Latest news with #Kinloch
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Mayor's race pushes ahead following Mackinac conference
Coming off a high-profile conference packed with business leaders and potential donors, Detroit's mayoral hopefuls are sprinting to the end of this month with big events and rounds of door-knocking. Why it matters: The late May Mackinac Policy Conference offered a venue to showcase leadership and policy plans but didn't reach a wide swath of Detroit voters — and candidates need to do just that ahead of June 26, when absentee ballots become available. Nine candidates are certified to run for mayor in the Aug. 5 primary. Catch up quick: After last week's Mackinac debate, candidates are seeking funding and endorsements. That could potentially include the PAC run by the Detroit Regional Chamber, which hosted the conference. Mayoral candidate and City Council President Mary Sheffield, for example, nabbed another union endorsement after the debate. Yes, but: Candidates should "brush off" Mackinac and hit the ground running, Mario Morrow, a political consultant and the president of a local communications firm, tells Axios. Connections made with Detroiters at their doors, on the street, on the bus and in neighborhood meetings are what will make someone stand out, he said. Caveat: While Sheffield is seen as the frontrunner, and Triumph Church pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. is often noted as her top challenger, many voters are undecided and there's time for dynamics to shift. The mayoral hopefuls are fanning out across the city to drum up street-level support. What they're saying: Kinloch is preparing for a rally with UAW president Shawn Fain and hundreds of UAW members at 10am Saturday in Detroit, according to the union, which endorsed Kinloch. "There's no campaign with the ground force of the Kinloch campaign and it is getting fully activated," Kinloch spokesperson Dan Lijana tells Axios. For Sheffield's campaign, the strategy hasn't changed post-Mackinac, even as the campaign kicks into high gear. "We are at the point where we're about to hit a sprint, before we hit the 'Get out the vote' efforts in July," campaign manager Chris Scott tells Axios. Candidate and former City Council president Saunteel Jenkins
Axios
10-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Detroit mayor's race sit-down: Solomon Kinloch
If the Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. becomes mayor, he says he could unite and convene powerhouse stakeholders while ensuring businesses deliver on their promises. The big picture: This is the latest in our series of interviews on mayoral hopefuls' policy priorities. More candidates are emerging in the race to replace Mike Duggan, the only mayor so far to oversee the city in its post-bankruptcy recovery. The nonpartisan race has its primary in August and general election in November. Flashback: Kinloch leads the Detroit-based Triumph Church, which had around 50 members when he began as pastor in 1998. Under his leadership, the church estimates it has grown to 40,000 members across locations in Detroit, Flint, Southfield and elsewhere. As well as usual church services, Triumph's offerings include scholarships and financial and mental health workshops. During the pandemic, the church provided free laptops for students, vaccines, groceries and care packages. Kinloch has also served on the Skillman Foundation board and the state's COVID-19 task force on racial disparities. Driving the news: Kinloch spoke with Axios Detroit about his goals as mayor, his ability to unify and why running from outside of traditional politics could be an advantage. Many people are skeptical of institutional politicians, he said, leading people like him to run for office to become the leadership they want to see instead of waiting for it. Zoom in: Housing is paramount, the pastor said. He wants to add 10,000 more housing units in the city. Some areas of focus there would be making housing affordable, using innovative materials and technology and building a bigger down payment assistance program to promote homeownership. Plus, housing construction connects with another of Kinloch's missions: job training, skilled trades and increasing economic opportunities. He wants to expand existing workforce training programs and "not just retain our middle class, but we want to continue to attract and to grow our middle class and upper classes." He also emphasized funding for small businesses, and has said he wants to add 10 more grocery stores in the city to increase access in food deserts. Kinloch also thinks his administration could do a better job leveraging private-public resources and convening philanthropic leaders, including in education. The mayor doesn't preside over public schools, but youth well-being is still their responsibility, he said. "Having a situation where our schools are not producing the best we can for our young people is no longer an option," he said. Context: If he's elected, Kinloch has said he doesn't plan to step down from leading Triumph, an avenue through which he hears from thousands of people. He also said in his announcement speech that he would be a mayor for Detroiters of all races and identities. Asked about Triumph's beliefs on its website against same-sex marriage, he said that he is not running for mayor as a pastor, and that he would defend equal protections under the law. While people have the right to their religious views, they don't have the right to impose their beliefs on others, he said. State of play: One theme of the mayor's race is going to be big business and community — balancing the varied interests and needs of those affecting and affected by how Detroit's landscape is evolving. Kinloch said the next mayor needs to be both a unifier and a fighter, and that he can and has bridged that gap. "Businesses need to know that Detroit is still open for business. … The difference is that my administration would ensure that, listen, if you make our people a promise, you've got to deliver on the promise you make." The bottom line: We asked Kinloch about a quality he would bring as mayor that is different from what other candidates and the current mayor have. He said: "Ministry is about people. And … the city's business, government ought to be about people." "I think that's what makes me rare, because I've been on the front line. I haven't been given anything … I had to build, I had to recruit, I had to lead. I had to be creative. I had to inspire hope. The next leader has to be someone who can inspire hope."
