Tuesday, Nov. 4 — 8:00 p.m.

It was dark outside when Detroiter Trishtan Turner stepped outside of the Adams Butzel Recreation Center after casting her ballot for Mary Sheffield. 

“At some point, women need to be leaders, too,” Turner, 38, said. 

Turner, who lives on the west side of the city, wants to see better opportunities and activities for youth. 

Demetria Burnside, who also lives on the west side, voted Tuesday, Nov. 4 because Detroit needs change and a trustworthy leader to take the helm. 

“The pastor, I think he should stick to what he does best,” Burnside, 60, said referring to Solomon Kinloch Jr. 

She voted for Sheffield. 

Burnside wants city leaders to help low income residents and seniors as they deal with high rent and car insurance costs. 

Felicia Dobbs, who lives on the northwest side of the city, also cast her ballot for Sheffield. 

“She is more experienced. She’s more familiar with what goes on with the city,” Dobbs, 56, said citing Sheffield’s city council experience. 

If Sheffield wins, it’d be a “great milestone,” especially for African American women to be in a place of power, Dobbs said. 

People need jobs, she said. She wants to see more small business development and opportunities — including STEM-related resources — for youth. 

“I want to see more happen, not just downtown, but like everybody’s saying, more in the inner city because we pay our taxes, we pay a whole lot of taxes,” she said. 

Ricky Cannady, 58, of Detroit, voted for Solomon Kinloch Jr. because of his experience running multiple churches. He’s not a member of Kinloch’s church but has been there a few times. 

He’s excited about the direction the city is headed in and wants to see that continue. He wants to see the inner city improved alongside the downtown area. He’d like to see vacant buildings transformed into businesses and more incentives for small businesses. 

“I hope that whoever (wins) is ready for the job because this is a big job,” Cannady, who lives on the city’s west side, said. 

— Nushrat Rahman

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Fresh faces’ or ‘name recognition’

Tuesday, Nov. 4 — 7:15 p.m.

At Crowell Recreation Center on the city’s west side, Arthur Johnson cast his ballot for Sheffield shortly after 5 p.m. He said that the Detroit City Council president seems to be more engaged with the community than Kinloch. Johnson, 33, is the founder of The Wise Guy’s Chess Club, a nonprofit that teaches the game to youth in Detroit through mentorship and after-school programming. He said Sheffield has attended some of the club’s events.

And with Sheffield’s council experience, Johnson believes her transition to mayor would be smoother in comparison to Kinloch. 

“Because she’s involved, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s the perfect candidate,” he said. “But I would feel more comfortable about somebody you can be more tangible to versus somebody that you have to wait on Sunday to be engaged with,” he added of Kinloch.

For the at-large City Council race, Johnson voted for incumbents Coleman Young II and Mary Waters. He doesn’t know much about the two candidates, but said he chose them because their names are recognizable. For the District 1 City Council race, Johnson voted for unopposed candidate James Tate. 

Tonji Adams, 59, also voted for Sheffield. While she believes Sheffield and Kinloch are both good candidates, Adams did not like it when the pastor said that he would welcome some National Guard help in Detroit. Kinloch later retracted his statement.

“That was a concern for me,” she said.

For the at-large City Council race, Adams voted for former City Council member Janee’ Ayers and Detroit Fire Department community relations chief James Harris. While she did not research Harris, Adams voted for Ayers because she liked the community outreach she did when she first entered politics. 

Adams said that she wants fresh faces in Detroit’s government instead of people remaining in office because of their name recognition.

“Even though Janee’ has been here for a little while, she’s still fresh,” she said. “I just feel like people are voting based on people’s names and not what they’re doing.”

— Micah Walker

‘A good man’ vs ‘a long legacy’

Tuesday, Nov. 4 — 5:35 p.m.

Detroit real estate agent James Purifoy took his 18-year-old nephew Devon to vote for the first time at the Detroit Election Department Headquarters, where they were both able to register to vote and cast a ballot after recently moving addresses. 

James said there was no doubt he was voting for Sheffield, applauding her Occupy the Corner youth events and efforts to connect residents with resources. James has attended services at Triumph Church and described Kinloch as a good man, but Sheffield “comes from a long legacy of Detroiters who put in the work.” 

“I’ve witnessed her transition from being on the City Council into being president and now being endorsed by Mayor Duggan,” James said. “I have mixed feelings about Mayor Duggan, but I can’t deny the tremendous change I’ve seen in the city over the last 10 years. She was part of it and she’ll take the baton.” 

Devon said most of the people in his generation don’t have much interest in local politics. He said more young Detroiters would stay in the city if there were more entertainment options and exciting things to do.

Devon said he’s considering moving to Miami to pursue interests in video game development and home renovation. He said it seems like there’s more opportunities there, but is also eager to leave Michigan’s cold winters behind. 

— Malachi Barrett

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Sheffield ‘knows how to navigate us’

Tuesday, Nov. 4 — 5:10 p.m.

The parking lot at the northwest campus of Wayne County Community College District was full by 3 p.m. as people made their way to the student lounge to cast their ballots. 

The college represents five precincts — 278, 279, 283, 305 and 307. As of 3:15 p.m., precinct 279 had the most voters at 114. Precincts 283 and 305 were tied for second with 79 voters, according to an election poll worker. 

Two of those voters were husband and wife Lakeisha and Lindsey Thorns. A big concern for Lakeisha Thorns, 52, are kids getting a quality education. She has two grandchildren who go to schools in Detroit Public Schools Community District and she wants to make sure they’re getting the best education. 

When it comes to mayor, Lakeisha Thorns voted for Sheffield. Lindsey Thorns, 54, declined to say who he voted for. She believes Sheffield is right for the job due to experience with City Council. 

“I just don’t think church and politics go together,” she said, referring to Kinloch. 

Karlisa Neal, 44, also voted for Sheffield. 

“She’s been on City Council for years, I know her father has done a lot in the community, so she’s been around,” Neal said. “She knows how to navigate us and our challenges in the city to get us to the next level.” 

Neal is excited that the city’s first Black woman mayor may become a possibility tonight. 

“The city has been around for hundreds of years and for all those years, we’ve never thought that a woman was up for the job until 2025,” she said. “Now we have an option. I think she (Sheffield) will do well.” 

Meanwhile, Khary Gray declined to say who she voted for in the mayor’s race. The 26-year-old WCCCD nursing student sent in an absentee ballot last month, saying she wanted to get her vote in early.

“I have class, so I didn’t want to try to go vote in between,” Gray said. 

One of the concerns Gray has is crime. While her neighborhood, which is near the campus, is quiet, she’s worried about crime rates in the city overall. Gray believes the city is headed in the wrong direction, saying not many people have a community mindset anymore. 

“We need to really consider each other as neighbors, because there used to be a time in Detroit where we had respect for one another, and we treated each other with more respect,” she said. “When you start to consider the next person, it slowly but surely makes the community better.” 

— Micah Walker

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The ‘heart of the city is at stake’

Tuesday, Nov. 4 — 4:00 p.m.

Teresa Reneice Davis, a write-in candidate for the Community Advisory Committee in District 5, and her young son were greeting voters outside Marcus Garvey Academy on Tuesday morning and reminding them to support write-in candidates for other offices like the CAC and Board of Police Commissioners. Davis said she was conflicted in the mayoral race and would make her decision in the voting booth. 

“I do not mind the changes. I do not mind growing the city,” she said. “What I do mind is, the people that’ve been here in the city get a piece of that; that we get equity. We’ve been here our whole life, so it’s only right that we we are taken care of in the midst of all of these changes.” 

Davis said she’s optimistic about the city’s future regardless of who wins. The main difference she sees between mayoral candidates is Kinloch seems focused on the people while Sheffield is more associated with business. 

“The heart of the city is at stake,” Davis said. “That’s something to wonder about. What is the heart of the city?” 

Janet “Peaches” Pope is an artist and relative newcomer who moved from Baltimore two years ago hoping that Detroit would be a national model of revitalization. She’s considering leaving after struggling to find affordable studio space. Pope was dissatisfied with the candidates, but said she was supporting Sheffield. 

“I’m surprised at the amount of apathy that there is here, and I feel like the mayoral candidates are weak,” she said at Marcus Garvey Academy. “I’m underwhelmed by Detroit politics and thought it would be much more active.” 

Kinloch should stay in the pulpit, she said. 

— Malachi Barrett

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Kinloch supporter touts pastor’s ‘honesty and integrity’

Tuesday, Nov. 4 — 2:30 p.m.

At Burns Elementary-Middle School on Detroit’s west side, a steady stream of people came in and out of the building early Tuesday afternoon. Around 1 p.m., 36 people cast a ballot for precinct 319 and 56 voters for precinct 320, said a poll worker. 

Fred Henderson, 72, said one of his concerns is education. He said many of the schools in the Hubbell-Lyndon neighborhood have closed and he wants to see some of them reopen. 

“I don’t know if it’s a lack of children or what, but I’m concerned about our youth,” he said.

For mayor, Henderson voted for Kinloch, saying he appreciates his honesty and integrity and that he seems to care about Detroit residents. 

“I believe him when he says that’s what he’s about, helping the people and the community,” he said. “He got me with that.” 

Henderson believes Detroit is headed in the right direction and that Kinloch can lead the city into its next chapter. However, he hopes the next mayor will focus on investment in the neighborhoods. 

“I understand you have to have a downtown, but sooner or later, you got to branch out into the neighborhoods and help them also,” Henderson said.

Meanwhile, Steven Counts voted for Sheffield, due to her long history serving on City Council. The 69-year-old said Kinloch seems suspicious, especially after the news came out that a limited liability company formed by Kinloch was given control of a former theater in Southfield after Triumph Church purchased it. 

“I don’t understand what’s going on, it smells fishy,” Counts said.

— Micah Walker

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Supporters say Sheffield represents hope for the future

Tuesday, Nov. 4 — 1:43 p.m.

Ethan Lazzara, 26, was voting for Sheffield at the Horatio Williams Foundation in District 5 Tuesday.

Lazzara said he’s watched interviews with Kinloch and was left feeling that he “doesn’t offer anything” of substance. Lazzara said all the younger people he knows are pro-Sheffield. 

“I don’t know a single one of his policies, other than the (children’s trust fund),” he said. “Sheffield has the years of experience; she had every other candidate basically back her. She’s got Duggan’s backing and seems to have way more influence in Lansing, which the city needs. I think it’s a pretty easy vote and that’s why the vote is so lopsided.”

Lazzara said he’s optimistic about the city’s future but less so for the country overall. He appreciated Sheffield clearly stating her opposition to deploying the National Guard to Detroit.

“I definitely want someone who’s going to fight and stand up for the city,” Lazzara said “I completely oppose any form of Trump trying to implement his agenda here.” 

Lazzara said Kinloch’s apparent openness to bringing the National Guard into Detroit during a debate, and subsequent retraction after facing backlash, “made him look like he stood for nothing.” Lazzara said younger voters are sick of “wishy washy” politicians and Sheffield is comparatively more honest and authentic. 

Paul Williams, voting at Marcus Garvey Academy, voiced concerns about the influence of new residents on zoning rules that will change historic neighborhoods like Indian Village. As such, he voted for Renata Williams for council.

“Renata is always going to help the neighborhoods,” Williams said. 

Williams said the election will determine whether Detroit will continue the growth experienced during Duggan’s tenure, but in a more inclusive way. He’s supporting Sheffield in part because “she’s connected to Duggan,” who endorsed her. Williams said he views Sheffield as a business person while Kinloch is a community person. 

“All in all I’m happy with the way the city’s progressed. I could never understand the antagonism toward Duggan, because you can’t make something from nothing,” Williams said. “It’s slow because quite frankly there’s not that much money in the neighborhoods to push for changes that need to be made.” 

— Malachi Barrett

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Sheffield, with family in tow, votes at the polls

Tuesday, Nov. 4 — 12:45 p.m.

Mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield walked into her polling place with her 8-year-old niece and 88-year-old grandmother at her side as she sits on the precipice of becoming Detroit’s first woman mayor. 

Sheffield arrived with a large entourage of supporters and campaign workers who laid hands on her after she voted. Sheffield said she’s earned confidence through hard work on the council for the last 11 years, but also carried a heavy responsibility. She felt “a lot of emotions,” she said, and the future of the city is at stake in Tuesday’s election. 

