Aisha Farooqi

Aisha Farooqi (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Michigan's 11th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

Aisha Farooqi graduated from Farmington High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, Dearborn in 2006 and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2012. Her career experience includes working as an attorney and filmmaker. Farooqi has served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for the City of Sterling Heights and has been a member of the Macomb County Black Caucus and the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council of Detroit.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 11

The following candidates are running in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 11 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Stu Baker (D)
		Aisha Farooqi (D)
		Jeremy Moss (D)
	Submit photo	Don Ufford (D)
	Submit photo	Anthony Paesano (R)
	Submit photo	Mike Steger (R)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Incumbent Thomas Kuhn defeated Aisha Farooqi in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 57 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Thomas Kuhn (R)	57.2	26,706
	Aisha Farooqi (D)	42.8	19,954

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,660
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Aisha Farooqi defeated Tyler Fox and Douglas Waggener in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aisha Farooqi	66.9	4,540
		Tyler Fox	21.9	1,490
	Submit photo	Douglas Waggener	11.2	761

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,791
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Incumbent Thomas Kuhn advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thomas Kuhn	100.0	4,662

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,662
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Farooqi received the following endorsements.

Michigan League of Conservation Voters

2022

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Thomas Kuhn defeated Aisha Farooqi in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 57 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Thomas Kuhn (R)	52.6	17,606
	Aisha Farooqi (D)	47.4	15,842

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,448
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Aisha Farooqi defeated Marcia Squier in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57 on August 2, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Aisha Farooqi	55.3	3,845
	Marcia Squier	44.7	3,113

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,958
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Thomas Kuhn advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thomas Kuhn	100.0	5,789

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,789
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Melissa Dempsey (R)

Campaign finance

Endorsements

To view Farooqi's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Aisha Farooqi has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Aisha Farooqi asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Aisha Farooqi, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

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You can ask Aisha Farooqi to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing info@aishaforcongress.com.

2024

Aisha Farooqi completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Farooqi's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am currently an assistant prosecuting attorney in Wayne County. I have spent my adult life as a public servant fighting for the vulnerable and marginalized members of our community. I understand public policy, just as I understand the challenges faced daily by ordinary Michigan residents who deserve better from our state government. Born in Scotland, I moved to Detroit with my family when I was nine. I attended Detroit Public Schools and saw firsthand the unequal education experiences of children who lived in less-privileged zip codes. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and my law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy (where I also served as my class president), then established a law practice focused on women’s rights and the needs of marginalized communities. After joining the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, my focus was on handling youth-offender cases to achieve justice for victims and a chance at rehabilitation for the young offenders.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am committed to making sure that everyone in the 57th District is seen, heard and served. As their representative in state government, I will work relentlessly to solve problems and ensure state government works for them.
I want people to be able to live the lives they dream of. If state government maintains the right policies to promote good quality of life and access to help where needed, it can be a positive force toward this goal.
Too many people are being left behind by a system that has neither enough resources nor the right kinds of insight to help them. I will work with my colleagues to improve the system for those who need and deserve this kind of support.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

High priorities for me will be strong economic development policies, support for small businesses, boosting education funding, access to affordable health care (including mental health and addiction treatment services), clean air and water (including preservation of green space) and giving troubled youth a chance to find better direction.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had since my family and I came to the U.S. when I was 9. I also have learned that not everyone has equal access to these opportunities, and I feel a passion to do what I can to address that inequality.

At the same time, I have learned through my various experiences how to work with people and get things done. This combination of empathy, compassion and effectiveness should make me an excellent representative for the 57th District.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I volunteered at a health clinic for a year. It was my first opportunity to see directly how critical access to affordable health care is for working people, and because of this experience it remains one of my top priorities in seeking elected office.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Michigan needs to maintain and bolster its economic vitality so that people can enjoy the fruits of their labor, while we also make sure to invest in critical needs like public education, infrastructure and the protection of our natural resources. We need smart economic development policies that strengthen our existing industries while seeking opportunities to diversify our economic base. And we need to recognize that no state in our nation has a resource like the Great Lakes and must protect them.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, because this kind of experience gives you a foundation for understanding public policy and how it’s made. My background with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, while not an elected position, has taught me a great deal about our laws and their implementation - as well as how and why they were made. It has taught me about the impact of our laws on real people, and gives me better insight as I seek a position that will involve the development of new laws.
Also, having served in government helps a person understand how public service actually works and why it is so important to think of the job from the perspective of the people and what they need from their government.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

I am opposed to the appointment of emergency managers for local governments, which essentially takes power away from local government. Local communities should be able to enact laws which protect workers’ rights. The will of the people should not be overridden by unaccountable bureaucrats. The law that allows this should be repealed.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Senator Stephanie Chang, State Representative Donavan McKinney, State Representative Sharon MacDonell, Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, Mayor of Sterling Heights Michael Taylor, Sterling Heights Mayor Pro Tem Liz Sierawski, Troy School Board Trustee Emina Alic, Madison Heights Councilor Quinn Wright, Sterling Heights Councilman Michael Radtke, Activist/Community Leader Joel Rutherford

