Latest news with #Durhal
Axios
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
3 takeaways from first Detroit mayoral forum
Seven candidates vied for the spotlight in the first mayoral forum of the race to succeed decadelong Detroit leader Mike Duggan. The big picture: The group used their varying experiences with leadership to differentiate themselves on top issues: public safety, affordable housing, economic growth and neighborhoods. The African American Leadership Institute hosted the forum Saturday at Riverside Marina with the national women's political nonprofit Supermajority. The participants were: Former police chief James Craig, businessman Joel Haashiim, City Council member Fred Durhal III, City Council president Mary Sheffield, former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins, attorney Todd Perkins and entrepreneur Jonathan Barlow. Longtime pastor Solomon Kinloch and previous candidate DaNetta Simpson also submitted petitions, but weren't present. Our three top forum takeaways: Empathy: Candidates want to make personal connections with Detroiters. The question is who will be able to do it most broadly and convincingly. They zeroed in on what they believe Detroiters need, as people with their own personal history here — from Durhal's and Perkins' perspectives as fathers to Jenkins' history with trauma and a serious health issue and Sheffield growing up watching the activism of her father, Rev. Horace Sheffield III, and others. Banter: Onlookers want to know what this race is going to look like as it ramps up — not just in how candidates will pitch themselves, but also how they'll interact with each other. This was a Q&A forum, not a debate, so no rebuttals. But viewers did see a couple back-and-forth moments, including when candidates were asked the city's most pressing issue. "The single most is public safety. I thought my Republican counterpart would say that," Perkins said. Craig is a proud conservative, though the race is nonpartisan, and answered "neighborhood focus." Plus, when asked about handling the city's financial future without federal pandemic relief dollars, Craig, Haashiim and Perkins all said they wanted audits to dig into the city's financial health. Durhal said that the city has guardrails, and that any candidate "should already know what the budget is." Energy and turnout:"To be finally at a point where Detroit will have an African American at the helm of leadership is important," African American Leadership Institute CEO Al Williams said. "I think it's absolutely important that we turn out to vote. No more 19, 18 percent turnout," he added. The turnout for Detroit's last mayoral election in November 2021 was 19%.
Axios
31-01-2025
- Business
- Axios
Council member Fred Durhal launches Detroit mayoral campaign
City council member Fred Durhal III launched his campaign for mayor Wednesday night, with supporters painting him as a hands-on civil servant whose Lansing history would benefit his hometown. The big picture: Durhal wants to continue "restoring the promise of our city," while creating paths for homeownership and financial empowerment, he said in a speech at the west-side Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan facility. Zoom in: Durhal targeted areas like affordable housing, community violence intervention, regional transit and rebuilding commercial corridors. "I'm unapologetic about development … We need to continue to build the development that helps us build the jobs and build our tax base here, so we can put that money back into our neighborhoods," Durhal said. Plus, multiple speakers called out Durhal's ties to Lansing, where he was a state representative from 2015-2019. Tim Greimel, the mayor of Pontiac and a former state representative, said at the event that Durhal was "incredibly effective working with both Democrats and Republicans to bring enormous amounts of resources back home to Detroit." Zoom out: Other prominent names running for mayor include City Council President Mary Sheffield and former council president and nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Detroit City Councilman Fred Durhal III announces run for mayor
Fred Durhal III began knocking on doors — under the guidance of his father — to campaign for other elected officials at the age of 3. But when he comes knocking this year, it will be because he's running for mayor, the current Detroit city councilman announced Wednesday. Durhal is aiming for Detroit's top job because, as he told the Free Press, the city needs someone with experience in multiple levels of government. And the councilman says he has it. He kicked off his campaign Wednesday at the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan: Lloyd H. Diehl Club, 4242 Collingwood, in the Nardin Park neighborhood, which is adjacent to Russell Woods where Durhal grew up. Speaking of levels of experience, Durhal said he has worked multiple jobs throughout his life that taught him how to deal with and help people, from retail at Kmart, in customer service, as a mental health peer counselor for teenagers, in consulting and as a state representative from 2015 to 2019. Past congressional leaders Barbara Rose-Collins and John Conyers influenced Durhal to enter public service. But it was his father, Fred Durhal, Jr., also a former state legislator, who was his main inspiration. 'I had the opportunity to sit at the feet — due to his (father's) relationships with other elected officials — of some of the greats, like Mayor Coleman Young. I remember being a young boy running around the Manoogian Mansion. It is also nostalgic every time I walk into the City-County (Coleman A. Young Municipal Center) building. I can remember being a little boy running throughout that building,' Durhal said. 