Yousef Rabhi will kick off his campaign Thursday with a rally and fundraiser at Tio’s Mexican Cafe, 401 E. Liberty St., in downtown Ann Arbor.

Yousef Rabhi

Rabhi, a University of Michigan student, is running as a Democrat for the 11th District seat on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners.

Thursday's campaign kick-off event runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. All community members are encouraged to attend. The suggested donation is $30.

Rabhi, a self-described progressive candidate, said he believes that in order to create an environmentally and economically sustainable community, the county must find creative ways of being fiscally responsible without eliminating the services and amenities citizens depend on.

Rabhi is a Democrat is seeking to fill the seat being vacated by Jeff Irwin, who is running for the state House. Other candidates in the running for Irwin's seat include include Michael Fried, Alice Ralph and LuAnne Bullington.

For more information, visit www.voterabhi.com.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.