“If you care about housing, if you care about education, if you care about neighborhoods and public safety, all of these quality of life issues are on the ballot,” Sheffield said. “We have to have the right people in office to advance the issues that are near and dear to our hearts.”

Sheffield’s father reflected on the boundary-breaking potential of her campaign, saying it’s the culmination of generations of their family’s sacrifices to make progress toward integration and inclusion in American democracy. Renowned preacher, educator and activist Michael Eric Dyson said Sheffield is “part of the new Democratic leadership in this country” and led her supporters in prayer outside the Horatio Williams Foundation Tuesday morning.

“We’ve been having autopsies (of losing Democratic campaigns); you only do autopsies on the cadavers,” Dyson said. “You do a biopsy to extract living tissue to determine the future and when we did that, Mary Sheffield’s name came to the top. She is the most qualified, the most articulate, the most sensible, the most spiritual and the most committed to the future of this city.” 

Darryl Woods, a Sheffield supporter and vice chair of the Board of Police Commissioners, said he visited the polling place where mayoral rival Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. voted and found people voting for Sheffield. He said Sheffield is ready on day one to build upon the city’s progress. 

“We can’t go back,” Woods said. “We won’t go back. The people realize that.” 

— Malachi Barrett

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Solomon Kinloch casts his ballot on Detroit’s east side

Tuesday, Nov. 4 – 9:50 a.m.

Mayoral candidate Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. and his wife Robin were the 14th and 15th voters to cast their ballots at Chrysler Elementary School on Tuesday morning. 

Kinloch said he got in the race to engage voters who feel left out of the political process. He said Election Day will show how many were encouraged to “get off the couch” and participate in democracy. 

“If my campaign does nothing else, I want it to inspire generations behind me to know it’s our responsibility to do our part, not just let institutional politicians and policies fail us,” Kinloch said.

Kinloch claimed his opponent, City Council President Mary Sheffield, is going into Tuesday with a “tremendous cloud over her head” after her past relationship with a demolition contractor was revealed in news reports. Kinloch said if elected he promises to hire a compliance officer who will ensure officials follow ethics rules, arguing the city has a history of turning a “deaf ear and blinded eye to corruption” and “it’s time to clean house.”

“The City of Detroit’s business has to be done at a level where it’s above reproach,“ Kinloch said. “I promise to give them a mayor they can trust.” 

Sheffield’s relationship with Brian McKinney, the CEO of demolition company Gayanga, became a late-campaign issue, after a news organization and members of a civic group raised questions about her council votes on the company’s work with the city.

Sheffield sought opinions from the city’s ethics board before voting on contracts involving McKinney’s company, according to her office. The ethics board and the city’s top attorney determined there wasn’t a conflict of interest.

Kinloch said he’s not watching any City Council races that share the ballot with him Tuesday. He said he will work with anyone who is elected. 

Tim Moore, 78, walked into the polling place just before Kinloch arrived with his entourage. He cast his ballot at the same time, but declined to say who he was supporting for mayor. A nagging knee injury slowed Moore’s walk to turn in his ballot, but he said it wasn’t going to stop him from voting. 

Moore said he was supporting City Council candidate Willie Burton for District 5. Moore described Burton as well intentioned and said any candidates who have the appearance of corruption don’t have his support. 

Moore said he doesn’t think Detroit is moving in the right direction, citing unemployment, crime and neighborhoods that need more attention.

“We don’t have enough media giving the honest story,” he said.

Sheffield plans to cast her ballot later this morning at the Horatio Williams Foundation. 

— Malachi Barrett

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Polls suggest Sheffield ‘landslide,’ likely voters more optimistic about Detroit’s future

Wednesday, Oct. 29 — 1:15 p.m. 

Two pre-election surveys of Detroit residents draw a strong connection between their view of whether the city is improving and their likelihood to vote on Nov. 4. 

A University of Michigan survey found 70% of Detroiters who think the city is headed in the right direction said they would “definitely” vote in the November election while 41% of people who think the city is on the wrong track plan to vote. 

A separate survey from Lansing-based political pollster The Glengariff Group found most people who plan to vote think Detroit is on the right track (76%) while 11% of likely voters didn’t think so. Taken together, the polls show people who vote are more likely to have an optimistic view of the city’s conditions and vice versa. 

The Glengariff Group poll also suggests a “landslide” win is coming for mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield. Likely voters supported her 65% to 14% over rival candidate Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., while 20% were undecided. 

The Glengariff Group polled 500 likely voters from Oct. 16-18, mostly over the phone. The survey has a 4% margin of error and was commissioned by WDIV-TV Local 4 and The Detroit News. The University of Michigan surveyed 2,158 Detroit residents from Aug. 6 to Oct. 1. 

Sheffield’s campaign has emphasized her work on the City Council since 2014 and partnerships with outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan, who leaves office this year as a popular figure. She argues that the city has improved under their leadership, but there’s more work to be done on affordable housing, public safety, education, public transit and other issues.

Kinloch has meanwhile sharply criticized the limits of Detroit’s revitalization while making a pitch for new leadership. He argues that crime and poverty have gotten worse while Sheffield led the City Council and promises to reverse course with greater investment in residents. 

Residents in the U-M survey who felt optimistic about the city’s direction pointed to economic investments and improvement to neighborhoods, public safety and city services. People who felt Detroit is on the wrong track highlighted the prioritization of investments downtown over neighborhoods, the rising cost of living, deteriorating roads and concerns about crime and safety.

Eight in 10 residents believe improving schools and public safety are high-priority issues for the next mayor. Other top priorities include adding affordable housing (77%), access to quality jobs (75%) and improving infrastructure (65%), bringing more business to the city (64%), and improving public transit (61%). Only a third of residents said growing the city’s population should be a priority for the mayor.

The Glenagariff poll found most likely voters approve of Duggan (82%), the City Council (67%) and the Detroit Police Department (71%), while few approve of the job being done by Detroit Public Schools (37%). 

Perceptions of public safety greatly improved over the last decade. A 2012 Glengariff poll found residents were split down the middle when asked if they felt safe in their neighborhood. Eighty percent said they feel safe taking a walk in their neighborhood when asked in 2025. 

The latest Glengariff poll found 70% of likely voters view Sheffield favorably while 32% said the same for Kinloch. Sheffield’s favorability grew since Glengariff’s pre-primary poll in July. Kinloch’s favorability dropped since finishing second in the primary, while the percentage of people who view him unfavorably grew from 12% to 28%. 

Nine in 10 Detroiters opposed the National Guard coming to fight crime in the city. The poll found 54% of people believe it would make Detroit less safe. It also found a majority of voters are in favor of an admissions tax on concerts and sporting events if it would reduce property taxes (68%). 

Views on the city’s trajectory varied sharply across City Council districts in the U-M survey. Optimism was highest in Districts 5 and 6 and lowest in Districts 3 and 4.

The U-M survey found people who are white, male, older, wealthier and more educated had more positive views of the city’s direction. 

White residents (70%) were more likely than Black (54%) or Latino residents (53%) to say the city is headed in the right direction. Latino Detroiters expressed far less certainty about voting, with only 27% indicating they will definitely vote. 

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Sheffield eclipses Kinloch in final fundraising report

Monday, October 27 – 2:30 p.m.

City Council President Mary Sheffield raised nine times more money than Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. since the Detroit mayoral race transitioned to a head-to-head matchup. 

Pre-election fundraising disclosures recording campaign activity from Aug. 26 to Oct. 19 show Sheffield greatly expanded her financial advantage since winning the primary with 51% of the vote. Disclosures released last week show Kinloch’s cash-strapped campaign came close to matching Sheffield on small dollar donations but couldn’t compete with her ability to raise funds from deep-pocketed benefactors and political groups. 

Kinloch raised $137,457 during the latest reporting period. Sheffield raised $1.2 million. BridgeDetroit compiled a map of donor locations based on publicly available campaign finance reports. 

Sheffield raised $2.7 million throughout the entire campaign and spent $2 million overall. Kinloch raised $660,970 throughout the campaign and spent $647,356, leaving him with $10,613 in the final weeks of the campaign. 

Most of Kinloch’s money was donated before the August primary. His fundraising slowed down significantly in the months since finishing second among nine candidates with 17% of the vote. Kinloch was essentially out of money, spending 98% of his funds. Kinloch loaned his campaign $50,000 on Oct. 19. 

Sheffield had $671,508 left in her campaign account to use in the last weeks of the general election, more than Kinloch raised overall. 

Sheffield’s fundraising haul may have been fueled by 29 fundraising events reported in the filing. Her campaign failed to report contributions as required so it’s unclear how much was generated from these events. BridgeDetroit asked Sheffield’s campaign Monday to disclose how much it collected from fundraisers. 

Fundraisers were held at a variety of locations, including trendy Detroit restaurants; the personal homes of former Mayor Dennis Archer and CEOs of real estate and consulting firms; the Detroit Athletic Club; Puff Cannabis and a wine bar in Brooklyn, New York. 

Kinloch held just five fundraisers in the same period. He reported raising $14,726 from those events. 

Sheffield raised roughly $2.2 million from individual donors who gave $799 on average. Kinloch raised $524,091 from individual donors who gave $233 on average.

Disclosures show Kinloch was competitive with Sheffield when it came to small dollar donations of $200 or less but was far less popular with wealthier donors who gave the maximum legal amount of $8,325. 

Sheffield raised $96,915 from people who gave $200 or less while Kinloch raised $93,826 from those small dollar donors. 

People who gave Sheffield the maximum amount donated $416,250 total while Kinloch raised $108,225 from maximum donors. 

Sheffield raised $8,150 from business groups including GDI Services, University Food Center, Clay Super Coney Island, Metro Abatement, O.H. Pye III Funeral Home, Shaheen Jacobs & Ross P.C. Counselors, All Risk Management, The Detroit Boys Mentoring Club and In & Out Tax Services. 

Kinloch had one business contributor. New McFall Brothers Funeral Home gave $500 in February. 

Sheffield raised $493,527 from political committees. Kinloch raised $84,750, virtually all of it came from the United Auto Workers Voluntary Community Action Program PAC.

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‘Kinloch Promise’ proposes baby bonds for Detroit kids

Friday, October 24 – 3:15 p.m.

Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. is promoting baby bonds for children born and raised in Detroit as a key piece of his anti-poverty agenda. 

The “Kinloch Promise” would offer an initial seed investment of $1,000 in a trust fund that would mature on their 18th birthday after achieving a high school diploma or equivalent. The mayoral candidate said it would be funded through foundations and business partners coordinated through a new office of philanthropy. 

“We have to accept the data that 51% of children that live in this city live in poverty,” Kinloch said Thursday. “More than half of the children that are reared and raised in Detroit are struggling with poverty and struggling with affordable housing. Those kinds of things happening in our community are red flags that institutional policies and politicians — not all, but many — have failed us, and at some point we’ve got to do something else.”

State data shows the number of children born to Detroit residents declined from 10,000 to just over 7,600 in the last decade. Kinloch’s campaign expects it to cost $8 million per year, estimating 8,000 new children annually. Students must live in Detroit until they are 18 and attend school in the city, including public or charter schools. 

It’s unclear how much money would be in the child trust funds when it’s time to be taken out by an adult. Kinloch’s campaign hopes businesses and nonprofits will invest in the fund annually. 

Kinloch wants to coordinate corporate and philanthropic spending toward anti-poverty initiatives, arguing that investments aren’t focused on the city’s biggest issue. The children’s trust fund is meant to be a city-led effort that gathers more buy-in from partners over time. 

Supporters of baby bonds argue the accounts provide financial stability and economic opportunities to children in poverty. A federal “Trump Account” was established for children born between 2025 and Jan. 1, 2029. It provides $1,000 in seed funding from the government and allows parents and employers to make annual contributions. 

A package of bills to establish baby bonds in Michigan was introduced by Democratic state Reps. Donavan McKinney, Jasper Martus, Jaime churches and Abraham Aiyash in 2024. It would have provided an initial deposit of $3,200 for postsecondary education, home purchase, business investment, or other long-term wealth-building activities. 

Mayoral rival Mary Sheffield said she wants to take advantage of a major investment of state dollars in the Rx Kids program. It provides cash payments to pregnant women and new mother. Detroit is currently not included in the program, which started in Flint and has expanded to several other cities, including Pontiac, Hazel Park and Royal Oak. 

Kinloch’s campaign said he would also work to expand Rx Kids in Detroit. 

