senate. A lawyer, he also ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Detroit. [chicagotribune]
I know what you are thinking. He’s 52?!?!? At least, that’s what everyone around me is saying. I like to think Desis age well. And yes, he is Desi. Bangladeshi, to be accurate.
Hansen Hashem Clarke… was first elected to the Michigan State Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. He is son of Mozaffar Ali Hashem, a Bangladeshi, and Telma Ali, an US citizen. His father was born at Sridhara village of Beani Bazar upazila in Sylhet district. [newnation]
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An only child, Hansen Clarke grew up in a working class neighborhood on Detroit’s lower east side. His father passed away when he was only eight years old and his mother supported the family with a job as a school crossing guard. Food stamps helped fill in the gaps. [michigansenate]
In 2007, Hansen went with the Bangladeshi American Public Affairs Committee (BAPAC) to Bangladesh. Here’s a video of him speaking to his father’s village on that trip and it seems like he’s trying to build a partnership with Bangladesh (though how much of it is campaign talk, who knows). As we all know, Michigan is getting the hardest hit by this recession. The Detroit area has the largest unemployment rate in the region. It should be no surprise then that his main issue is a healthy state economy.
Clarke has been traveling statewide to promote his plan for cutting auto insurance rates by 20 percent and says he will campaign on lowering costs in many areas for struggling businesses and families. [chicagotribune]
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Senator Clarke brings additional influence to Detroit by way of his recent appointment as Democratic Vice Chair to two Committees – Health Policy; Commerce and Tourism – and he also serves on the Judiciary; Banking and Financial Institutions; Government Operations and Reform Committees. The Senator’s primary focus this year is to create jobs and provide affordable health care for everyone in Michigan. [senatemichigan]
What are his chances? Looks pretty slim. It’s a heated primary race with many people jockeying for the Democratic Governor nomination. He’s not well known outside of the Detroit metropolitan area, (even I hadn’t heard about him till today) and he’ll have to ramp up his name recognition throughout the state. But word on the street has it that he’s a friendly smart guy, and it seems that he may soon have the backing of Indian American Leadership Initiative and APA for Progress. Definitely a campaign to keep a Sepia Mutiny eye on as we enter the 2010 Elections.
And ladies, rumor has it he’s married. Though I haven’t been able to verify through a print source. I’m just sayin’.
When you write, “He’s only 52?” doesn’t that imply that you think he is actually older than he looks?
I guess so.. I’ll edit.
I like to think so too. But the fact is – only SOME Desis age well. And this guy’s obviously one of ’em.
Taz, thanks for confirming 😉
Is his name a traditional Bangla one?
mebee it’s bongs? i look young too, though this guy sets a high bar.
in contrast to northies, both bengalis and south indians are much better preserved with age. My bengali cousins claimed this was because of all the fish they ate and I have heard similar claims made for coconut oil in the south.
In my experience, north indians are balder and fatter than their east and south indian peers. Full disclosure – much to my middle-aged regret I am as northi as you can get without being a pak or afghani.
OK, razib, its over to you, time for some genetic/statistical analysis of this situation.
darker skin ages more slowly i think.
Coconut oil tastes great, but it’s about the least-healthy oil out there.
He has an interesting academic background, a BFA from Cornell in painting and a JD from Georgetown. Good for him.
It’s the melanin. Black don’t crack. However, anyone who spends a lot of time in the sun will show signs. Then the black WILL crack and the brown will frown.
The thing Desis have to be careful of is our dark circles around the eyes.
Yes, but, as a straight male Hindu, I always wonder whether this isn’t at least in part because of affirmative action that I don’t benefit from.
OK. you will have to explain to me how his name became Hansen Hashem Clarke, with the above two names for his parents.
he gets -2 points for the name.
standard loser whine of somebody who could never cut the mustard. not to mention what affirmative action it is that he got that you didnt.
how did his last name change to clarke?
It seems his mother’s name was Thelma Clarke (not Telma, and the Ali bit I assume was a married name she reverted from after his dad passed away when our hero was a young kid). There’s a blurb on his website about him setting up an opportunity foundation or something in her name. I agree about the interesting educational background. Good luck to him.
“Yes, but, as a straight male Hindu, I always wonder whether this isn’t at least in part because of affirmative action that I don’t benefit from.”
Huh? When did Indians start adopting the tired, standard whine of white male victimhood?
I just want to say a) I was born and raised in Detroit. b) I voted for Hansen Clarke in the last mayoral election (the election before the one brought about by the recent scandal). I never met Clarke, but from his platform I thought he was the best-suited candidate for mayor. If he’s planning to run for governor, I’ll probably vote for him again.
So how does somebody go from being Mozaffar Ali Hashem Jr to Hansen Hashem Clarke ? No “Bobby” Jindal factor here ? Yeah, he’s a Democrat…
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Didn’t you know that Brown is the new White?
Sounds like another crappy candidate throws his hat in the ring. Hansen Clarke sounds like another Lansing do nothing politician. What a joke.
“It seems his mother’s name was Thelma Clarke”
he is half-white then?
I’ve actually worked with him in the past. He is truly committed to effecting change in the state of Michigan.
He came and spoke to my class of 4th graders when I did TFA in Detroit… up until then… I was the only not black and not white person that my students had had any contact with.
And yes he’s half bangla and half white: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansen_Clarke
Lusterbee,
His wiki just says his mom’s “American”, his mom is African American is what my sources tell me.
oh wow he’s tasty – the sellout name is forgiven. who knew bengali men could look so fine?
yes, hansen clarke is married to a friend of mine from high school.
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