RECORD/ Old man prepares to cross the Atlantic alone, the nation is moved

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

What Edlira's victory in Michigan shows

2026-08-09 11:18:12Pikëpamje SHKRUAR NGA THOMA GëLLçI
Edlira Sako

Edlira Sako received 14,592 votes, compared to Frank Borsellino's 13,139. ??The difference was not large, but it was enough to give her the Democratic nomination for the general election.

Edlira Sako's victory in the Democratic primary for Michigan's Senate District 24 has a significance that goes beyond the outcome of a partisan race. It signals a new phase in the integration of Albanians into American political life, and, in her case, a process that has occurred with unusual speed.

Edlira Sako received 14,592 votes, compared to Frank Borsellino's 13,139. ??The difference was not large, but it was enough to give her the Democratic nomination for the general election. What makes the result interesting is the fact that these are not votes from an Albanian community. They are votes from a much broader electorate, of which Albanians constitute only a small part.

This is where the political significance of her victory begins. A candidate of Albanian origin may have strong support within her own community, but that is not enough to win a race with tens of thousands of voters. To get over 14,000 votes, you have to convince people who have no connection to Albania, not to see you as the “Albanian candidate,” but as a candidate who can represent their problems and interests.

This is a more advanced form of political integration. Immigrant communities often begin by organizing around identity, language, culture, and issues of the country of origin. Albanian-Americans have a long history of this type of engagement, especially in support of Albania, Kosovo, and Albanian issues in the Balkans. Over time, some of the activity shifts from the politics of the country of origin to the politics of the country where the community lives.

Edlira's case is even more interesting because she does not belong to the second or third generation of immigrants. She was born and raised in Lushnja and settled in the United States in 2012, at the age of 32. So, we are dealing with a first-generation immigrant, initially formed outside of America, who in just fourteen years has managed to enter a major political race and win it.

This somewhat contradicts the traditional model of immigrant integration. In many cases, the first generation is primarily concerned with settling, working, and creating economic security, while the entry into politics becomes more evident among their children, born or raised in America. Edlira cuts a long way short. She continued her education in Michigan, worked in schools, became involved in community life, and then moved into local and state politics.

This is precisely what makes her story all the more significant for the Albanian community. Political integration is no longer only seen in the generation of children of immigrants, but also in immigrants themselves who have come to the US as adults. This shows that the line between “immigrant” and “political American citizen” may be much narrower than one might think.

Edlira did not enter politics with an Albanian platform. Her issues are related to public education, the cost of living, children's mental health, roads, and the protection of Michigan's water resources. These are local American issues, and that is where her electoral base is built.

This distinction is important. For many years, the political influence of the Albanian community in America has been measured by the connections it managed to create with American senators, congressmen, or candidates. The community raised funds, organized meetings, and sought support for Albanian issues. This form of lobbying has had its importance, but it is something different from direct participation in the American political process.

With candidacies like Sako's, the relationship changes. Albanians are not just a community seeking to influence politicians; a portion of them are themselves entering the race for public office. This transition from supporter to candidate is a significant shift in the political maturity of any immigrant community.

In Michigan, this process is particularly interesting because the Albanian community has long been consolidated economically and socially. Albanians are present in business, in the liberal professions, in education and in other areas of public life. Political representation, however, has lagged behind economic presence. Candidacies in recent years show that this ratio is beginning to change.

Edlira's victory also shows the limits of politics based solely on ethnic identity. Albanian origin can bring a core of support, but a candidate seeking public office must quickly move beyond it. When a candidate seeks the votes of an entire district, schools, taxes, the economy, security, infrastructure, and the daily problems of citizens become important.

In this sense, Sako’s 14,592 votes carry more weight than the “Albanian-American” label itself. They show that she has managed to create a political rapport with voters who do not link their choice to her origins. This is where a candidate from an immigrant community begins to become part of mainstream American politics.

Of course, a primary victory is not a general election victory. District 24 is a tough district for Democrats, and the November race will have a different logic. Not only Democrats will vote there, but the entire electorate of the district, and the outcome could be much more difficult for Sako.

But that doesn't change the significance of what happened on August 4. A woman born in Lushnja, who came to Michigan at the age of 32, has become the official Democratic Party candidate for the state Senate in the space of fourteen years. And to achieve this, she received over 14,000 votes from an electorate where the vast majority is not Albanian.

This is perhaps the most interesting part of Edlira Sako's story. Not just that an Albanian won a primary, but that a first-generation immigrant managed, within a relatively short time, to become part of the normal American political competition.

In the end, this is precisely what measures integration better than any statement about the success of the diaspora: the moment when origin remains part of the biography, but the vote is taken beyond it.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×