Where Detroit City Council stands on mayoral race
Two Detroit City Council members are running for mayor, and whether any of their seven colleagues on City Council will endorse someone in the race is a big question mark.
Why it matters: City Council leaders say the legislative body has created an environment of productive collaboration. Taking sides in a race so close to home, and so important for Detroit's future, could change the dynamic.
City Council President Mary Sheffield and council member Fred Durhal III are among nine candidates on the ballot in the Aug. 5 primary.
State of play: It's not likely anyone will weigh in soon, but it's on the minds of observers as candidates strive to make their mark in the battle that's been the talk of the town all year.
Axios spoke with Sheffield and Durhal and reached out to the other council members or their representatives. Here's what those we heard from had to say:
In an interview with Axios at the Mackinac Policy Conference in late May, Sheffield said she thought that discussions about endorsements could happen after the primary — but also that council members were focused on their own reelection bids.
"We also have worked extremely hard to keep a very productive and collaborative environment, and I don't want politics to get in the middle of that," she added.
Durhal also weighed in during Mackinac: "What I would say is, I don't think they weigh in right now, because one, they're running their own races. Two, you have two sitting members of the council who are running [for mayor] now … I think for them, they ask, 'What is the benefit of doing that?'"
Like Sheffield, he told Axios the council had done a good job "building a coalition" and wanted to maintain that cohesiveness and avoid an outside narrative that the council is split.
Council member Latisha Johnson tells Axios she will not consider endorsing anyone for mayor. She will need to work collaboratively with whoever wins, she says, and doesn't want to bring unnecessary tension to that work.
"I am primarily focused on my race [for reelection] and continuing to work in District 4," she adds.
Similarly, council member Mary Waters says that Durhal and Sheffield are both her colleagues, adding, "I'm just going to focus on my race."
As for the other members:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
4 hours ago
- Axios
Scoop: Every Senate Dem demands Trump withdraw military from Los Angeles
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) led the entire Senate Democratic in writing to President Trump Sunday, demanding he remove all military forces from Los Angeles and cease threats to further deploy troops, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Padilla was physically removed from a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and handcuffed Thursday, triggering a five-alarm fire for Democrats. The letter from Padilla and 46 other Senate Democrats asked Trump to "immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent day." Trump federalized California's National Guard without the state's consent and mobilized more than 700 Marines to the state to try to quash protests over his mass deportation program. "Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less," the Senate Democrats wrote. Driving the news: A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled that the Trump administration's deployment of the California National Guard can continue, for now. The Pentagon said on Friday that U.S. troops will not be responsible for law enforcement at the Los Angeles riots. Instead, they will protect federal property and personnel. Protests over the deportations have spread to numerous cities across the country, and Trump has warned that he may deploy troops to different areas. The Democrats asked Trump to "cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or other active duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor." Between the lines: The fight against the White House's deportation program is becoming a rallying point for Democrats who have largely been split over how to push back against Trump. Padilla's incident at the Noem presser on Thursday added more fuel to the flames. Democrats almost universally panned the manhandling of a sitting U.S. senator.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Johnstown mayoral candidates King, DeBartola bring opposing views to Central Park effort
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Whether to spend millions of dollars remodeling and modernizing Johnstown's Central Park is a question that exemplifies the city's differing political opinions, including for candidates in this year's mayoral race. Deputy Mayor the Rev. Sylvia King, the Democratic nominee, is part of the establishment that has promoted the project that will include installing new sidewalks, a pavilion for entertainment, monuments walkway, greenery and infrastructure upgrades. King recently voted in favor of a motion approving a final plan for the park that passed Johnstown City Council by a 6-1 vote. Republican Party mayoral candidate John DeBartola, who considers himself a political outsider, has used his platform on Revitalize Johnstown and in public forums to oppose the plan. The project, which is expected to cost between $6 million and $8 million, is being funded by American Rescue Plan Act money for COVID-19 pandemic relief. City Council approved putting the funds toward the park project from among the $30.7 million it received in ARPA money that it was awarded in 2021. 