Amir Makled, a Dearborn civil rights attorney who represented pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan, won a seat on the university’s Board of Regents.

The Associated Press called the race for Makled and incumbent Paul Brown, both Democrats, over Republican challengers Michael Schostak and Lena Epstein, The Detroit News reported on Wednesday, Nov. 4. WEMU’s Nov. 4 report of AP tallies put Brown at 27.2% and Makled at 25.5%, with each Republican at about 22%.

A first-time candidate, Makled grew up in Dearborn and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in finance from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2009. His law firm biography confirms the degree and graduation year. He is the first member of his family to graduate from law school, according to The Arab American News.

Makled represented one of the people charged with felonies following the pro-Palestinian encampment on the university’s Diag, according to Michigan Public. Those charges were later dropped, The Arab American News reported. His campaign website emphasizes student and worker representation, free expression and academic freedom.

He announced his candidacy in January 2026, saying his decision stemmed from a realization that legal victories don’t always change university policies, according to Michigan Public.

Makled defeated incumbent Regent Jordan Acker at the state Democratic Party endorsement convention earlier in 2026, according to Bridge Michigan. On the campaign trail, Makled focused on affordability and opposed the university’s planned data center with Los Alamos National Laboratory in Ypsilanti Township, The Michigan Daily reported.

The win keeps the Democratic majority on the eight-member board at six seats. Makled and Brown will begin eight-year terms on Jan. 1, 2027. The regents govern all three U-M campuses, set tuition, manage the university’s investments and hire the president, according to The Michigan Daily. The university’s board directory confirms its eight elected members and eight-year terms.

Incoming U-M President C. Cybele Raver, now Vanderbilt University’s provost, is set to start Dec. 1, according to university records.

The vote tallies cited here are unofficial.