'I don't want us to go backwards in our progress. We've made that significant amount of progress with tough decisions. The next leader has to be very strong, very unapologetic about the decisions that they make, because they make it confidently and it's based upon this experience.' Durhal, 40, has long supported many of Mayor Mike Duggan's initiatives for new developments in the city, along with his common fight of the "Us vs. Them" narrative, where people claim that the focus is on downtown versus neighborhoods. But the comparisons between the councilman and Detroit's current chief executive do not faze Durhal, he says, as long as Detroit has an administration to push for "good government" and fix the city's issues. There's also the consideration of his wife and kids' futures, and the future generations of all Detroiters, that he says steered him to define his future moves and priorities for the city. Expanding commercial corridors to have walkable communities, which would include developed spaces and retail within a short distance from neighborhoods, would be among the first initiatives he'd tackle in his first 90 days, if elected, he said. "That's one of the priorities we'll be very aggressive on as we talk to some of our partners — public-private partnerships — and maintaining those relationships. And those partnerships are going to be instrumental," Durhal said. "I believe that, that you're going to have to have a leader that the business community trusts, but also that the community trusts, because you'll have to bridge that gap." Durhal said he also aims to look into potentially expanding the Downtown Development Authority's boundaries. "We'll be looking at changing the definition of what our Downtown Development Authority does, and what is the geographical boundaries of that, to kind of expand it into those commercial corridors, such as Gratiot (Avenue); such as Michigan Avenue; and even farther down Woodward to the North End; and then look at these main streets in every community and work on that," he said. Enhancing public safety is at the forefront of Durhal's mind, he said. The councilman chairs the city's Gun Violence Task Force and supports community violence intervention initiatives, like ShotStoppers, a program intended to prevent shootings and homicides. Durhal added that social determinants of health can lead to gun violence in the city. "It will give us an opportunity to address cognitive behavior, to address mental health and some of these underlying issues that exist. But we'll also be able to look at the socioeconomic issues that lead up to gun violence as well. As we talk to a lot of young men and women across the city of Detroit, they feel no one cares about them. They feel that there is no opportunity for them, and in some cases, that leads to crime," Durhal said. "We do have numbers and data that shows that we're becoming safer. But it is also my belief that you are only as safe as you feel ... you shouldn't fear having to go to the pharmacy to pick up your prescription at night." Part of boosting public safety includes providing resources for officers, he said. And the City Council has approved pay raises for Detroit Police Department officers as a step. "We've got to get really granular when we talk about public safety," Durhal said. "Part of that feeling safe is knowing that you can call somebody when you're in danger. At one time, Detroit had over 4,000 police officers, and as time went on and the population declined as well, you saw the decline in population of our police department." Beyond public safety, Durhal said he wants to focus on enhancing the futures of young Detroiters through partnerships with the Detroit Public Schools Community District to provide programming and better infrastructure. Strengthening Detroit's school system also means meeting with state legislators to procure resources, which Durhal said he's prepared to do, given his history as a state legislator and relationships he's built. "We don't want to take over the schools, but we want to fix that bridge between government and school government ... whether that's talking about our infrastructure here in the city of Detroit with the number of abandoned schools that exist. What's our plan, collectively, to take down some of these buildings that have been sitting there, some of this decay that's been sitting there for multiple years that ... adds to the negative mind state of our youth? You become desensitized. You walk past an abandoned school that's got weeds and broken windows, and that becomes part of your conscience, your subconscious." Preparing Detroit's youth for the jobs of the future — including tech, innovation and mobility — to grow their skillset and retain them as residents will be another task he aims to target, if elected. Durhal said he aims to push the Detroit Promise program, which provides a tuition-free pathway for college and university students. "We're not doing a great job of promoting that," Durhal said. Retaining young talent, however, will require more than just programs to boost their skillset, which the councilman said he expects to maintain. Durhal said he also wants to re-engage discussions about regional transit, which has been a determining factor for younger talent leaving Detroit to live in other big cities. "It connects our communities. And when our communities are connected, folks feel like they just don't have to stay in one spot," Durhal said. "Regional transit is going to be, I think, one of the biggest issues that has been one of the biggest barriers that has plagued, I believe, the growth of our entire region over the past decade or so. And you're going to have to have great relationships with those leaders at a county level," Durhal said. Durhal's announcement