AFSCME, MEA, Emily’s List, MI List/Fems for Dems, SMART Local 80, IBEW, Equality Michigan, Planned Parenthood, Run for Something, No Future Without Today, Moms Demand Action Approved Candidate

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Aisha Farooqi completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Farooqi's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Aisha Farooqi and I am the Democratic Candidate for Michigan House of Representatives, District 57 (Sterling Heights, Troy and Madison Heights). I am ready to represent my community in Lansing!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

When I am elected, I will work across party lines to stop the gridlock in Lansing and make real investments in our communities. I want to represent all of the people of my district and to create policies that will help businesses thrive and allow citizens to afford a good quality of life.
I will work to ensure our public education system is supported so that we can provide a good quality education for all of our students, regardless of zip code. I will invest in improving our infrastructure, including our roads, bridges and water resources.
I want to support our businesses, large and small, to ensure they can thrive and provide jobs so that our children will remain in Michigan. I will work to protect our natural resources.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

1. Improving and building quality Infrastructure in our community

2. Ensuring our Michigan students have quality education

3. Working with small businesses as well as large corporations to improve economic development in District 57.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I have a lot of respect for Princess Diana. I am also a fan of Oprah Winfrey. I like folks who are self-made, who come from nothing and build legacies.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Yes. “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

It’s important for one to be a good listener, a good negotiator, and to be focused on getting results.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am an empathetic individual, a great listener, and action-focused. Being an attorney has taught me that what folks want most in a leader is someone who’ll listen to them, see them, believe them and fight for them. And when I am a state legislator, I will fight for my community.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To first and foremost recognize that they are a public servant and must do everything in their power to improve the lives of their community. The responsibility of an elected official is to be the voice of their community.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The goal to leave the world in a better place than I found it. To inspire folks to stand up for what’s right and to never give up on our world. Each one of us has the power to change the world. I want to showcase that.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Princess Diana’s passing was quite traumatic for me. I was a fan. I think I was a young teenager when she passed away and it struck me how one person's compassion can impact so many people.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I volunteered at a health clinic for a year.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Alchemist - The story inspires us to have hope during times of despair.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Elizabeth Bennett

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

“Too Much” by Mark Ronson ft. Lucky Daye

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I believe that the governor and the state legislature, regardless of party affiliation, must put political differences aside and pass legislation that serves the people of Michigan. The gridlock in Lansing serves no body. We cannot continue partisan fighting at the expense of progress.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Protecting our states natural resources, investing in our public education and infrastructure. Our roads and bridges and public commodities need to be updated and made safe for our community.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

The benefits are that policies can get passed and legislation can improve the health and well being of our communities, businesses and environment. The drawbacks are that if one party is out for corporate interests and do not serve the greater good of the community, we can potentially see dangerous laws enacted. The people should be able to trust that our legislators are working for the greater good of every Michigander.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that what someone needs when running for office is a passion for public service.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. Irrespective of our party affiliation, we are working towards helping Michiganders and creating a Michigan future generations will be proud to call home. The needs of our community and constituents should always come before party-politics.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I favor redistricting that creates fair maps of communities that are geographically similar and not maps that gerrymander a district.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Yes. The Education committee and small business

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I hold Lori Stone and Kyra Bolden-Harris in very high esteem. I would like to model myself after these talented and hard working leaders.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Right now, I am focused on my local community in House District 57.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I was touched by the parents of two college students, who are worried that their daughters will leave the state of Michigan for better opportunities. They expressed concern about the cost of higher education. I think that we can do better to help families afford higher education and work to ensure businesses are strong enough to create jobs and retain a young work force.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Our legislature should be responsible and formidable enough to work with our governor and ensure the needs of our communities come before partisan politics. When emergency powers are needed, it should be because of an emergency, and we should be mature and professional enough to recognize how to help our community in times of need.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Absolutely.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Aisha Farooqi campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Michigan District 11	Candidacy Declared general	$0	N/A**
2024*	Michigan House of Representatives District 57	Lost general	$185,907	$0
2022	Michigan House of Representatives District 57	Lost general	$100,737	$0
Grand total			$286,643	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Michigan District 11

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 4, 2022
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 14, 2024

[show]

Michigan's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Gary Peters (D)

Elissa Slotkin (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jack Bergman (R)

District 2

John Moolenaar (R)

District 3

Hillary Scholten (D)

District 4

Bill Huizenga (R)

District 5

Tim Walberg (R)

District 6

Debbie Dingell (D)

District 7

Tom Barrett (R)

District 8

Kristen Rivet (D)

District 9

Lisa McClain (R)

District 10

John James (R)

District 11

Haley Stevens (D)

District 12

Rashida Tlaib (D)

District 13

Shri Thanedar (D)

Democratic Party (8)

Republican Party (7)

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 4, 2022

[2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 14, 2024

[1]

[2]

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Aisha Farooqi

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 11

Endorsements

2024

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Campaign finance

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 57

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

2024

2022

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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Information for candidates

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