Detroit City Council primary election results 2025: What's at stake
Ahead of the general election this fall, Detroiters had the chance to cast their ballot for mayor — from a crowded field of nine contenders vying to replace outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan — and open seats on Detroit City Council.
Election results 2025: Detroit and Wayne County primary races, ballot proposals
Competitive council races included: two at-large, representing the entire city; District 2, covering the northernmost edge of the city, spanning the Southfield Freeway to Woodward Avenue and Eight Mile Road to just beyond the Lodge Freeway; District 5, south of Hamtramck and Highland Park, and District 7, covering parts of the city's west side.
The Free Press will update this story throughout the evening and into the next day as results filter in.
8 candidates run for 2 at-large seats
Two incumbents, Mary Waters and Coleman Young II, are in the running to retain their at-large seats. Waters, in an interview with the Free Press, said she'd advocate at the state and federal level for renters and homeowners, and Young said he'd like to implement a guaranteed income pilot program and revive police mini-stations, an initiative his father, the late Mayor Coleman Young, started.
The other at-large hopefuls include:
Detroit police detective Levan Adams, who said he'd like to see more police officers out on the streets, legislation to keep guns away from young people and programming for middle and high school-age youths.
Former Council Member Janee' Ayers, who lost her council seat in 2021 amid a federal public corruption investigation — a case that closed earlier this year. She cited fiscal responsibility, public safety and neighborhood growth as pressing issues for Detroit and Detroiters
Detroit Fire Department community relations chief James Harris. He said he'd create programming like Motor City Makeover, the annual volunteer cleanup initiative.
Attorney Shakira Lynn Hawkins, who cited affordable and emergency housing, public safety and youth education and economic empowerment as the top three issues Detroiters are confronting.
Preacher, community activist and photographer Gary Hunter said longtime Detroiters cannot get services, such as roofing assistance and weatherization
Educator Valerie Parker said she ran to advocate for school children.
More: Here are the candidates running in Detroit City Council's at-large race
Three competitive district races; 14 candidates
District 2: Home to the University of Detroit Mercy, District 2 includes neighborhoods such as Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest and the University District. In the running are the following candidates:
Incumbent Angela Whitfield Calloway, who has been skeptical of tax subsidies and is known for questioning city departments, BridgeDetroit reported;
Former District 2 Council Member Roy McCalister Jr. who said he will prioritize enhancing quality of life issues in Detroit by focusing on ramping up mental health resources;
State Rep. Helena Scott, D-Detroit, who ranked public safety, affordable housing and combatting neighborhood bight among her top priorities.
District 5: Seven candidates are competing for the District 5 seat currently held by City Council President Mary Sheffield, who is running for mayor. The district — spanning neighborhoods at the center of the city and south toward the Detroit River — includes historic Boston Edison and Islandview, Eastern Market and Belle Isle.
BridgeDetroit interviewed most of candidates for District 5. They include:
Real estate developer and realtor George Adams Jr. who said he'd ensure developers have access to publicly-owned land and cited affordable housing as a top challenge.
District 5 Detroit Police Commissioner Willie E. Burton who said he'd advocate for more affordable housing and water rates
Longtime east side resident Michael Hartt, who has a background in human resources, said the top three challenges residents are confronting are water affordability, property assessments and tax foreclosures
Housing and community development expert Esther Yvette Haugabook said she wants to create a city-funded home repair program to help longtime residents age in place.
Charles H. Wright Museum educator Tatjana Jackson said she wants to partner with venture capitalists and private equity firms to support small businesses.
UAW retiree and founding member of the Detroit Historic Districts Alliance Renata Miller said she would like to see nonprofits and foundations "adopt" certain parts of District 5 and invest in improvements.
Retiree Michael Stephen Ri'chard said he supports home repair programs and tax breaks for seniors.
District 7: Over on the west side of the city, District 7 borders Dearborn Heights and Dearborn, and is home to the Warrendale neighborhood and Rouge Park. Four candidates are running for the seat currently held by Council Member Fred Durhal III, who is running for mayor. They include
Retiree Bobbi Johnson, who said she wants to see more funding for neighborhood organizations and block clubs;
Managing director of the left-leaning organization Progress Michigan Denzel Anton McCampbell, who wants to expand down payment assistance and senior home repair programming;
Former city council candidate Regina Ross, who wants to ramp up workforce development;
State Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit), who said local issues are important to her and are overlooked at the state level, according to BridgeDetroit and the civic engagement hub CitizenDetroit.
The top two vote-getters for each of the district races will move on to the general election.
The remaining Detroit City Council races
There were no primaries for Districts 1, 3, 4 and 6. The candidates for these races will automatically advance to the general election this fall.
Incumbents City Council President Pro Tem James Tate Jr., representing District 1, and District 4 Council Member Latisha Johnson are both running unopposed. For the remaining districts, there are two contenders each. In District 3, Cranstana Anderson, is challenging incumbent Scott Benson. In District 6, state Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit, is challenging incumbent Gabriela Santiago-Romero.
Contact reporter Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit City Council primary election results 2025
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