comes on the heels of President Donald Trump issuing an executive order to halt federal funding, which Detroit has relied on for years. A federal judge put a temporary hold on the order Tuesday, then the federal Office of Management and Budget announced Wednesday that it was backing off the funding freeze — at least for now. Though the status of funding freeze remains murky at this time, Durhal said if the freeze were to happen he would make calls — similar to how Duggan, who had strong relationships with the Joe Biden White House and federal officials would reach out for aid — to lobby for issues of importance or at least get basic information. "One of the first things that I would do is pick up the phone. You've got to have those conversations. Pick up the phone and attempt to speak to the president and let him know how important it is, as far as grants are concerned, that the city needs them to thrive. We're still rebuilding. I know we were in a good spot, and we've got one of the greatest comeback stories in history. Well, we're still going. And the way to do that as well is use your partners," Durhal said. The role of the mayor is nonpartisan. But Durhal, a Democrat, acknowledged the job would require calling on Republican officials as well. "You can't participate in name-calling. You can't participate in the show that some folks like to push out there, because your number one job as mayor is to deliver those resources for your city no matter what's happening, no matter who's in charge, no matter who's in office," Durhal said. Other candidates who have formed committees for mayor or announced their intentions to run include City Council President Mary Sheffield, former City Councilwoman and current THAW (The Heat and Warmth Fund) CEO Saunteel Jenkins, former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate and businessman Joel Haashiim. Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@ Follow her: @DanaAfana. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Councilman Fred Durhal III launches mayoral campaign
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Detroit City Councilman Fred Durhal III announces run for mayor
Fred Durhal III began knocking on doors — under the guidance of his father — to campaign for other elected officials at the age of 3. But when he comes knocking this year, it will be because he's running for mayor, the current Detroit city councilman announced Wednesday. Durhal is aiming for Detroit's top job because, as he told the Free Press, the city needs someone with experience in multiple levels of government. And the councilman says he has it. He kicked off his campaign Wednesday at the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan: Lloyd H. Diehl Club, 4242 Collingwood, in the Nardin Park neighborhood, which is adjacent to Russell Woods where Durhal grew up. Speaking of levels of experience, Durhal said he has worked multiple jobs throughout his life that taught him how to deal with and help people, from retail at Kmart, in customer service, as a mental health peer counselor for teenagers, in consulting and as a state representative from 2015 to 2019. Past congressional leaders Barbara Rose-Collins and John Conyers influenced Durhal to enter public service. But it was his father, Fred Durhal, Jr., also a former state legislator, who was his main inspiration. 'I had the opportunity to sit at the feet — due to his (father's) relationships with other elected officials — of some of the greats, like Mayor Coleman Young. I remember being a young boy running around the Manoogian Mansion. It is also nostalgic every time I walk into the City-County (Coleman A. Young Municipal Center) building. I can remember being a little boy running throughout that building,' Durhal said. 'I don't want us to go backwards in our progress. We've made that significant amount of progress with tough decisions. The next leader has to be very strong, very unapologetic about the decisions that they make, because they make it confidently and it's based upon this experience.' Durhal, 40, has long supported many of Mayor Mike Duggan's initiatives for new developments in the city, along with his common fight of the "Us vs. Them" narrative, where people claim that the focus is on downtown versus neighborhoods. But the comparisons between the councilman and Detroit's current chief executive do not faze Durhal, he says, as long as Detroit has an administration to push for "good government" and fix the city's issues. There's also the consideration of his wife and kids' futures, and the future generations of all Detroiters, that he says steered him to define his future moves and priorities for the city. Key priorities Expanding commercial corridors to have walkable communities, which would include developed spaces and retail within a short distance from neighborhoods, would be among the first initiatives he'd tackle in his first 90 days, if elected, he said. "That's one of the priorities we'll be very aggressive on as we talk to some of our partners — public-private partnerships — and maintaining those relationships. And those partnerships are going to be instrumental," Durhal said. "I believe that, that you're going to have to have a leader that the business community trusts, but also that the community trusts, because you'll have to bridge that gap." Durhal said he also aims to look into potentially expanding the Downtown Development Authority's boundaries. "We'll be looking at changing the definition of what our Downtown Development Authority does, and what is the geographical boundaries of that, to kind of expand it into those commercial corridors, such as Gratiot (Avenue); such as Michigan Avenue; and even farther down Woodward to the North End; and then look at these main