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Sheffield and Santiago-Romero share endorsement, pledge partnership on immigration  

Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 — 5:45 p.m. 

District 6 City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero and mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield endorsed each other on Monday, pledging to work together on neighborhood issues, gun violence, equitable development and protecting immigrants. 

Sheffield and Santiago-Romero have served together on the council since 2021, and Sheffield said they’ve often been aligned on strengthening community benefits packages, holding developers accountable and making investments in home repair programs. Santiago-Romero is the second City Council member to endorse Sheffield alongside District 7 representative Fred Durhal III. Sheffield said she’s working to build strong partnerships with other council members. 

“I believe in leadership that is rooted in collaboration,” Santiago-Romero said Monday during a press conference on the Joe Louis Greenway. “As a city council member, I know firsthand that solving the challenges our residents face requires real coordination between the mayor’s office and city council. I’m supporting someone who not only understands this, but has shown that she’s a leader and a fighter for Detroiters, for making sure that we pass right to council, investing in more affordable housing and making sure neighborhoods have the resources they need for home repairs and community developments.” 

Santiago-Romero is seeking reelection in District 6 against state Rep. Tyrone Carter. Sheffield said she didn’t have any conversations with Carter, who has served four terms in the state House representing a portion of Detroit and downriver communities. 

“I’ve had a great relationship with Gabby; I think she is a fighter for Detroit and she’s what is needed in this time,” Sheffield said. “I want to build that relationship as mayor, hopefully. She’s been someone who’s listened, she’s advocated, she’s been fair in her approach. And so I am in full support of her.” 

Sheffield said Santiago-Romero will challenge her to stay committed to “protecting the most vulnerable” residents, which is an important role of the council. Santiago-Romero, an immigrant from Mexico who gained citizenship after coming to the U.S. as a child, said she wants to strengthen policies that prevent police from being involved with immigration enforcement. 

“I’ve spent time in the Southwest community, more so now that I’m running for office, and I would say that trust is the number one issue that we have to work on,” Sheffield said. 

Sheffield said she wants to increase funding for the Office of Immigrant Affairs, provide more non-English language services and hold “know your rights” legal workshops. 

When asked whether Sheffield plans to endorse a candidate in District 7, she said “stay tuned.” 5Plus1, a political group connected to Sheffield’s father, has paid for campaign mailers promoting candidate Denzel McCampbell over state Rep. Karen Whitsett. 

Detroit resident Oria McClain Jr. rolled up on his bicycle during the press event with an impromptu question for Sheffield. McClain said he’s grateful for new investments like the Joe Louis Greenway but has problems in his neighborhood: Roots from a city-owned tree are causing damage to his porch and driveway; a street replacement project in 2018 left curb work unfinished; sewage drains on his street remain clogged, flooding the street during storms. 

“I will say that quality of life issues and customer service is very important,” Sheffield said to McClain. “I know you’ve raised this, (Santiago-Romero), about trying to make efficiencies within city government to ensure that we’re addressing the needs of residents. That is actually a part of our 100 day plan, how do we bring more efficiency to city government to ensure that basic things like sidewalks and trees and alleys are addressed properly.” 

Santiago-Romero said her office is working on ideas to streamline city services and will bring those to Sheffield if she wins in November. 

“We always hear about the small things — not small things, quality of life things — like the alleys, the sidewalks and the trees,” Santiago-Romero said. “We know where the issues are, why don’t we do a blitz in high-need areas? I have plenty of ideas to address this and I think (Sheffield) is willing to listen and implement them, which is really needed.” 

McClain said he appreciates Sheffield’s campaign, saying the city needs “a breath of fresh air.” He wants projects like the greenway to “transcend into the neighborhood.” 

Paul Van Lewen took his young daughters to the park and stumbled upon the Monday press event, describing himself as a supporter of Sheffield and Santiago-Romero. He said Sheffield’s record “speaks for itself” and is a worthy successor to Mayor Mike Duggan. 

Van Lewen said he wants the next mayor to focus on education, feeling like there are only two quality public high schools in the whole city. 

“I work out in Southfield, and I’m like an anomaly because everyone else lives in the suburbs, and they (ask) ‘when are you moving?’ like it’s an expectation” he said. “We’re committed to the city. We want our kids to grow up in the city, and have that experience. But it’s a pressing consideration.”

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Durhal endorses Sheffield for mayor, says experience matters

Monday, Sept. 22 – 1:45 p.m.

City Council Member Fred Durhal III is the second former opponent to endorse Mary Sheffield for mayor of Detroit after facing her in the August primary.

Durhal said it was a “no brainer.” He believes Sheffield’s 12-year tenure on the City Council makes her best equipped to continue the city’s growth and expand economic activity in neighborhood main streets. Sheffield said Durhal is offering her campaign “good policy ideas,” like expanding corridor improvement authorities and creating a tax penalty for people who fail to redevelop or maintain blighted property. 

“You heard my tagline: I said Detroit needs experienced leadership for continued growth, and now the leadership that Detroit needs is Mary Sheffield,” Durhal said on Monday.

Durhal joined Sheffield and local supporters at In Harmony Cafe along Dexter Avenue, which had received millions of dollars from the city and partners for streetscape upgrades, artistic murals and housing investments. Durhal said the cafe is a model of the kinds of small businesses he wants to see spread across Detroit. 

“I grew up not too far from here in the Russell Woods area, blocks away from here, and when I grew up, it was a strong middle class neighborhood,” Durhal said. “Somewhere along the line, we started to see a little bit of the decay in our neighborhoods … Over the past 12 years, what we’ve begun to see is our revitalization here, right here in this neighborhood, right here on Dexter Avenue. In these past 12 years, we have had a dynamic leader, someone who has pushed legislation forward to help the city of Detroit, someone who has been focused on our neighborhood, someone who has been focused on ensuring that our folks have homes here in the city of Detroit.”

In Harmony Cafe was filled with community figures like Marilyn Winfrey, Clois Foster and Pastor Joyce Granham. Winfrey said she’s lived on Birwood Street on Detroit’s westside for half a century. She wants to see more growth in neighborhoods, saying the city has tried hard to tear down blighted buildings but left vacant lots that haven’t been filled with new development. 

“I want a mayor that’s going to bring their own ideas but continue to move the city forward,” Winfrey said. 

Sheffield said she could pick up and run with some of Durhal’s policy proposals. She voiced support for establishing corridor improvement authorities that capture tax revenue and reinvest the funds into infrastructure improvements and business attraction programs. 

“We love the idea around activating at least one commercial corridor in every council district,” Sheffield said. 

Sheffield said Durhal will serve as a “continued leader” in the city despite vacating his City Council seat to run for mayor. Durhal said he will help Sheffield “in any way possible” and would likely join her administration if asked, but he’s considering his next move when his term expires this year. Durhal hasn’t endorsed either of the candidates running to replace him, Denzel McCampbell and state Rep. Karen Whitsett.

The nod from Durhal adds to a growing list of Sheffield rivals turned allies. Former mayoral candidate Saunteel Jenkins endorsed Sheffield two weeks earlier. The Detroit Regional Chamber PAC endorsed Sheffield this month after previously choosing Durhal before the primary.

Durhal, who finished sixth among nine candidates with 3.4% of the vote, said he met with Sheffield when she asked for his support to become president of the City Council in 2021. He said he believed in her then, and still does today.

“I know what many of you are thinking; yes I did run for mayor and come up a little bit short,” Durhal said. “We ran because we believe we had a vision to move this city forward … The council president and I have always agreed that Detroit’s next leader has to be someone who has experience.” 

Durhal said other colleagues on the City Council are focused on their own reelection campaigns when asked why none of them have endorsed a mayoral candidate. 

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Kinloch claims ‘funny math,’ downplays shooting stats

Friday, Sept. 19 – 1 p.m.

Mayoral candidate Solomon Kinloch Jr. claimed “funny math” in government reported crime data doesn’t capture the extent of gun violence in the city as he elevates public safety as a campaign priority.

Kinloch claimed to voters at East Lake Baptist Church on Thursday that shooting statistics are incident-based instead of victim-based, which downplays the number of people affected by gun violence. But a Detroit Police Department spokesperson said Friday that each person hit by a bullet is counted as a separate shooting. DPD follows the Michigan Incident Crime Reporting standards, which counts victims and incidents separately. 

“There was a time when a shooting took place and multiple people were shot, they would count every person that was shot as a shooting,” Kinloch said. “Now they’re using this funny math. When it’s multiple people shot in one space, we want to say it’s only one shooting.”

Crime reports delivered regularly to the Board of Police Commissioners also states that homicides and non-fatal shootings are counted by the victim. The latest data shows 334 non-fatal shootings and 125 homicides as of Sept. 11, which are both down from the same point in 2024. 

BridgeDetroit told the Kinloch campaign Friday that DPD disputed his characterization of how shootings are recorded. Kinloch said in a follow-up statement that he’s speaking to the frustration residents have with being told that violence is on the decline while they still experience safety problems.

“Every day on the campaign trail we hear residents doubting the accuracy of crime numbers, especially shootings,” he said. “Current elected officials can spin the message or the numbers, but that doesn’t change the facts. People don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods. Detroit has the second highest rate of violent crime in the country. The narrative sold to residents on crime and the reality they are living simply do not match.”

Kinloch has argued that Detroit leaders are over-celebrating declines in violent crime. FBI crime data shows Detroit has the second-highest violent crime rate in the country (1,781 crimes per 100,000 people), closely trailing Memphis, Tennessee.

A DPD spokesperson said part of the reason data shows a 26% decline in non-fatal shootings this year is because there have been fewer incidents involving multiple victims. The largest mass shooting in Michigan’s history happened in Detroit last year when a gunman opened fire at a party on the east side, injuring 19 people and killing two others.

The Gun Violence Archive, an independent nonprofit that tracks shootings across the country, recorded eight mass shootings in 2024 that left five dead and 44 injured. Eighteen people were injured and six were killed in mass shootings recorded so far this year. 

Kinloch’s opponent, City Council President Mary Sheffield, has said Police Chief Todd Bettison would keep his job in her administration. Kinloch implied Thursday that Bettison isn’t guaranteed to lead the police department if progress isn’t made. 

“At the end of the day, how do you tell us that we live in a safe city when the people in the city don’t feel safe,” Kinloch said Thursday. “Everybody needs to justify their job if they’re going to bring justice and safety to the citizens of Detroit.”

Kinloch voiced support for the City Council’s recent decision to have the Detroit Law Department prosecute some misdemeanor offenses. Council members said the change would help the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office focus on violent crimes. 

Sheffield was the lone no vote against the ordinance, citing concerns about using federal pandemic relief to cover the cost of hiring more attorneys and wanting to keep prosecutorial responsibility “at the feet of an elected official who was elected to perform such duties.” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who endorsed Kinloch, supported the change. 

“My opponent, the sole member of City Council to vote against this measure, is badly out of step with the priorities of Detroiters,” Kinloch said in a statement Friday. “This measure will also allow the city to address misdemeanor crimes in ways that help build trust with our community.”

Kinloch referred to another council vote Sheffield supported to increase fines for parents whose children violate a curfew for minors. The council also decriminalized violations of the “parental responsibility” ordinance and added court-ordered parental training as a penalty. 

Sheffield has said the policy change “sets a tone and a culture” that children matter and parents should be responsible for keeping their children safe. 

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Sheffield says Detroiters should report racial profiling after Supreme Court ruling

Thursday, Sept. 18 – 5 p.m.

Mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield said residents should report police officers suspected of racial profiling while responding to concerns about a new Supreme Court ruling that allows immigration agents to stop people based on their race. 

Sheffield addressed the question during a District 6 town hall focused on her policy agenda. Sergio Martinez, an immigration rights organizer with Michigan United, said the Supreme Court ruling “basically legalizes profiling people based on what they look like or if they have an accent.” Sheffield said she’s “against any kind of racial profiling” and residents should report complaints to the Board of Police Commissioners.

The Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s order that blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from interrogating and detaining people based on “apparent race or ethnicity,” speaking in Spanish or accented English, being at a location where undocumented immigrants “are known to gather” and working specific jobs. The case is still being appealed. 

