Nasim Ansari Re-elected for Third Term

Nasim Ansari, Republican County Commissioner, survived the “tsunami election 2006 tide” in Kalamazoo Michigan where the Democrats ousted the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners along with another Commissioner and won the majority on the Board. Ansari, a Muslim of Pakistani descent, received 54% of the votes and attributes his success to God, his family, friends and the community.
Ansari believes that the theme of his campaign based on qualifications, experience and the commitment “experience counts” resonated well with the voters. The Kalamazoo Gazette, a widely circulated newspaper, wrote in its editorial on November 1, 2006: “Experience matters, and we believe Kalamazoo County Commissioner Nasim Ansari has the experience the county board needs to do its job. His time on the board, in addition to his service on the Portage City Council and on other community boards and commissions, gives him the edge in this race.”
Nasim said that he has always run a positive campaign and that his response to the negative campaign against him was very simple - he listed his accomplishments while in office “as proof is in the pudding.” He is “issue-oriented and votes his conscience.” He believes in a democracy “you agree to disagree and you can change circumstances based on principles and do not have to change your principles based on circumstances.”
In a predominantly white (90%) and less than 1% Asian community, Ansari is the first Muslim American of Pakistani decent who was elected in Portage Michigan in 1999. After serving on the Portage City Council for three years he was elected in 2002 to serve as Kalamazoo County Commissioner and re-elected again in 2004. He also serves on several boards and commissions.
Nasim Ansari came to the United States in 1977 from Pakistan to attend the Western Michigan University. He has Master’s degrees in Chemistry and Business Administration and a Diploma in Public Administration. Ansari has worked in both public and private sectors in Pakistan and the United States. Over the years, he has developed an excellent rapport with the community by participating in political, technical and social activities at the local and state levels.
He is married to Rashida and has four children.

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