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Washington Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Detroit mayoral primary hints at Democratic mood ahead of 2026 midterms
As Detroit attempts to recover a semblance of its past glory, Mary Sheffield, a Black woman and president of the city council, advanced to the November general election for mayor, the Associated Press reported late Tuesday, as votes for the mayoral primary were being counted. Solomon Kinloch, a pastor, bested Saunteel Jenkins, former city council president, for the second spot.
Associated Press
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Detroit's mayoral primary
WASHINGTON (AP) — Detroit voters will take a key step toward choosing a new mayor in the municipal primary on Tuesday, when nine candidates will appear on the ballot in the city's first open-seat mayoral race in a dozen years. The top two vote-getters in the nonpartisan primary will advance to the November general election. The winner will replace outgoing three-term Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running for governor of Michigan as an independent. The crowded field includes former police chief James Craig, city council member Fred Durhal, former city council president Saunteel Jenkins, Triumph Church pastor Solomon Kinloch, attorney Todd Perkins and current city council president Mary Sheffield. Also in the running are businessmen Jonathan Barlow and Joel Haashiim and three-time mayoral hopeful DaNetta Simpson. Sheffield leads the field in campaign fundraising. She brought in nearly $1.3 million since entering the race in December, more than double the roughly $574,000 Jenkins raised. Kinloch raised about $408,000, while Perkins and Durhal each raised more than $250,000. Sheffield also had about $451,000 in the bank heading into the final two-week stretch before the primary, more than double the rest of the field combined. Sheffield's major endorsements include the Detroit Free Press and the Michigan branch of the SEIU labor union. Jenkins was endorsed by The Detroit News and former Mayor Dave Bing, Duggan's immediate predecessor. Durhal has the backing of the mayors of Lansing, Grand Rapids and Pontiac, all of whom are former colleagues from the state Legislature. Although Michigan voters do not register by party and candidates for mayor do not run on a party label, most candidates in the field identify with the Democratic Party. Craig, on the other hand, is a Republican, having sought the GOP nomination for governor in 2022 and the U.S. Senate in 2024. The Detroit electorate is overwhelmingly Democratic. In 2024, voters in the city supported Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump by about a 9-1 ratio. The city faces a vastly different situation than it did when Duggan was first elected in 2013. In July of that year, it became the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy. The city now has a budget surplus, 12 years of balanced budgets under its belt and projected economic growth for the next five years. Homicides and violent crimes are down, while the city's population is up for the second consecutive year, according to the U.S. census. Still, the next mayor will face numerous challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing and vast economic disparities along racial lines. The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it's determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why. Michigan's mandatory recount law does not apply to Detroit's mayoral primary. Instead, candidates may request and pay for a recount, with the payment refunded if the recount changes the outcome. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome. Here's a look at what to expect on Tuesday: Primary day Detroit's mayoral primary will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET. What's on the ballot The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in Detroit's nonpartisan primary for mayor. Detroit, as well as cities and towns across Michigan, will hold a variety of other municipal elections on Tuesday, but they will not be included in the AP's vote tabulation. Who gets to vote Any voter registered in Detroit may participate in the mayoral primary. What do turnout and advance vote look like There were about 518,000 registered voters in Detroit as of late July. In the 2021 mayoral primary, turnout was about 14% of registered voters. About 67% of votes in that election were cast before primary day. As of Thursday, more than 41,000 ballots had been cast before primary day. Michigan adopted early in-person voting starting with the 2024 election season. How long does vote-counting usually take? In the Aug. 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results in Wayne County at 8:21 p.m. ET, or 21 minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended the following day at 9:17 a.m. ET with about 98% of total votes counted. Are we there yet? As of Tuesday, there will be 91 days until the November general election for Detroit mayor.