Sheffield also said any suggestion of deploying the National Guard to Detroit “does not address the issue of public safety,” and she would explore legal options to “fight back against any type of overstepping the local government’s authority and power.” Sheffield’s comments came after Vice President JD Vance, during a Wednesday visit to Howell, said the Trump administration would send the National Guard to address “serious crime problems” in Detroit if asked by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 

While Detroit remains one of the more violent large cities in America, its violent crime rate has fallen in recent years. In 2024, the city recorded the lowest number of murders in nearly 60 years, a milestone marked by Mayor Mike Duggan and aided by Detroit’s smaller population. 

“What addresses the issue is having the amount of resources we need to continue community violence intervention programs, proper investment in youth programming and addressing the issues of housing, education and mental health,” Sheffield said. 

Mayoral candidate Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. also has said he would also “stand up and fight for the citizens of Detroit” if the Trump administration attempted to send the National Guard to Detroit. 

“We are in favor of working collaboratively with multiple agencies and law enforcement in order to bring crime down, but the real heart of crime to deal with, the root cause of it, is jobs and opportunities,” Kinloch said during a conversation with reporters last week. “That’s what we will work in order to make sure that we’re creating jobs and opportunities for the citizens.” 

Maria Ibarra Fraye, executive director of We the People Michigan, said immigrants rights activists are seeking more details from both candidates on their approach to making immigrant communities feel safe. She said the next mayor could do things like banning government agencies from inquiring about immigration status, hiring immigration attorneys to represent residents, training officers to recognize foreign drivers licenses or increasing language access services. 

“It feels like a double-edged sword,” she said. “If you have a city or mayor who’s very much resisting, they’re going to be a target. My take on that is we’re actually already targets.” 

Senior Policy Adviser David Bowser said Sheffield has a good relationship with Police Chief Todd Bettison and would work with him and the City Council to ensure there isn’t an adversarial relationship with residents. 

The Board of Police Commissioners received 1,444 complaints about police behavior so far this year, and closed 740. 

“I’ve been very firm in my approach that no one should have to live in fear of separation from their family while going to school, church or their place of business,” Sheffield said. “(The Detroit Police Department) has informed us their position is they are not operating or in collaboration or supporting any effort of ICE. I will ensure that I am directing our chief to not assist in any efforts in that regard.” 

Sheffield said there’s a “lack of trust overall” between immigrant communities and police that must be repaired. 

“I am willing and ready to work on building that trust and ensuring that this community has the resources that you all need to feel seen, to feel valued, to feel supported,” Sheffield said. “I know language access is a big issue, ensuring that people have access to legal attorneys and rights and things of that sort. We have an Office of Immigrant Affairs that needs to be more robust or fully funded to ensure that we’re providing a resource to our immigrant communities.”

Sheffield said she’s interested in exploring the possibility of using license plate readers to enforce traffic rules, in response to a resident who asked how she would stop people from speeding through stop signs and red lights. 

Detroit uses license plate readers, but not for traffic enforcement. Sheffield voted to authorize using $5 million in pandemic relief money to acquire more cameras in 2023. License plate readers are used by companies to recover stolen vehicles, enforce parking violations and track cars used in connection to violent crimes. 

Automated systems can issue tickets for Michigan drivers who speed in work zones or fail to stop for school buses under laws signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2024. 

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Sheffield defends public safety record amid Kinloch criticism

Monday, Sept. 15 – 2:30 p.m.

Mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield is defending her public safety record while serving on the City Council after her opponent, Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., put the focus on youth violence. 

Kinloch’s campaign told reporters last week that Sheffield hasn’t done enough to keep Detroit safe during her 11 years on the City Council, specifically pointing to her votes against expanding a city contract for ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology and Mayor Mike Duggan’s pandemic relief spending plan. Sheffield countered that she “supported every major public safety initiative” brought before the council, and “spearheaded community violence intervention programs that get at the root causes of crime while also supporting our police.”

The Triumph Church pastor is making public safety a top issue of his campaign, arguing that city leaders ”bragged and boasted” about crime drops while residents still face an unacceptable level of violence. He wants to hire more community police officers and mental health co-responders, open more safe after-school spaces for youth, and invest in job training programs. 

“Triumph Church has done it in the past, creating Sanctuary Saturdays where from 8 p.m. into the morning to wee hours of the night; feeding them breakfast, lunch and dinner; putting them in an environment where they can get tutored, they can get mentored, they can tap into their creative side, and providing them an opportunity where they had alternatives,” Kinloch said. 

There were 203 homicides reported in Detroit in 2024, down from 252 the previous year. The Detroit Police Department reported 125 homicides as of Sept. 11, down 12% compared to the same point in 2024. All violent crimes are down this year by roughly 7.5%, continuing a trend since 2021. 

Sheffield responded to Kinloch’s criticism in a Monday email. Sheffield said she’s “been on the frontline of taking preventive measures to stop gun violence” through community events and like Occupy the Corner, Detroit State of the Youth, press conferences and rallies during Gun Violence Awareness Month. Sheffield said she supported raising police officer salaries, which was authorized by the council in 2022.

Duggan, who endorsed Sheffield to succeed him, has credited the work of federal prosecutors and community violence intervention groups for a drop in homicides. During an unrelated Monday press conference, Duggan said teen violence has also dropped thanks to a curfew crackdown. Sheffield voted in July with the majority of her council colleagues to increase penalties for breaking the curfew. 

Sheffield voted against Duggan’s overall spending plan for $827 million in federal pandemic relief funding, which included $50 million for public safety initiatives. Kinloch’s campaign manager, Lindsey McAdory, said her vote shows Sheffield “thought that investing in public safety was a bad idea.” 

Sheffield said her opposition was based in seeking more funding for housing and homelessness services. She noted that she’s authorized each contract paid for with the $50 million pandemic relief allocation since then. 

Kinloch’s campaign also criticized Sheffield for opposing a contract with ShotSpotter, a company that was hired to put listening devices in high-crime neighborhoods to track gunfire. ShotSpotter devices recorded 27,322 gunshots across Detroit as of Sept. 7. The devices listen for gunfire sounds in specific high-crime parts of nine police precincts. 

Sheffield said she voted against the contract “because it is a reactive measure and reports from other municipalities suggested that it was largely ineffective with respect to preventing gun violence.” But Sheffield said she’s since come around to the tool’s effectiveness. 

“Once those programs were in place and the data supported the use of ShotSpotter, I supported the technology,” she said. “That is responsible leadership.”

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Kinloch intensifies voter outreach, tone about mayoral campaign rival

Friday, Sept. 12 – 8:40 p.m.

Mayoral candidate Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. has added new staff to his campaign team who are intensifying voter outreach and taking a more aggressive tone in criticizing rival candidate Mary Sheffield.

The campaign added Alabama political strategist Lindsey McAdory as campaign manager; He previously led strategy for the 2024 campaign of U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala. McAdory said Team Kinloch is “taking its message directly to the people” and will “tell the truth” about Sheffield’s shortcomings. 

“This race is not about political insiders, nor is it about media narratives,” McAdory said during a Friday press call. “This race is about the people of the city of Detroit, a city should be judged by the lowest quality of life neighborhood within that city. Campaigns are not won with memes or catchy videos on Facebook. They’re won in living rooms, on the telephone and on the doorstep, and it is my promise that’s where you will see our campaign.

McAdory came out swinging against Sheffield’s public safety record, saying she’s made the city less safe while in office by voting against a gunshot detection technology contract and opposing Mayor Mike Duggan’s plan to spend $50 million in pandemic relief funds on public safety initiatives. At the time, Sheffield said she voted against the 2021 spending plan because many of the recommendations from her office and residents were ignored. Sheffield and Duggan have often disagreed on the use of Detroit’s federal pandemic relief. 

McAdory criticized Sheffield for being “part of the defund the police movement.” McAdory’s plan to sharpen attacks on Sheffield’s record also resulted in BridgeDetroit receiving a call after the press conference, where he rescinded a claim that “500 lives have been lost in this city because Mary Sheffield voted against public safety measures.”

“I think a fairer statement would be that Mary Sheffield’s lack of investment and prioritization in public safety is essentially holding back the progress that we could see in regards to public safety in the city as we stand here right now,” McAdory told BridgeDetroit. “If you had a president of the City Council that was making those investments in public safety and had the vision and the prioritization, then I do think that we would be further along.”

Reporters joined Kinloch and his staff on a Friday press call with reporters led by Greg Bowens, who was hired by Kinloch campaign after previously working for Saunteel Jenkins’ mayoral campaign. Jenkins finished third in the August primary behind Kinloch and endorsed Sheffield this week, saying her former rival is best equipped to take on gun violence and youth safety issues they both care deeply about. 

Sheffield said Wednesday that her platform focuses on addressing root causes of violence, “investing directly in our young people and creating safe spaces” for them after school. Sheffield supports expanding community violence intervention programs and sees potential in strategies that don’t directly involve police. 

Kinloch said he plans to expand youth outreach efforts to provide safe spaces for kids to receive meals, mentorship and opportunities. He said city resources are being wasted on legal settlements “because of overstressed officers” and wants to build up mental health co-responders and community relationships.

“They have bragged and boast about crime (going) down,” Kinloch said. ”I’m standing in the pulpit so many times, standing over small babies who have been killed and taken from this life too soon. The blood of our children are crying out in the streets of Detroit. And the people in this city deserve something different, and they deserve much better.” 

Kinloch’s campaign plans to reach under engaged voters targeted through voter data.

“We have to admit that there is an apathy and there is an electorate that has been rocked to sleep based on not having a seat at the table, and we have to be intentional and intense about engaging those voters who feel that they’ve been left out,” Kinloch said.

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Kinloch lays out his ‘promise’ to Detroiters

Friday, Sept. 12 – 12:30 p.m.

Mayoral candidate Rev. Solomon Kinloch is previewing what his administration might look like for Detroiters.

Kinloch on Thursday unveiled what he is calling “the Kinloch Promise” to about 30 of his supporters at Greater Baptist Church in Indian Village.

“The Kinloch Promise is about making sure that we’re building a city that works for all people,” the Triumph Church pastor told BridgeDetroit. “One of the ways I’m doing that is to make sure that people feel safe and have access to justice by recruiting, retaining, and training citizens in the community to make sure that police in the neighborhoods are looking for ways to be proactive instead of reactionary.”

The Kinloch Promise also includes reforming the city’s relationship to the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Kinloch wants to implement a Chief Education Officer. He said the role would make sure that “the city resources are complementing the school district resources.” Still, he assured that the position would not usurp the authority of the district’s Superintendent or the school board. 

“We have to make sure that before they get to school, children are showing up in a healthy and wholesome way,” he said. “So all of those resources that stop after children leave and before children get there, making sure that those services that are available in the city, that we are making sure that those children have access and those families have access to it.”

One of the ways Kinloch wants to pay for many of the programs he’s suggested since he launched his campaign is through public-private partnerships. He didn’t give detailed plans to use specific partners for specific projects. 

Kresge CEO Rip Rapson, who announced a $180 million investment Friday into the Marygrove Conservancy Campus, has said he is willing to work with the next mayor, whether it be Kinloch or his opponent, City Council President Mary Sheffield. 

“Neither candidate knows Kresge particularly well, so it will be nice to have those conversations and see – whether it’s Pastor Kinloch or (City Council) President Sheffield – how eager they are to open up that line of communication,” Rapson said. 

Rapson said Mayor Mike Duggan has been “very sophisticated” in how he has combined public resources and philanthropic resources. 

“I can’t think of many mayoral initiatives that don’t have philanthropic dollars,” Rapson said. “I’m hoping whether it’s Mayor Sheffield or Mayor Kinloch they will realize the same: they can’t do it alone; we can’t do it alone. So we’ve got to figure out how we can work together on housing stability, tax stability, property value stability.”

Kinloch admitted he hasn’t had many conversations about specific ways to partner with Kresge or other philanthropic organizations, but he is open to discussing his plans in more detail. 

“I’m looking forward to conversations with Kresge,” Kinloch said. “I’ve been extending opportunities to have conversations in different settings, and through this process, we will continue to do that.”

–Bryce Huffman

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Kinloch sets mayoral campaign town halls

Detroit mayoral candidate the Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. has scheduled a series of town halls at churches in each City Council district in September. 

Kinloch’s campaign announced seven meetings, which are free and open to the public without the need to pre-register, on Thursdays and Saturdays between Sept. 4 and 25. He will face City Council President Mary Sheffield in the Nov. 4 general election. 

