More than a dozen Democratic candidates vying for contested races in the March 20 Illinois primary election have confirmed their appearances at the annual Candidate’s Breakfast hosted by the state’s largest Arab American political organization. The Arab American Democratic Club will host candidates running for a wide range of offices from congress to governor at the breakfast which will be held at Niko’s Banquet Hall at 76th and Harlem Avenue on Sunday, Feb. 18 beginning at 10 am. There are about 450,000 Arab Americans living in the six county Chicagoland region with an estimated 80,000 Arab Americans who are registered to vote in Cook County, mainly in the Southwest Suburban region. Among candidates confirmed to attend the AADC Candidate Brunch are: Christopher Kennedy (Illinois Governor), Patrick Quinn (Illinois Attorney General), Jesus Garcia (4th District Congress), Congressman Dan Lipinski (3rd District), Congressman Danny Davis, Marie Newman (3rd District Congress), Debra Shore (Water Reclamation District). Also attending will be several Judges and candidates for judicial office. The keynote speaker of the event is Jim Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute and a longtime Democratic Party activist, delegate and presidential adviser. Detroit comedian Amer Zahr will entertain. Closing remarks will be present by newspaper political columnist and former Chicago City Hall reporter Ray Hanania.