Axios
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Forum to tackle LGBTQ+ issues in mayor's race
Mayoral candidates are invited to discuss issues impacting queer and transgender residents Friday as part of Detroit's historic Black LGBTQ+ pride event, Hotter Than July. Why it matters: LGBTQ+ advocates want to assure the next mayor has "a clear understanding" of the community's needs here in Detroit, says Roland Leggett, the forum 's moderator. State of play: The conversation will cover social justice, LGBTQ+ issues and environmental issues like pollution and affordable utilities. It's co-hosted by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and nonprofit LGBT Detroit. As of early Thursday afternoon, the only confirmed candidate attending was former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins. It's part of Hotter Than July's daylong Annual Gathering for LGBT+ Issues at the U of M Detroit Center. If you go: The free event starts with an 8:30am breakfast, then the forum around 9:30am. It also includes a "State of the Movement" conversation with City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero and others. What they're saying: LGBT Detroit executive director A. Nzere Kwabena tells Axios he's hoping to hear discussion about the national climate for LGBTQ+ rights and how the mayor of Michigan's biggest city can advocate for LGBTQ+ protections at the state level. Between the lines: Leggett, the conservation league's election protection manager, says Mayor Mike Duggan worked to ensure Detroit earned a maximum score on the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index, which measures cities' law and policy inclusivity for LGBTQ+ people.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Watch replay: 4 Detroit mayoral candidates debate at Wayne State University
Watch four Detroit mayoral candidates debate Monday night, June 16, on WDIV-TV (Channel 4) at Wayne State University's Valade Jazz Center. The candidates participating are Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, Rev. Solomon Kinloch, former Detroit City Council President Saunteel Jenkins and former Detroit Police Chief James Craig. Watch in the video player above or tap here. More: These candidates are running for Detroit mayor in the 2025 election This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Watch replay: 4 Detroit mayoral candidates debate at Wayne State Uni.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Detroit mayoral hopefuls spar over housing, safety, jobs and taxes in TV debate
Four Detroit mayoral candidates took the stage Monday at Wayne State University's Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, tackling pressing issues in the city in a debate with no rebuttals. Candidates were faced with policy questions on public safety, affordable housing, education, job creation, taxes and equitable neighborhood investment. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, Triumph Church Pastor Solomon Kinloch, Jr., former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and former Council President Saunteel Jenkins each participated in the debate hosted by WDIV-Local 4 and AARP, moderated by WDIV journalist Jason Colthorp. Nine candidates are vying for the seat, but organizers limited debate participation to those performing above a 10% polling threshold, using survey data gathered by the Glengariff Group. Left out of the debate were Councilman Fred Durhal III, attorney Todd Perkins, east side resident DaNetta Simpson and businessmen Jonathan Barlow and Joel Haashiim. Detroiters will go to the polls in an Aug. 5 primary and a Nov. 5 general election to choose a new mayor for the first time in 12 years. Mayor Mike Duggan is leaving office after serving three terms to run for Michigan governor as an independent candidate. More: Here's who is running for Detroit mayor in the 2025 election Watch replay: 4 Detroit mayoral candidates debate at Wayne State University The candidates each focused on developing more community policing and building trust between residents and law enforcement. "This is not important to anyone on this stage more than me because I lost my 14-year-old brother to gun violence," Jenkins said. "We have to have safe space for our young people between the most dangerous hours of the day, and that is 3 p.m. and 8 p.m." Craig touted his experience as police chief in multiple cities. "When I got here in 2013, the community didn't trust the police department," Craig said, noting the high homicide rates and hourlong police response times of the pre-bankruptcy era. "I will continue to build on the successes that we realized during my tenure. But need to focus on neighborhood police officers." Sheffield said the city cannot police its way out of gun violence and needs invest in Community Violence Intervention programs. "We have organizations that go out into our neighborhoods and within those zip codes, we see a 50% reduction in crime in those areas," Sheffield said. "We also do have to focus more on prevention." Kinloch pushed providing more opportunities to Detroiters, including jobs, to reduce crime. "Every resident deserves safety and justice," Kinloch said, adding that the city needs to reduce to costly legal settlements that stem from lawsuits against the police department. "In the last three years, City Council approved more than $63 million in DPD settlements," Kinloch added, proposing more mental health professionals within the department and more pay for officers. Michigan Chronicle Executive Editor Jeremy Allen asked candidates how they expect to increase affordable housing without relying heavily on state or federal funding. Sheffield praised the city's investments, thus far, of at least $1 billion in creating and preserving affordable housing, but said the path ahead is filled with hurdles. "We have to address the fact that the cost of construction of doing affordable housing in Detroit is extremely high, so a lot of times we have to provide abatements to allow for the numbers to match out," Sheffield said. "We also have to address the real issue, which is we have extremely high property taxes." Kinloch fired back at her praise of $1 billion in housing investments by raising the issue of two kids who died last winter while living in a van. "When we start talking about 'we built a billion dollars in housing' when the median income in this city is less than $40,000 a year, you cannot say you're building affordable housing when the average person in the city is not making $800 a week," Kinloch said, adding the city should look into more options for down payment assistance and help maintaining homes. Jenkins agreed with Kinloch, further taking aim at Sheffield, who later told the Free Press "this is what happens in politics," and that she plans to stay focused on the city's needs. Detroit's unemployment rate was at 7.5% earlier this year. "I was in the front seat of Mayor Duggan negotiating Stellantis brining a plant to the city," said Craig. "He negotiated 3,500 Detroiters to be hired by Stellantis." The challenge for many applicants, he said was an entry exam that many could not pass. Sheffield's goal is to invest in workforce development programs to ensure "Detroiters have the skills that are equipped for the jobs for today and of tomorrow." Jenkins said she hopes to prioritize workforce development programs and partner with businesses to ensure schools create long-term educational pathways for children. "We should be asking, 'What are the jobs you are hiring for today, what will you be hiring 12 months from now and what will you be hiring for five years from now?'" Jenkins said. Detroit's school system is not under the purview of the mayor, but each of the candidates hope to tackle many of the school system's burdens in some capacity. Kinloch promises to appoint a chief education officer in his first 100 days, if elected, to work with the school system to ensure, among other things, that absenteeism declines. Sheffield believes the mayor "can be involved in changing outcomes" and expects to partner with the Detroit Public Schools Community District to establish a commission that brings traditional public and charter schools together to measure outcomes of Detroit's youth. That includes addressing absenteeism and social issues preventing students from showing up to school. Jenkins said she's worked with underperforming schools across the nation, including Detroit, helping address social determinants holding back students. She added one of the programs included social workers on the ground in schools several days a week to help parents who needed help with basic needs. Craig said morale among teachers is low. "Nothing has been done ... the morale of the teachers is at the bottom," Craig said. "These children go into those environments and guess what? They don't want to be there." Jenkins said property and income taxes make up a large part of the city's revenue, and to reduce them, the city needs to secure alternative sources of revenue. "We can continue to reduce the millage gradually, but it does not give real relief to Detroiters," Jenkins said. "I would find a new revenue source such as what I'm calling a 'penny for Detroiters' local tax. That one cent can generate over $100 million, which would give us a revenue source that enables us to dramatically reduce our property taxes and make it more affordable to buy a home and live here." Sheffield echoed Jenkins' call for establishing new forms of tax revenue before the city can begin seeking to reduce property taxes. "We are not capitalizing on the economic activity that is happening in downtown Detroit to the benefit that we could," Sheffield said, adding she would look at potentially levying a local sales tax, or a "half-penny tax," though the proposal needs further study. High property taxes did not happen overnight, nor will it be solved overnight, Kinloch said. "What we will do is continue to decrease the millage and the points, but one of the things we have to do is continue to lobby with the state and make sure we deal with the real issue, which is the structure and system and how we're disproportionately overtaxed in the city of Detroit," Kinloch said. Craig focused on driving small and large business development. "We have to leverage our state partners, and yes, the White House. We have to have a mayor that can reach out and touch the assistance," Craig said. "(American Rescue Plan Act) funds are running out next year, what are we going to replace it with? I'm calling for an independent forensic audit on the financial health of our city." 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 mayoral candidates have their say on the issues in TV debate