Town halls are scheduled for the following dates:

• Sept. 4: District 2 event, 6 p.m. at Christian Gospel Center COGIC, 19901 Kentucky St. 
• Sept. 6: District 1 event, noon at New Jerusalem Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 17330 Fenkell Ave. 
• Sept. 11: District 5 event, 6 p.m. at Greater Baptist Church, 3544 Iroquois St. 
• Sept. 13: District 7 event, noon at Central Baptist Church, 9620 Sorrento St.
• Sept. 18: District 4 event, 6 p.m. at Eastlake Baptist Church, 12400 E. Jefferson Ave.
• Sept. 20: District 3 event, noon at Anderson Memorial COGIC, 17860 Joseph Campau Ave.
• Sept. 25: District 6 event, 6 p.m. at Partakers Church Baptist, 2550 S. Liddesdale St. 

Kinloch’s campaign is also holding a Sept. 6 event with his wife Robin focused on mobilizing women voters. It’s scheduled for 10 a.m. at Cass Technical High School. 

Sheffield’s campaign also scheduled events to meet with voters across the city. Read on for more details.

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Sheffield mayoral campaign sets town halls

Mayoral nominee Mary Sheffield is holding a series of town halls in each City Council district starting Tuesday.

Sheffield’s campaign announced seven meetings, which are free and open to the public, ahead of the Nov. 4 general election. She faces Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., who finished second behind Sheffield in the August primary 51% to 17%. 

Sheffield’s town halls are scheduled for the following dates: 

• Aug. 26: District 4 event from 6-7:30 p.m. at Jamison Temple Baptist Church, 12530 Mack Ave.
• Sept. 10: District 1 event from 6-7:30 p.m. at Citadel Of Praise, 20280 Lyndon St., Detroit, MI 48223
• Sept. 17: District 6 event from 6-7:30 p.m. at Basilica of Sainte Anne de Detroit, 1000 St Anne St.
• Oct. 2: District 2 event from 6-7:30 p.m. Location to be announced. 
• Oct. 9: District 7 event from 6-7:30 p.m. Location to be announced. 
• Oct. 23: District 3 event from 6-7:30 p.m. Location to be announced. 
• Oct. 30: District 5 event from 6-7:30 p.m. Location to be announced. 

Sheffield’s campaign said the events are an opportunity for residents to engage directly with her, ask questions, and hear her priorities. No registration is required. 

Kinloch’s campaign is holding an event with the pastor’s wife Robin focused on mobilizing women voters. It’s scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 6 at Cass Technical High School. 

Kinloch’s event features Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, former U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, Detroit comedian CoCo and DJ Rue. Sheffield was endorsed by Mayor Mike Duggan on Aug. 20. 

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What Detroiters need to know after the August primary

Bryce Huffman of BridgeDetroit and Khary Frazier of Detroit is Different break down everything you need to know following the August primary election. With Mary Sheffield and Solomon Kinloch set to square off in the mayor’s race, see what you need to know about all the people running for City Council who made it out of the primary.

“One thing definitely is for sure, as much as the Mayor’s office does have the District Managers … when something happens in the community, as James Tate even said, or Brenda Jones definitely will share with you anytime you get a chance, they’re looking to talk to their Council member.” – Khary Frazier

Check out the full episode from Detroit Next, which is a collaboration between BridgeDetroit and Detroit is Different. Subscribe for more videos and podcasts.

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November matchups for mayor, City Council races

Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. will face off in November to become Detroit’s next mayor, according to unofficial results from the Associated Press.

Sheffield led the field of nine candidates with 100% of votes counted. Sheffield secured 52% of the vote, with Kinloch at 17%.

Sheffield and Kinloch will spend the next three months competing for supporters, donors and political allies in preparation of a general election matchup.

On the City Council front, incumbents came out on top in their bids to advance to the general election.

Incumbent at-large council member Mary Waters received 32.9% of the votes and Coleman Young II pulled in 32.2%. Also advancing to the Nov. 4 election are former Detroit councilwoman Janee’ L. Ayers, who earned 13.8% of the vote, and Detroit Fire Department veteran James Harris, with 7.3%.

For the remaining Detroit City Council races, Detroiters narrowed the field for districts 2, 5 and 7. The top two vote-getters move on to the general election. Candidates for the other districts — 1, 3, 4 and 6 — are either facing one other person or running unopposed, automatically advancing them to the general election.

Here are the results of the other competitive council races based on the city’s unofficial results:

District 2: Incumbent Angela Whitfield Calloway garnered 44.5% of the votes. Former District 2 Council Member Roy McCalister, Jr. was second with 29.9%.

District 5: UAW retiree and founding member of the Detroit Historic Districts Alliance Renata Miller finished first, with 23.1% of the votes, and District 5 Detroit Police Commissioner Willie E. Burton followed with 19.4%.

District 7: Managing director of the left-leaning organization Progress Michigan Denzel Anton McCampbell topped the tight race with 34.5% of the votes. State Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) secured 33.9%.

— Malachi Barrett and Nushrat Rahman

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Detroit Next election night show

Detroit Next, BridgeDetroit’s podcast on all things election, will host a livestream on election night from 8:30 – 10:30 p.m.. Join Khary Frazier, Bryce Huffman, Malachi Barrett and other guests for live analysis after the polls close on the primary election.

Detroit Next is bringing you real-time updates as results come in, unfiltered community voices with word-on-the-street reports, highlights from this season’s most impactful segments and sharp analysis and campaign insights rooted in Detroit’s pulse.

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Who do Detroiters trust? Polls will tell.

When it comes to deciding who to vote for, residents told us there are certain candidates that feel trustworthy enough to deliver on promises and tackle real issues in the community.

Angella Strickland-Holloway planned to vote for Todd Perkins for mayor. 

The 55-year-old Detroiter, who lives on the west side of the city, said Perkins appealed to her because he is an attorney. She’s looking for change. 

“He’s going to be a strong candidate,” she said about Perkins.

About two hours ahead of polls closing, she was heading to her polling place to vote in the primary election for the first time. She wanted to make sure her vote counted since there were so many candidates. 

“We need more grocery stores. More rec centers need to be opened. … We need a candidate that’s going to actually take action,” she said. 

Anjalisa Glover voted earlier Tuesday and was feeling optimistic. 

“This is a very historic election. We haven’t voted for a mayor in a minute … and for the prime candidate to be a woman, I’m feeling very hopeful,” the 39-year-old Detroiter, who lives on the west side, said. 

She voted for Mary Sheffield because of her deep roots in the city of Detroit, Glover said, referring to the mayoral candidate’s father and grandfather. 

Glover voted for Denzel McCampbell for the District 7 race and incumbent Mary Waters and attorney Shakira Lynn Hawkins for the at-large seats.  

The top issues Detroiters are dealing with are housing, jobs, gun safety and inner-city blight, Glover said. There aren’t enough recreation centers either. 

Ahead of the November general election, Glover hopes candidate talk more about gun safety, knocking down abandoned housing and pouring money into the inner city to build it up. 

“Detroit is a great place. … It’s a lot of greatness inside of the city as well,” Glover said. 

At the Adams Butzel Recreation Center, Tammie Jackson voted for the Rev. Solomon Kinloch for mayor. She’s been a member of Triumph Church, where he is pastor, for about 3 years. 

“He’s already been doing a whole lot for Detroit,” Jackson, 54, said. 

It was her first time voting in a primary in Detroit. She grew up in the city, moved to Oakland County but came back to Detroit. She lives on the west side. 

She wants the next mayor to bring in more jobs to cut down on crime and have activities for youth. 

Detroiter Danielle Gayles, 42, said she votes in all elections and has been casting her ballot since she could. 

For mayor, Gayles chose the Rev. Solomon Kinloch. 

“I think that he’s fair. I think he’ll give us what we need and I trust him,” Gayles, who lives on the west side, said. She came to her polling location, the Adams Butzel Recreation Center, after leaving her CNA and phlebotomy teaching job. 

Gayles isn’t in his church, but said she’s known about Kinloch for years.

“I just see how he was with the kids, how he was in the community, just how he is as a whole, as a person,” she said. “I see him come in and making a difference. Not just saying that he’s gonna do it, but actually putting in the work.” 

Candidates need to fix abandoned houses and give kids something to do, Gayles said. 

“I have a 15 year old son and it’s so hard to get into so many programs. They just need to go into the school system to make sure that they’re reaching out to the youth,” she said. 

– Nushrat Rahman

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Detroit voters city need for stronger neighborhoods, crime intervention

Voters at the polls in Detroit said Tuesday they are throwing their support behind candidates that they believe will fight for more equitable neighborhood development, crime reduction and youth resources.

A steady stream of Detroit voters visited the student lounge inside the northwest campus of Wayne County Community College District on Tuesday afternoon.

As of 1:50 p.m., a total of 166 people had voted in the five precincts that make up the polling site, election chairperson Linda Huff said.  

Devon Jackson, 47, voted for James Craig for Detroit mayor, saying that he helped curb violence in the city when he was Detroit’s Police Chief. She believes that Craig will focus on improving neighborhoods and not only in the downtown area. 

When it comes to City Council, Jackson touted her support for at-large incumbent Mary Waters. 

Jackson said some of the issues she’s concerned about are affordable housing and funding for youth programs. 

“The youth is really slipping, and they need our help, she said. “I’ve seen a lot of youth between the ages of 18 and 23 that are homeless. There are no programs to help lift them up. When I say programs, I mean programs that help them with their education or a trade.”

Jackson also wants to see an expansion of the Shot Stoppers community violence intervention program. The initiative began in 2023 and supported the efforts of six organizations in select areas to reduce nonfatal shootings and homicides. 

“Maybe they can have an upper official to come into those interventions and get some type of knowledge of what’s exactly going on within the neighborhood,” she said. 

Bob and Marcia Bonner said keeping the neighborhoods safe is a concern for them as well. The husband and wife have lived in their home in North Rosedale Park for 45 years. 

The Bonners voted for mayoral candidate Saunteel Jenkins, and Bob Bonner said he voted for at-large city council candidate James Harris. They simply said Jenkins is the right person to lead the city. 

“I hope we keep maintaining the momentum we’ve got going with people moving into the city,” Marcia Bonner said.

Deborah Harrison declined to say who she voted for, but said the next mayor needs to focus on reducing crime. The 71-year-old Miller Grove neighborhood resident said she’s saddened that some residents are limited on what they can enjoy due to crime.

“You should be able to have a party with your family, a block club gathering without having to worry about someone getting mad and shooting at kids.” 

Earlier Tuesday, the polling site at Mark Twain School for Scholars in Southwest Detroit was off to a slow start. Nearly four hours after opening, election chairperson Rachel Szlaga said only 15 people had voted. 

Shortly after, Stanley and Pandora King arrived to cast ballots. The Southwest Detroit couple declined to say who they voted for in the mayoral and city council races. 

However, Stanley King, 76, said some of the issues facing Detroiters right now are education, crime and jobs.  King said he hopes the next mayor will have qualities similar to current Mayor Mike Duggan. 

“I hope that the person who inherits that seat has the same ideas and charisma as well as bringing in businesses, furthering our education and toning down our crime rate,” he said. 

At Bagley Elementary, voter Isaiah Burke said he is a supporter of Mary Sheffield.

“As a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., we have been able to partner with her for a lot of our events, like the Thanksgiving turkey drive. We’ve been able to help support her with the Rock The Block events, and just being able to see the work that she has done directly in the city of Detroit,” he said.

“As a person who lives in the city, it makes me feel good to see a mayoral candidate who is directly in the community, working in the community, that’s actively trying to better the community, and seeing her put in the groundwork herself to make that change happen,” Burke said.

Charles Miles, who cast his ballot at the Northwest Activities Center, said that although it was a tough decision, his vote for mayor is Jenkins.

“It was a tough decision, and I believe Jenkins is the one that should make it to the next stage,” he said. “After going to the forums, I just think that she should be in the top two right now, in the primary.”

At Crowell Recreation Center on Detroit’s west side, a total of 66 people voted between five precincts as of 3:15 p.m., said election worker Melinda-Mo’Nae Rawls. 

One voter, Lynne Bieniek, 70, decided to cast a ballot for Jenkins, saying she knew more about her than about Sheffield.

Bieniek, who lives nearby in the Miller Grove neighborhood, said she is concerned about affordable housing and the environment, citing the air quality advisory southeast Michigan is under until midnight. 

She had thought about moving to a new apartment, but said many apartment buildings are too expensive.

“I was looking for other places, and what they’re asking for rents is outrageous,” Bieniek said.

