Detroit mayoral primary election results 2025: These 9 candidates await their fate
Election results 2025: Detroit and Wayne County primary races, ballot proposals
Candidates spent all year campaigning and collecting funds to secure the top seat as Detroit's next leader, as Mayor Mike Duggan decided against seeking reelection to, instead, run for Michigan governor as an independent candidate. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield had an early fundraising lead since launching her candidate committee about two years before the primary election. However, multiple candidates poured into the race and hit the ground running across the city, quickly accumulating donors in an attempt to garner voter support.
Candidates for the August primary mayoral race include Sheffield, former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins, City Councilman Fred Durhal III, Pastor Solomon Kinloch, Jr., former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Detroit attorney Todd Perkins, businessman Joel Haashiim, entrepreneur John Barlow and DaNetta Simpson.
As of Sunday, Aug. 3, at least 2,367 voters had voted early and 45,885 absentee ballots had been returned, putting primary turnout on pace to reach between 13-18%, which the clerk's office predicted. As voters cast their ballots Tuesday, some, like Adrianne McCutchen, were hoping for a leader to boost the city.
She declined to say how she planned to vote, however, she expressed hope for change and continued growth in the city.
'I'm just looking forward to the candidates being narrowed down,' McCutchen told the Free Press.
Omar Deadwilder, 43, said he works with youths with disabilities as a vocational counselor for the state, said he planned for vote for Sheffield due to her experience as a city council member, even though he likes Kinloch as a pastor.
'We need somebody in there who knows what they're doing day one,' Deadwilder said. '(Kinloch) has a good heart for the city, but I don't think he would know what to do day one."
Sheffield spent the last week attending various events, block parties and a senior home in a final push to garner support. The council member voted Tuesday morning at the Horatio Williams Foundation and continued her day engaging in voter outreach. The city council president is kicking off election night celebrations at the Cielo Rooftop, located inside downtown Detroit's Cambria Hotel, with dozens of supporters.
Sheffield's ritzy rooftop party is packed with an electric crowd of supporters in brightly colored cocktail or Sheffield campaign attire, soaking up downtown's golden hour sun as they wait for her to arrive.
Jenkins made thousands of calls and knocked doors in the final days and mingled with dancers at a "Dancing in the D" event. She took advantage of early voting in the city and already cast her ballot July 28 alongside her husband. The former city council president spent primary day visiting various polling sites, capping off the night with her team and supporters at The Enclave on Detroit's northwest side to celebrate her campaign.
Kinloch addressed his supporters at gospel music celebration put on by metro Detroit pastors and musicians at Mount Zion Baptist Church over the weekend, and attended listening sessions with residents who invited him to speak. He stopped by various polling sites after casting his ballot at the Chrysler Elementary School. The Triumph Church pastor is ending his night in celebration of his campaign at the Roostertail on Detroit's east side.
Kinloch and Craig both attended a breakfast hosted by radio personality Mildred Gaddis of The Mildred Gaddis Show on Kiss FM 105.9 on Aug. 3.
Durhal hosted a get-out-the-vote rally days before the election. He cast his ballot Tuesday morning at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan: Dick & Sandy Dauch Campus, followed by a dozen precinct stops throughout the day. The councilman is capping things off with his team and supporters at the Hotel St. Regis.
Barlow visted several cookouts and stopped at bus stations to hand out water and bus tickets. The entrepreneur is celebrating at the Shadow Gallery.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.
Violet Ikonomova is an investigative reporter at the Free Press focused on government accountability in Detroit. Contact her at vikonomova@freepress.com.
M.L. Elrick is a Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter, director of student investigative reporting program Eye On Michigan, and host of the ML's Soul of Detroit podcast. Contact him at mlelrick@freepress.com or follow him on X at @elrick, Facebook at ML Elrick and Instagram at ml_elrick.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit mayoral election results 2025: 9 candidates await fate
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