'The vast majority of the public opposes spending $8 million to completely redesign Central Park,' DeBartola said. 'The city could have used that money to remove blight in neighborhoods, build a new police station, or support a grocery store downtown. … It's a shame city leaders prioritized Central Park over the police, fire department or our neighborhoods.' DeBartola added: 'All the public wants is honest and fair leadership. The way the city has handled the Central Park project shows they have neither.' King pointed out that the city used ARPA funds in numerous ways, including programs for home repairs, home purchases, sewer assistance, stormwater upgrades, community neighborhood development, nonprofit assistance, food insecurity and the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center. The money is also linked to the $8 million in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grant (formerly Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) for a streetscape in the Main Street corridor. 'The ARPA funds were used as leverage to complement the RAISE grant,' King said. 'Because they are leveraged funds, they are tied to specific projects which were outlined in the RAISE grant application – and therefore cannot be reallocated for other uses. The use of ARPA funds to invest in infrastructure projects supports the revitalization of downtown.' King said the proposed changes will, in her opinion, make Central Park 'more interactive' for visitors and easier for people using mobility aids to navigate, while helping boost the economy. 'Being able to invest in the infrastructure of the city is paramount,' King said. 'The changes being made will stimulate and motivate our local economy. Hopefully it will spark more entrepreneurship initiatives. There will be inconveniences along the way. We ask for your patience during these upgrades.' The RAISE (now BUILD) grant was awarded in 2021. 'After 4 years, the RAISE grant seems to be inching along,' DeBartola wrote in an email. 'The problem is that in those 4 years, the cost of building materials has skyrocketed. The inability to execute the grant has caused us to lose millions due to inflation.'
Axios
5 hours ago
- Axios
Israel's mission hinges on destroying Iran's hardest nuclear target
One factor that could determine whether Israel's audacious attack on Iran proves a daring success or a dangerous mistake is the fate of Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment site. The big picture: Israel will require unforeseen tactical ingenuity or U.S. assistance to destroy Fordow, which is built into a mountain and deep underground. But if the facility remains intact and accessible, a nuclear program Israel is determined to "eliminate" could actually accelerate. "The entire operation... really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow," Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told Fox News on Friday. That's why the Israeli government hopes the Trump administration ultimately decides to join Israel's operation. Breaking it down: Israel lacks the huge bunker busters needed to destroy this facility and the strategic bombers to carry them. The U.S. has both within flying distance of Iran. An Israeli official claimed to Axios that the U.S. could still join the operation, and that President Trump even suggested he'd do so if necessary in a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the days leading up to launch. But a White House official denied that, telling Axios Trump said exactly the opposite. The U.S. currently has no intention of intention of getting directly involved, the official said. Yes, but: Some experts think Israel could try to replicate the effect of a massive bunker buster by repeatedly bombing the same location. A much riskier approach would be sending special forces to raid the facility. Israeli special forces conducted such a raid last September, albeit on a smaller scale, when they destroyed an underground missile factory in Syria by planting and detonating explosives. The entire operation took two hours. Driving the news: Netanyahu argued Israel was compelled to act because of Iran's growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and because intelligence suggested Iran was resuming R&D on nuclear weaponization. Israel targeted nuclear enrichment facilities, centrifuge production lines and nuclear scientists in hopes of decimating the program. Iran has long denied any intention of building a bomb, but has enriched uranium far beyond what is required for civilian use. State of play: International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council on Friday that Iran's above-ground enrichment facility in Natanz had been destroyed by Israeli strikes. Iran has other uranium enrichment facilities, but that's a big setback to the program. The underground portion of the Natanz facility had not been hit by a physical attack, but the loss of power to the compound as a result of the strikes could have damaged the centrifuges, Grossi said. Israel destroyed other nuclear sites on Friday in Esfahan. Zoom in: Grossi also said the Iranian government informed him that Israel had attacked Fordow, though he couldn't personally confirm that. The IDF has not announced strikes on Fordow, and there are no indications thus far that it has sustained any significant damage. What to watch: While the U.S. side continues to say that Israel is acting alone, Netanyahu has left open the possibility that could change.