Khalil Perkins, 63, another voter at Crowell, said he’s a Sheffield supporter, citing her history of community service and time on council. 

Perkins said if he had to rank the mayoral candidates, his top three choices would be Sheffield, Kinloch and Perkins. 

“He’s a preacher, I like that,” Perkins said of Kinloch and his leadership at Triumph Church. “Saunteel…she has experience with the City Council and she’s been out there for a while. She knows the issues people are concerned about.”  

— Micah Walker and Bryce Huffman

Clerk expects turnout of 13% to 18% in Detroit primary

Thursday, July 31 – 2:55 p.m. 

Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey said early voting numbers suggest turnout in the Aug. 5 primary election likely will end up between 13% and 18% of all registered voters.

Winfrey told reporters on Thursday that she expects the city will count between 55,000 and 60,000 absentee ballots before Election Day and roughly 25,000 people will vote in person next Tuesday. Turnout in the previous 2021 municipal primary election was 14%, with 71,072 votes cast out of nearly 498,000 registered voters.

“We’re hoping for better,” Winfrey said. “As always, we’re hoping more voters will get involved, more Detroiters will get involved and vote so that we can hear from them.”

Winfrey said voters in precincts 361 and 362 had their polling place changed to New Providence Baptist Church due to a plumbing issue at the prior voting location. Those voters were notified of the change through a mailing notice. 

Roughly 44,000 voters in 35 precincts were affected by changes to City Council districts authorized for the 2025 election. Find your polling place and voting precinct online here. 

There were 41,248 votes cast as of Wednesday, and 98% were through absentee ballots. There are 518,314 voters registered, putting turnout at around 8% with less than a week before the election.

If Winfrey’s estimates hold true, and between 80,000 to 85,000 people vote, turnout would hover between 15% to 16%. Winfrey said results are expected to come in around 9 p.m., and all votes will be counted and posted online by midnight.

Voters will weigh in on primary races for mayor, City Council and Board of Police Commissioners. A lack of candidates means there is no primary on the ballot in council districts 1, 3, 4 and 6, all police commission districts and all community advisory council districts. 

Winfrey said it’s “hurtful” to see a lack of interest in those offices. She’s not facing a primary candidate either. 

“To me, the ballot is super small, super small,” Winfrey said. “Not only are (people) not voting, but they don’t even want to participate in the process to be a candidate anymore. You know, it’s really sad.”

Detroit Elections Administrator Daniel Baxter said the national political climate is one possible factor dissuading people from running.

“The next four years are going to be a very dry season for the city of Detroit and other urban communities,” Baxter said. “It’s going to take people that can get us through those four years to understand that relationships are important. … When you deal with what you see in Washington, D.C., it’s going to be a hard ship to tow, so it’s not as attractive now. Those people who would typically run in those positions say, maybe I’ll run four years from now.” 

Baxter said it’s up to candidates to knock on doors and engage voters. 

“Every candidate is competing with all that noise,” Baxter said. “In church, oftentimes the pastor is competing with people who have their cell phones out and who are on social media. You talk about salvation, and social media is trying to take you to hell. You’ve got to find a way to make sure that whatever it is that you’re pushing is packaged in a way that’s attractive enough to capture an individual’s attention for 10 seconds, because that’s all you got.” 

Most voters are expected to cast their ballots before Tuesday. Winfrey said 5% of voters cast their ballots on Election Day in the 2021 primary. As of July 30, there were 902 votes cast in person at early voting centers and 40,346 absentee ballots returned. 

Winfrey said 100,000 absentee ballots were mailed to voters who requested them, and 95,000 voters are on the list to receive absentee ballots for every election.

Chris Thomas, a former state elections director and advisor to Detroit’s elections, said not everyone who received an absentee ballot will turn one in.

“We’ve got this new thing where you can get a ballot sent to your home, you don’t even have to ask for it, but did you even bother returning it?” Thomas said. “You stick the ballot in people’s hands with a paid postage return and they’re still not (voting).” 

Winfrey said there’s been a “small increase” in the number of voters who signed up to permanently absentee ballots since Michigan voters approved no-reason absentee voting in 2018, allowing all registered voters to request an absentee ballot without needing to provide a specific reason. 

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Mayoral poll suggests Sheffield will face either Jenkins or Kinloch in November

Wednesday, July 23 – 1:55 p.m. 

A July poll of Detroit voters suggests mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield will likely advance from the upcoming Aug. 5 primary election to face either Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. or former council president and nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins. 

Polling has consistently placed Sheffield ahead of the pack by a wide margin while several candidates compete for the runner-up spot. The top two voter-earners advance to the November general election. The latest data, shared with BridgeDetroit by pollster Ed Sarpolus, shows Sheffield ahead with 34%, while Jenkins trails with 17% and Kinloch sits at 16%. 

The findings come from a survey of 400 Detroit primary voters from July 8-10 by Lansing-based Target-Insyght. The poll was conducted over landlines and cell phones. It has a 5% margin of error. Full results weren’t shared as of Wednesday.

It’s still up to Detroit voters. Early in-person voting starts July 26. Detroiters who requested absentee ballots should have received them in the mail. Roughly 27,700 absentee ballots were turned in as of Monday, according to the Department of Elections.

Roughly 16% of voters remain undecided, according to the poll, while 6% of surveyed residents support Council Member Fred Durhal III, 6% support former Police Chief James Craig and 4% support Attorney Todd Perkins.

Sarpolous said name recognition, fundraising and support from women voters — who made up 61% of primary voters in the last municipal election — are key factors in the race. Sheffield has all three, he said, and should make it through the primary. 

Jenkins and Kinloch are essentially tied, Sarpolous said. Durhal has increased his standing in the race throughout the year, and scored a key endorsement from the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, which leaves an open question as to which candidate he could pull voters from. 

Sheffield leads among Black voters (36%) while Jenkins and Kinloch are tied (19%). A third of white voters surveyed support Sheffield, while the remainder are split between Craig (16%), Durhal and Jenkins (15% each). Only 3% of white voters support Kinloch, according to the poll. 

Sheffield, Jenkins and Durhal appeared at a Wednesday morning mayoral forum hosted by Crain’s Detroit Business. Kinloch was invited but did not participate, while Craig had to decline and perform jury duty.

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Kinloch says church policy on same-sex marriage wouldn’t come with him to mayor’s office

Thursday, July 17 – 3:45 p.m.

Rev. Solomon Kinloch leads a church network that doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage or gender fluidity but says he would defend the rights of LGBTQ residents if elected mayor of Detroit.

Kinloch is the senior pastor of Triumph Church, a non-denominational “Spiritual Beltway” of eight campuses unified under central leadership. Detroit voters have called attention to a statement of beliefs on Triumph’s website that rejects same sex marriage and purports homosexual activity to be contrary to biblical teachings. Kinloch said he’s not opposed to gay marriage, but the statement has raised questions about how he would lead a diverse secular city.

“We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female and that those two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God,” the Triumph Church statement says. “We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union of one man and one woman and that intimate sexual activity is to occur exclusively within that union.”

The statement reflects Triumph Church’s policy against performing same-sex marriages. Kinloch’s campaign said the policy was instituted by Triumph Church’s board of directors. The members are not publicly disclosed.

BridgeDetroit did not receive an immediate response after asking the campaign if Kinloch ever pushed to change the policy. The campaign said Kinloch “isn’t bringing church policy to the (mayor’s) office.”

“Love is love. I would never tell anyone who they should love, or who they can marry,” Kinloch said in a Thursday statement. “I will be a mayor for all Detroiters, whether gay or straight, Black or white, young or old. Everyone has the right to exercise their freedom to find happiness. As mayor, I would defend the rights of all Detroiters and fight vigorously against injustice toward our LGBTQ community.”

Kinloch became senior pastor in 1998 and grew the regional congregation from under 50 members to roughly 40,000 across metro Detroit. Kinloch travels between campuses throughout the week to preach, preside over baptisms, funerals and weddings and engage with members.

Kinloch says all are welcome to participate in his services, and the church has members who are part of the LGBTQ community. He previously committed to defending equal protections under the law, saying in an interview with Axios that people have the right to religious views but shouldn’t impose those beliefs on others.

The campaign has an LGBTQ+ coalition to mobilize voters. Kinloch is listed as a sponsor of Hotter Than July, an annual week-long pride celebration centered on the Black and brown LGBTQ community. Mayoral rival Saunteel Jenkins is also listed as a sponsor. Kinloch will not participate in a July 25 candidate forum hosted by Hotter Than July.

While running for mayor, Kinloch has leaned on his religious leadership as a way to show his moral compass and community support. Kinloch says his experience growing the organization has prepared him to manage a complex city bureaucracy.
Kinloch frames himself as a builder called to get into politics because current leaders are falling short. He’s drawn parallels between himself and Black church figures like Rev. C.L. Franklin and Rev. Nicholas Hood.

LaShawn English, director of UAW Region 1, said Kinloch’s pastoral background is an asset rather than a liability. The UAW has endorsed Kinloch in the race.

“Pastors lead with their heart, they listen to people,” English said. “When you in the worst time in your life, who do you go to? They don’t step away when it gets hard. They step in.

If elected, Kinloch has said he doesn’t plan to step down from his position with Triumph Church. Kinloch said he would be a full-time mayor while balancing his role as pastor with an executive team that would run day-to-day operations.

“We will have a mayor that, when the schedule permits, goes to church on Sunday, and when he goes to church on Sunday, we will have a mayor that will preach,” Kinloch said in June. “What’s wrong with having a mayor that got some character and some conviction?”

Kinloch announced a schedule of town hall voter engagement events from July 26 to Aug. 1.

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Durhal gets business backing in final weeks of mayoral primary race

Monday, July 14 – 2:05 p.m.

The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Political Action Committee and another nonprofit group hope to launch mayoral candidate Fred Durhal III into a competitive position in the Aug. 5 primary race. 

The Detroit Regional Chamber PAC named Durhal “the most consistent supporter of a pro-growth and pro-economic development agenda” in a statement, arguing the Detroit City Council member and former state lawmaker can best fill Mayor Mike Duggan’s shoes. Durhal’s campaign, which has lagged behind in polls, can expect donations to follow. The PAC said in a statement that it hopes to propel Durhal into a competitive spot in the nine-way race. 

“This is a strong organization built from many members of the business community who have played a vital role in Detroit’s resurgence,” Durhal said over text. “They believe, like I do, that we will build a Detroit that is for families again. The type of Detroit that includes more job creation, stronger neighborhoods, better commercial corridors, safer communities, and a brighter future full of opportunity for all residents.” 

The PAC contributed $70,501 to Duggan over the years and gave another $20,000 to political groups that supported Duggan’s campaigns. It’s unclear how the endorsement affects Durhal’s fundraising in the final push before the primary. 

The next round of campaign finance disclosures are due June 26. Past disclosures show the business advocacy group made donations in the month before previous primary races.

Durhal is also being boosted by Coalition for Detroit’s Growth, a nonprofit group formed in February by an attorney that formed similar pro-Duggan political committees.

The Coalition for Detroit’s Growth reserved $52,300 in television ads promoting Durhal in July and August, according to Federal Communications Commission disclosures. Chuck Mahone II, a spokesperson for the group, said they plan to spend $350,000 on campaign ads supporting Durhal’s pro-growth policies. The group also paid for billboards stating Durhal is “working for the best for Detroit.”

Mahone declined to disclose any of the leaders or donors behind Coalition for Detroit’s Growth.

Durhal has promoted himself as a steady hand to take over after Duggan.

“We’re that Phoenix that has been rising from the ashes,” he said during a May 29 debate hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber. “We’ve got to make sure that it doesn’t fly into the window.” 

Business groups are starting to throw their weight around after largely sitting on the sidelines throughout the primary. Durhal has been an “unapologetic” supporter of using tax breaks and other economic incentives to spur business investment. 

Durhal was endorsed by a two-thirds majority of members as required by Detroit Regional Chamber PAC bylaws. He was among five candidates invited to debate at the Mackinac Policy Conference in May and interviewed by PAC members in July.

During the debate, Durhal outlined a plan to eliminate the city’s 19.5 mill operating millage by raising taxes on speculators and cracking down on blight violations. Durhal promotes cutting red tape for small businesses and says experience working in the state and local government, and relationships with lawmakers, are distinguishing factors. 

