{{Short description|American business executive}} {{Infobox politician | name = Nasser Beydoun | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|58|2023|4|25}} | birth_place = Beirut, Lebanon | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = {{ubl |Maysa Beydoun (divorced) |Nancy Jaafar}} | children = 3 | education = University of San Diego (BBA, MBA) }} '''Nasser Beydoun''' (born 1964/1965)<ref>{{cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=April 25, 2023 |title=Dearborn businessman challenges Elissa Slotkin for Senate bid |url=https://eu.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/04/25/nasser-beydoun-challenges-elissa-slotkin-for-senate-nomination/70147336007/ |access-date=April 25, 2023 |work=Detroit Free Press}}</ref> is an American business executive and political candidate. He is the former chief executive officer of the Qatar-based Wataniya Restaurants group. Beydoun was the executive director of the Arab American Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Arab American Civil Rights League. He was the first Arab American liaison to the Arab League.
Beydoun was a Democratic Party candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in Michigan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-26 |title=Nasser Beydoun announces candidacy for U.S. Senate |url=https://arabamericannews.com/2023/04/26/nasser-beydoun-announces-candidacy-for-u-s-senate/ |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=ArabAmericanNews |language=en-US}}</ref> His nominating petitions were rejected on May 31, 2024, by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers because he used a P.O. Box as his address on the petitions, instead of his legal street address. The Michigan Court of Appeals rejected his appeal of the Board of State Canvassers on June 7, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Melissa Nann |title=Court rejects Beydoun appeal to get on primary ballot in U.S. Senate race |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/06/07/court-rejects-nasser-beydoun-appeal-michigan-primary-ballot-senate-race-elissa-slotkin-hill-harper/74019286007/ |access-date=2026-03-30 |website=The Detroit News |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Early life == Beydoun was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Najla and Mohamed Beydoun.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Warikoo |first=Niraj |date=2006-07-31 |title=Bint Jbeil: Town's local ties are deep |page=6 |work=Detroit Free Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117614236/bint-jbeil-towns-local-ties-are-deep/ |access-date=2023-01-31}}</ref> His family was from Bint Jbeil and his grandfather represented the town in the Parliament of Lebanon.<ref name=":0" /> Beydoun's great-grandfather had already immigrated to the United States and worked for Ford Motor Company in Highland Park, Michigan.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Markiewicz |first=David A. |date=2001-12-30 |title=Arab enclave wrestles with identity |page=A18 |work=The Atlanta Constitution |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117614484/arab-enclave-wrestles-with-identity/ |access-date=2023-01-31}}</ref> Beydoun's grandfather remained in Lebanon, but his father immigrated to Detroit in 1969 when Beydoun was five years old.<ref name=":1" /> Mohamed worked at Ford and raised six children.<ref name=":1" />
== Education ==
In 1987, he moved to California.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=December 18, 2010 |title=Metro Detroit man trapped in Persian Gulf |page=15 |work=Detroit Free Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117613947/metro-detroit-man-trapped-in-persian/ |access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref> Beydoun completed bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration at the University of San Diego.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=December 23, 2022 |title=Businessman Nasser Beydoun announces U.S. Senate exploratory committee and statewide tour |url=https://arabamericannews.com/2022/12/23/businessman-nasser-beydoun-announces-u-s-senate-exploratory-committee-and-statewide-tour/ |access-date=January 31, 2023 |website=ArabAmericanNews |language=en-US}}</ref> He tried opening several business, including a tortilla factory.<ref name=":2" /> He returned to Michigan in 1999, and in 2000 became the executive director of the Arab American Chamber of Commerce.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=April 4, 2005 |title=New challenger steps up to plate |page=19 |work=Detroit Free Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117614337/new-challenger-steps-up-to-plate/ |access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> In 2001, he was appointed by Amr Moussa as the first Arab American liaison to the Arab League.<ref name=":2" />
== Career ==
By 2005, he was a construction company executive based in Wayne County, Michigan.<ref name=":4" /> In 2005, he considered running as a Republican candidate in the 2006 United States Senate election in Michigan.<ref name=":4" /> He has a history of political donations to both Republican and Democratic officeholders.<ref name=":4" /> In 2007, he was hired by Wataniya Restaurants group as its chief executive officer and moved to Qatar.<ref name=":2" /> He worked on expanding outlets of Caribou Coffee, Rainforest Cafe, and Sbarro in Qatar, Dubai, and Egypt.<ref name=":2" /> He resigned in November 2009.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Scott |first=Melanie D. |date=2011-10-14 |title=Family's faith in justice rewarded as metro man's Qatar ordeal ends |page=9 |work=Detroit Free Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117613857/familys-faith-in-justice-rewarded-as/ |access-date=2023-01-31}}</ref> He was later stuck in the country for 15 months after his employer and sponsor denied his exit permit.<ref name=":2" />
Beydoun has served as chair of the Arab American Civil Rights League.<ref name=":3" /> He is a former trustee of the Henry Ford College Foundation.<ref name=":3" /> Beydoun was co-chair of BRIDGES, a federal law enforcement partnership with the Arab American and Middle Eastern communities in Metro Detroit.<ref name=":3" />
In December 2022, Beydoun established an exploratory committee ahead of the 2024 United States Senate election in Michigan.<ref name=":3" /> He formally announced his candidacy in April 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-26 |title=Nasser Beydoun announces candidacy for U.S. Senate |url=https://arabamericannews.com/2023/04/26/nasser-beydoun-announces-candidacy-for-u-s-senate/ |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=ArabAmericanNews |language=en-US}}</ref>
In November 2023, Beydoun alleged that former Michigan Democratic Party chair Lon Johnson had approached him with an offer of $20 million from a pro-Israel lobbying group to drop out of the Senate race and launch a primary challenge against United States Representative Rashida Tlaib despite Beydoun's publicly pro-Palestinian stance. Johnson repeatedly denied the claims, saying, "that's just crazy. I didn't offer him $20 million, or any other amount of money, to run against Rashida. That's insane."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlive.com/politics/2023/11/michigan-senate-candidates-received-20m-offer-to-instead-primary-rashida-tlaib.html |title=Michigan Senate candidates were offered $20M to drop race, challenge Rashida Tlaib |website=MLive Media Group |last=Schuster |first=Simon |date=November 27, 2023 |access-date=November 29, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Personal life == Beydoun married Maysa Beydoun,<ref name=":5" /> a Canadian of Lebanese descent, with whom he has three children.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> He later married Nancy Jaafar.<ref name=":3" />
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Beydoun, Nasser}} Category:1960s births Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century Michigan politicians Category:American chief executives in the food industry Category:Arab League people Category:Businesspeople from Beirut Category:Businesspeople from Michigan Category:Lebanese emigrants to the United States Category:Living people Category:Michigan Democrats Category:People from Bint Jbeil District Category:Politicians from Beirut Category:University of San Diego alumni