streets in every community and work on that," he said. Enhancing public safety is at the forefront of Durhal's mind, he said. The councilman chairs the city's Gun Violence Task Force and supports community violence intervention initiatives, like ShotStoppers, a program intended to prevent shootings and homicides. Durhal added that social determinants of health can lead to gun violence in the city. "It will give us an opportunity to address cognitive behavior, to address mental health and some of these underlying issues that exist. But we'll also be able to look at the socioeconomic issues that lead up to gun violence as well. As we talk to a lot of young men and women across the city of Detroit, they feel no one cares about them. They feel that there is no opportunity for them, and in some cases, that leads to crime," Durhal said. "We do have numbers and data that shows that we're becoming safer. But it is also my belief that you are only as safe as you feel ... you shouldn't fear having to go to the pharmacy to pick up your prescription at night." Part of boosting public safety includes providing resources for officers, he said. And the City Council has approved pay raises for Detroit Police Department officers as a step. "We've got to get really granular when we talk about public safety," Durhal said. "Part of that feeling safe is knowing that you can call somebody when you're in danger. At one time, Detroit had over 4,000 police officers, and as time went on and the population declined as well, you saw the decline in population of our police department." Beyond public safety, Durhal said he wants to focus on enhancing the futures of young Detroiters through partnerships with the Detroit Public Schools Community District to provide programming and better infrastructure. Strengthening Detroit's school system also means meeting with state legislators to procure resources, which Durhal said he's prepared to do, given his history as a state legislator and relationships he's built. "We don't want to take over the schools, but we want to fix that bridge between government and school government ... whether that's talking about our infrastructure here in the city of Detroit with the number of abandoned schools that exist. What's our plan, collectively, to take down some of these buildings that have been sitting there, some of this decay that's been sitting there for multiple years that ... adds to the negative mind state of our youth? You become desensitized. You walk past an abandoned school that's got weeds and broken windows, and that becomes part of your conscience, your subconscious." Preparing Detroit's youth for the jobs of the future — including tech, innovation and mobility — to grow their skillset and retain them as residents will be another task he aims to target, if elected. Durhal said he aims to push the Detroit Promise program, which provides a tuition-free pathway for college and university students. "We're not doing a great job of promoting that," Durhal said. Retaining young talent, however, will require more than just programs to boost their skillset, which the councilman said he expects to maintain. Durhal said he also wants to re-engage discussions about regional transit, which has been a determining factor for younger talent leaving Detroit to live in other big cities. "It connects our communities. And when our communities are connected, folks feel like they just don't have to stay in one spot," Durhal said. "Regional transit is going to be, I think, one of the biggest issues that has been one of the biggest barriers that has plagued, I believe, the growth of our entire region over the past decade or so. And you're going to have to have great relationships with those leaders at a county level," Durhal said. In a crisis, 'pick up the phone' Durhal's announcement comes on the heels of President Donald Trump issuing an executive order to halt federal funding, which Detroit has relied on for years. A federal judge put a temporary hold on the order Tuesday, then the federal Office of Management and Budget announced Wednesday that it was backing off the funding freeze — at least for now. Though the status of funding freeze remains murky at this time, Durhal said if the freeze were to happen he would make calls — similar to how Duggan, who had strong relationships with the Joe Biden White House and federal officials would reach out for aid — to lobby for issues of importance or at least get basic information. "One of the first things that I would do is pick up the phone. You've got to have those conversations. Pick up the phone and attempt to speak to the president and let him know how important it is, as far as grants are concerned, that the city needs them to thrive. We're still rebuilding. I know we were in a good spot, and we've got one of the greatest comeback stories in history. Well, we're still going. And the way to do that as well is use your partners," Durhal said. The role of the mayor is nonpartisan. But Durhal, a Democrat, acknowledged the job would require calling on Republican officials as well. "You can't participate in name-calling. You can't participate in the show that some folks like to push out there, because your number one job as mayor is to deliver those resources for your city no matter what's happening, no matter who's in charge, no matter who's in office," Durhal said. Other candidates who have formed committees for mayor or announced their intentions to run include City Council President Mary Sheffield, former City Councilwoman and current THAW (The Heat and Warmth Fund) CEO Saunteel Jenkins, former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate and businessman Joel Haashiim. Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@ Follow her: @DanaAfana.