Durhal wants to expand the boundary of the Downtown Development Authority to capture and redirect tax revenue toward housing and business projects. He’s proposed putting an avenue of fashion in every council district through commercial corridor overlays that would generate new investment. 

Durhal has said businesses need a predictable environment to invest in the city. He’s called for reforming the community benefits process so developers aren’t asked to add neighborhood investments after negotiating with residents. 

The Detroit Regional PAC has donated to Durhal’s mayoral opponents in the past. The Detroit Regional Chamber gave Council President Mary Sheffield $1,000 in 2023 and former City Council president and nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins $500 in 2013.

Sheffield continues to pick up labor endorsements after holding a rally with several union groups last weekend. She was endorsed by Teamsters Joint Council #43 and the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council on Monday. 

Sheffield is the leading candidate across polls taken independently and by rival campaigns. 

Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. was endorsed Monday by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 925. His campaign said Kinloch was endorsed by the people who run Detroit.

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Marijuana industry wants to buddy with Detroit’s next mayor

Friday, July 11 – 1:20 p.m. 

Detroit marijuana businesses and advocates on Thursday held a mayoral candidate forum in Eastern Market focused on how city leadership can promote a maturing industry that faces a range of challenges.

Kim James, director of Detroit’s Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship, said dispensaries and growers deal with frequent break-ins, a labyrinth of government licensing processes and competition from illegal operations. Eric Foster, national policy director for Minorities for Medical Marijuana, said the next mayor will impact the regulation, enforcement and promotion of the industry while working with a White House that appears unlikely to legalize marijuana on the federal level.

Six of nine mayoral candidates participated in the forum: Jonathan Barlow, Fred Durhal III, Joel Haashiim, Saunteel Jenkins, Todd Perkins and Mary Sheffield. Each of the candidates expressed support for the marijuana industry, arguing professionals face unnecessary stigma but kids also need to be protected from consuming drugs and synthetic products sold at gas stations.

Weed businesses have been politically polarizing despite 68% of voters legalizing recreational marijuana in 2018. A vocal group of faith leaders and older residents have pushed back on dispensaries opening in their neighborhoods. 

Durhal led his competition in an informal ranked choice poll voted on by attendees, while Sheffield appears to be forging relationships with industry leaders. She accepted campaign donations from marijuana entrepreneurs like Leaf and Bud Owner Mark Savaya, Flavor Galaxy President John Shina, ZaZa Factory President Sam Seblani, Utopia Gardens Owner Stuart Carter and Love Cannabis CEO Amru Meah. 

Sheffield promoted herself as an ally who can be counted on to “make sure you are not just getting by, (but) are a thriving community.” Still, she acknowledged residents who don’t want more dispensaries near their homes. 

“We do have an issue of proliferation in our communities,” Sheffield said. “At the City Council table we hear residents come down and complain about that. I am passionate about respecting the businesses and the industry but making sure (there) is not too much in our residential neighborhoods.” 

Al Williams, president of the African American Leadership Institute and owner of DaCut dispensary, said cannabis entrepreneurs don’t want more proliferation either. He said the stigma against marijuana is softening, and industry leaders are waiting to see who their champion will be. 

“A lot of people in the business community are hedging their bets, and people in the cannabis industry are doing the same,” Williams said. 

Mark Snipes, a representative of a Black Elevation, which works to uplift African American cannabis entrepreneurs, said times have changed since the start of Michigan’s legal marijuana era, when “gold was falling out of the sky.” Competition and oversaturation have since driven prices way down and caused big retailers to close. 

“A lot of major companies have fallen off and those of us who are small businesses are left here to maintain,” Snipes said.

Detroit has 67 licensed retailers across the city, but only two marijuana testing laboratories and one secure transporter in Detroit. Jenkins said she would establish an office of entrepreneurship to study why there are so few pursuing licenses for roles in the industry beyond growing and selling marijuana.

Durhal said he’s not a marijuana user but was a “day one” supporter of getting the market running in Detroit. He and Sheffield supported zoning changes in 2023 that allowed recreational businesses to exist closer to each other. Durhal and Jenkins said they would pursue other zoning changes allowing for marijuana uses in entertainment districts across the city. 

Sheffield advocated for approving other zoning changes to allow marijuana businesses in the downtown Central Business District and in Eastern Market, a “natural place” for them.

“As development opportunities happen in downtown Detroit we should always prioritize Detroit-based businesses and entrepreneurs having access to that space,” she said. 

Barlow said the city could activate alleys and offer more event licenses so marijuana businesses can have designated areas for industry events. 

Nearly a dozen hands went up when James asked the crowd if their business had been robbed recently. James said some thieves have driven cars into buildings to steal cash and flower, while police are often slow to respond. 

Sheffield proposed beefing up partnerships between businesses and city liaisons and neighborhood police officers to prevent robberies and prevent illegal products from being sold to children in gas stations. Durhal said extending store hours, which are determined by the state, would help prevent crimes of opportunity. Haashiim said businesses should be allowed to operate for 24 hours.

Barlow suggested using taxpayer-funded private security firms to protect marijauna businesses. 

“I gotta give you all your own police,” Barlow said. 

Durhal and Jenkins said gas stations selling illegal products must be shut down and stripped of their licenses. 

Federal prohibition has made it impossible for marijuana businesses to put their money into banks. Haashiim said Detroit should have a publicly owned bank to work with them. Perkins said he would study legal solutions like creating separate holding companies. 

“It’s really wrong that money that is legal under state law and ordinances in the city of Detroit can’t go into a bank,” Perkins said. “It’s contradictory. You’re paying taxes. If you can’t use a bank you shouldn’t have to pay taxes, that’s just my opinion.” 

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Mayoral candidates share their favorite Detroit third spaces

Thursday, July 10 – 3 p.m. 

Detroit mayoral candidates shared some of their favorite local haunts and small minority-owned businesses during a Wednesday night forum. 

The online forum, viewable here, was hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit Chapter, Michigan Black Business Alliance, Michigan Chronicle and Detroit PBS. Six of nine mayoral candidates participated, including Jonathan Barlow, Fred Durhal III, Joel Haashiim, Saunteel Jenkins, Todd Perkins and Mary Sheffield. 

Moderator and Michigan Chronicle reporter Sam Robinson asked candidates to share what businesses and third places they frequent. Their responses ranged from local retailers, fashion boutiques, restaurants and grocers, providing a window into how they navigate the city and support businesses that provide important services and community gathering spaces. 

Barlow cited clothier Three Thirteen, A1 Smash Burgers and Food Exchange, Bleu Detroit nightclub and Kendrick’s Record Shop. Barlow drew particular attention to Ali’s Korner Takeout, which he said donates to community causes.

Durhal said In Harmony Cafe is an example of the kinds of anchor businesses in commercial corridors he would like to see more of. He also pointed to Brew-ti-ful Coffee House and Savoy Restaurant. 

“My wife and I target and look for minority businesses we can frequent,” Durhal said. “One of the most important parts about businesses staying open is us patronizing them. As a city, we can do a better job of marketing, putting those businesses out there so the rest of the city of Detroit can enjoy them and ensure that they stay open as well.”

Haashiim said he frequents wellness businesses Water Station and Moor Herbs Marketplace, restaurants like The Jamaican Pot, Caribbean Kitchen and Island Spice Caribbean and the People’s Food Co-Op. Haashiim said he also visits several businesses on the Avenue of Fashion. 

“What we need as a community is economic empowerment, and we’re not going to have it until we actually start patronizing, and as mayor, sharing with the people the importance of patronizing our city’s resident businesses,” Haashiim said. 

Jenkins said she loves a taco at Shell Shock’d Tacos and recommended the lemon chess pie at Sweet Potato Sensations. 

“I want to give a shout out as well to Westwood Market, where we have a brother who built a grocery store from the ground up without a dime of taxpayer dollars, and they just happen to have a kitchen in the back where they’re cooking up some of the best soul food that you will ever taste,” Jenkins said. 

Perkins said he visits haberdashers in the city, some of whom are clients of his legal practice, like Moor Clothing & Tailoring and Times Square Men’s Custom Clothing. Perkins said Cafe Noir is a community gathering space in the North End. He also shops at the food co-op. 

Sheffield said Cooking With Que is one of the best vegan restaurants in town. She also named Cutters Bar & Grill, Detroit Vs. Everybody, Louisiana Creole Gumbo, The Lip Bar, plus Good Cakes and Bakes. 

Mayoral candidates also outlined some of their plans to support small businesses.

Sheffield promoted her creation of a Legacy Business Fund offering grants to longtime Detroit-based businesses. She proposed creating a “dedicated line of funding” to support small businesses, sourced from philanthropies and the private sector. 

Several candidates said the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that requires banks to meet the credit needs of low-income communities, puts Detroit at a disadvantage. It was created to address redlining of lending, but Jenkins explained that because Oakland County was split into a separate geographic boundary from Wayne County, more business loans flow into Detroit’s suburban neighbors. 

“The first thing I would do is try to remedy that so that we’re not separated and we’re considered as one metropolitan area, like it’s done across the country,” Jenkins said. 

Durhal noted that he added funding to the 2025-26 budget for supplemental business supports and sponsored a tax incentive fast track ordinance designed to speed up development of affordable housing. Durhal said he wants to offer similar tax breaks to startup businesses and work with banks to provide supplemental funding. 

Candidates agreed that stronger legal commitments are needed with large developers to include Black-owned businesses and minority contractors in construction projects. 

“Big business has to come in understanding that they have to make a way for small businesses to participate in the developments that they have,” Perkins said.

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Durhal, Jenkins argue internal polls show path to second in mayoral race 

Wednesday, July 9 – 4:35 p.m. 

Mayoral hopefuls Fred Durhal III and Saunteel Jenkins are using internal polling to raise funds, each suggesting they could secure second place in the nine-way primary if they had more resources to teach voters about their profile and platforms. 

Durhal’s campaign released months-old partial polling results in a fundraising email to supporters this week. The email laments “chatter about polls” that have excluded some candidates from debates while creating “a buzz around who’s in the race for second and who isn’t.”

“Polls don’t vote,” Durhal’s campaign says in the email. But the campaign also argues their polling shows Durhal can be competitive if he has enough resources to reach voters. 

It showed Durhal in second place with 13% after poll participants heard about each candidate’s qualifications and experience. Durhal rose to 22% after voters were presented with “transformative work we’ve done for Detroit as a state representative and on the Detroit City Council.” It also shows Council President Mary Sheffield with a double-digit lead in first place. 

Only the top two primary finishers advance to the November election, which is why the battle for second place in August will be closely watched — and hotly contested.

Durhal’s campaign said the results come from a poll of 500 likely Detroit primary voters from May 12-15 by GQR, a national firm. The poll has a 4.4% margin of error. The campaign declined to release additional details.

Jenkins also released a poll from May meant to make a similar argument. The campaign gave reporters partial details from a survey of 400 likely voters performed by GBAO Strategies, also a national firm, from May 5-8. It had a 4.9% margin of error. 

The poll found Sheffield leading with 34%, followed by Rev. Solomon Kinloch at 14%, former Police Chief James Craig with 11% and Jenkins with 10%. Durhal trailed with 3%. 

When participants were given more information about each candidate, Jenkins moved into second place with 16% of the vote, ahead of Kinloch by one percentage point. 

GBAO Pollster Mike Bocian says Craig’s low favorability rating among voters shows a two-way race for second place between Jenkins and Kinloch. Bocian said poll participants were given a “positive profile” of each candidate. Seven out of 10 voters said Jenkins’ profile gave them a convincing reason to support her.

“What our numbers are telling us is that this is a winnable race,” said Greg Bowens, a political consultant working on Jenkins’ campaign. 

Metro Detroit News, an online news aggregator with a large social media following, featured the two-month-old Jenkins campaign poll last week. An Instagram post claimed Jenkins “surges into top 2” and included details from a memo shared with reporters. Bowens said he didn’t know how Metro Detroit News obtained the memo. 

The campaign declined to share full details from the internal poll. It later shared an informal social media poll conducted by Michigan Chronicle reporter Sam Robinson as “exciting news” of her growing support.  

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Jenkins safety plan includes new cold case unit, no cooperation with ICE

Monday, July 7 – 3:05 p.m. 

Mayoral candidate Saunteel Jenkins knows what it’s like to have her life changed by gun violence.

Her brother Jovan was fatally shot at the age of 14 while walking home with friends from St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center. Jenkins launched her campaign from the same gym, 34 years later. The former City Council president and nonprofit CEO outlined her public safety agenda in the wake of a drive-by shooting at Skinner Playfield that killed 4-year-old Samir Grubbs and 18-year-old Daviyon Shelmonson-Bey.

Jenkins outlined the pillars of her plan during a July call with reporters. She seeks to raise the city’s homicide closure rate by establishing a permanent cold case unit in partnership with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Jenkins said community relationships should be improved so residents feel more comfortable talking to police to help solve crimes.

“They feel like once the tragic loss they’ve experienced is out of the papers, then as a city and society we’ve forgotten them,” Jenkins said. “We have to make sure families know that they are a priority and the loss of life is a priority. People tend to be repeat offenders. So if we’re able to catch them, we can reduce future crimes.” 

A Jenkins administration would not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest or deport residents, she said. Jenkins said she’s waiting to see why Detroit officers pepper sprayed protesters who tried to prevent an ICE arrest last month, but added that local police kept the situation from getting out of control. 

“If the protesters had not been kept at bay and tried to intervene or stop ICE, do you think the protesters would have been able to successfully stop federal agents from doing what they were trying to do without more arrests, without people being hurt in some way, without creating more chaos?” Jenkins said. “It might be controversial, but DPD kept the protesters, in large part, safer by not allowing the incident to escalate in a way that federal agents turned on the protesters.” 

Jenkins also proposed a stronger approach to drug trafficking enforcement, working with other law enforcement agencies. She said this will require finding more resources from grants or the state and federal government, but didn’t have an estimate for the total funding needed. 

“We’re targeting and going after high-level drug traffickers, not just corner boys, to reduce the amount of drugs that are coming into our city and the same with reducing the number of guns and illegal guns that are on our streets,” Jenkins said. 

Jenkins said the easy availability of guns is causing personal disputes to become fatal. She would create an illegal gun task force to track and capture firearms. 

“We have to make sure that guns aren’t so easy for us to get and for our kids to access and settle disputes in such destructive ways, in ways that they can’t turn back from,” she said. 

Jenkins has said the most dangerous time for children is between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. She wants to model Beacon Youth Programs in New York, which offer youth services in public schools after school hours. 

“We have to offer hope for kids who live in some of our most distressed neighborhoods,” Jenkins said. “We cannot live in a city and in a world where we’re normalizing hopelessness for our kids.” 

She would also hire more neighborhood police officers to patrol neighborhoods and target deployment of officers to crime “hot spots.” Jenkins said she’s heard concerns from officers who are pulled from their neighborhood patrol to police large events. 

Jenkins supports sustained funding for the “Shot Stoppers” community violence intervention (CVI) program, which has empowered community groups to reduce shootings, and would expand successful strategies citywide. She said the program has made an impact but “statistics don’t matter” to people who continue to be victimized by guns. Leaders of CVI organizations met in Skinner Playfield last week to outline their own plan to intersect conflicts this summer. Jenkins hadn’t reviewed their proposal as of the July 3 interview.

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As summer TV ads drop, mayoral race is fought on airwaves

Thursday, July 3 – 2:30 p.m. 

Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. is running for mayor as a political outsider while a Democratic Party group led by his brother paid for a round of campaign ads that hit television this week. 

The 13th Congressional District Democratic Party is running ads promoting Kinloch’s mayoral campaign on CBS, NBC, and the CW. Kinloch’s brother Jonathan is chair of the 13th Congressional District, which endorsed the pastor for mayor earlier this year. 

Disclosures released by the Federal Communications Commission show the ads were created by Canal Partners Media, an Atlanta agency that purported to be the lead buying agency for President Joe Biden in 2020. Kinloch’s campaign said the firm also has done work for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. 

The ads promote Kinloch’s “direct action” at the helm of Triumph Church and his plans to tackle poverty, create job training programs that pay $35 per hour, build 10,000 affordable homes and “make every neighborhood benefit from investment, not just downtown.”

Council President Mary Sheffield’s campaign has been running campaign ads from May through the start of July. Disclosures reported by the FCC show ads purchased by her campaign committee were broadcast on Fox 2 and WDIV-TV Local 4. 

The ad depicts Sheffield running from the Detroit Riverfront into the city’s neighborhoods as she reflects on her dedication to seniors who stayed through hard times, businesses and block clubs that are improving their surroundings and securing a future for the next generation.

“I’m running with the people and for the people,” Sheffield says in a voice-over. “For housing you can afford, jobs that pay a living wage and a government that works for you.” 

Sheffield campaign Manager Chris Scott said Sheffield’s team will launch several ads ahead of the primary that are focused on how she will raise the quality of life for Detroit’s neighborhoods.

Detroiters are already voting. The Detroit Elections Department is mailing 97,000 absentee ballots to voters who can turn them in 40 days before the Aug. 5 primary. In-person early voting starts July 26 and ends Aug. 3. 

FCC disclosures show Horace Sheffield III brought his daughter’s mayoral campaign team on his weekly radio show in April. They discussed her candidacy and addressed concerns that she’s too young to run for mayor and what it would mean to have a Black woman lead the city. Two programs in April featured Scott, Campaign Chair Ricardo Solomon and retired Judge Greg Mathis.

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Mayoral candidates prepare for funding cuts under Trump administration 

Wednesday, July 2 – 1:30 p.m. 

Five mayoral candidates expect less federal funding to flow into Detroit under the Trump administration, putting city departments in a vulnerable position. 

The Detroit People’s Platform, a nonprofit advocacy group, held a Wednesday candidate forum attended by businessman Jonathan Barlow, Council Member Fred Durhal III, businessman Joel Haashiim, attorney Todd Perkins and Council President Mary Sheffield. Candidates were asked to identify which city departments are most vulnerable to federal funding cuts and how they would address them. 

Sheffield and Durhal, who are both tasked with approving Detroit’s annual budget on the City Council, said housing, public safety and transit are most likely to suffer from a loss of federal support. 

Federal funding makes up nearly half of the spending outlined for the city’s Housing and Revitalization Department in the 2025-26 budget. 

In May, President Donald Trump recommended a 43% cut for federal housing programs that fuel Section 8 vouchers, public housing projects and rental assistance programs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development meanwhile acknowledges the nation is “in the midst of a housing affordability crisis that has been brewing for decades.” 

While the budget hasn’t been finalized, local officials expect significant cuts for hundreds of millions of dollars Detroit receives through the Community Development Block Grant program and HOME Investment Partnerships program funding, which expand affordable housing for low-income residents and provide disaster relief funding.

Sheffield said Detroit can make up for some of the lost funding by creating new taxes on downtown activities, which would require changes in state law. Sheffield has proposed either a sales tax, entertainment tax or half-penny tax to generate new revenue. 

“Within the first 100 days, we would either hire someone who will examine how we explore and diversify our revenues, or we want to form a stakeholder coalition so that we can begin to further explore what is the best route for Detroit,” Sheffield said.

The City Council authorized a $200,000 contract with the Citizens Research Council of Michigan in June to study local tax proposals. It was originally meant to review options for an entertainment tax on downtown activities, but Sheffield requested adding the half-penny sales tax to the study. 

Durhal is pitching a property tax reform that would drastically hike taxes on land speculators and owners of blighted property. Durhal did not add his proposal to the taxpayer-funded study, saying his campaign would look into it independently.

Sheffield said her council office has been exploring sales tax options “for quite some time” and added the half-penny tax idea “because we wanted that to be part of the study they were already doing.” She said including it in the study doesn’t amount to using city resources for her campaign. 

Perkins proposed conducting a “full-scale forensic audit” of city departments to eliminate redundancies.

“We’re going to have to be more efficient and do more with less, because our citizens don’t deserve any less than what they’re getting right now,” Perkins said on Tuesday. “In fact, these neighborhoods deserve a lot more, and in order to do that, you’re going to have to be honest in your use of the resources in the city of Detroit.”

At a previous forum in May, Sheffield said Detroit can expect to see less federal funding regardless of who is mayor. 

“We’re not going to get a lot of help from the federal government, and that’s a fact,” she said. “I don’t care who you are, you’re not gonna get a lot of help from the federal government.”

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Friday, June 27 – 1 p.m.

Sheffield campaign confronts ‘conservative’ climate toward LGBTQ voters 

Mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield is courting LGBTQ voters while confronting “conservative” attitudes that have prevented politicians from fully embracing the queer community. 

Cash Jones, 27, is Sheffield’s LGBTQIA+ coalition chair and co-chair of the campaign’s young adult advisory coalition. Jones said queer voters are highly motivated and engaged but struggle to find candidates who openly appeal to them due to generational conservatism around gender and sexuality. A handful of residents denounced Detroit’s participation in Pride Month in recent City Council meetings, arguing it takes focus off Juneteenth and the needs of Black residents.

“If we’re speaking to local elections, I’m pretty sure there’s probably been hesitancy (from candidates to engage LGBTQ voters), because a majority of Detroit voters are our elders,” Jones said. “There’s been hesitancy because of that older generation and the conservative ways that they have when it comes to talking about sexuality and an actual acceptance of people’s gender identities. A lot of them, their eyes have been opened because some of their favorite politicians are advocates, some of their favorite movie stars, their children; they’re starting to understand it a little bit more.”

Sheffield joined Lesbian Social for a conversation in May, and the campaign sent a parade unit to Motor City Pride. Sheffield is scheduled to participate in LGBT Detroit’s Hotter Than July mayoral forum on July 25, and Jones interviewed her boss in an Instagram video meant to affirm Sheffield’s “allyship.” 

“A lot of people within the community didn’t even know that she supported (them),” Jones said. “I said OK, I’ll let you know from her own mouth that she does.” 

In the video, Sheffield said she considers herself an advocate and is seeking policy guidance from the gay community. Jones said Sheffield aims to create an LGBTQ commission to improve anti-discrimination policies and secure funding for health programs. 

“Although we are an inclusive city, we are still conservative,” Jones said. “The Black community is very conservative, even if they don’t want to speak about it. Most of the time (a queer person) will identify as a Detroiter or Black before they identify as a member of the community.”

Sheffied, 38, said she supported the opening of the Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center, a supportive housing and health center located in her City Council District that serves young LGBTQ people. It’s become a haven for young people who face higher rates of housing insecurity, violence and rejection from their families.

Sheffield also said its important for local leaders to protect residents from hostile federal policies.

“It is proven that more hate crimes, more (suicide), all of the different things that happen are even exacerbated when it comes to certain things, so we have to provide that support to make people feel safe and protected to be who they are, love who they love and have the respect and rights they deserve,” Sheffield said.

The campaign’s outreach started in Detroit’s arts scene, where Jones said LGBTQ residents feel safe and seen. But Jones said there’s a lack of LGBTQ-owned businesses and daytime gathering spaces. 

“There are community spaces when you think of places like SpotLite, which is a huge advocate for LGBTQ events, but I think there’s too much emphasis on LGBTQ nightlife,” Jones said. “A lot of the LGBTQ community, I feel like they feel disconnected because that’s all we associate them with. We’re also business owners, educators, politicians, 911 operators and police. Like there’s different capacities in which they all exist, and we’re only focused on the nightlife.” 

Jones said she first saw Sheffield on stage at a campaign rally for Kamala Harris in Detroit last October. Sheffield blew her away, and Jones said she resolved to meet the council president and join her campaign team. One of Jones’ first phone calls was to Kevin Heard, who founded the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

Jones said the campaign is considering ways to support community-based developments similar to what’s found in Chicago’s LGBTQ neighborhoods. Jones said LGBTQ people don’t feel safe outside District 5, and there aren’t enough friendly spaces across the city. 

At the end of last year, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson formed a working group to address violence and discrimination against Black transgender women. Cities like Austin, San Antonio, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri have formed advisory boards to study violence prevention, housing and inclusion programs. 

“That’s why Pride Month is important,” Jones said. “It isn’t just rainbows and flags. Pride Month is actually about informing yourself of the work that people within this community did to make sure that we had space to exist amongst others.”

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Thursday, June 26 – 12:05 p.m.

Kinloch says $64M in police legal settlements could improve safety instead

Mayoral candidate Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. claims Detroit could improve public safety if the City Council didn’t spend so much on settlements for lawsuits against police officers.

Kinloch made the case during a mayoral debate hosted by WDIV-TV Local 4, claiming Detroit spent $63 million on police settlements in the last three years. Kinloch argued the settlements waste resources that could be used to bolster Detroit Police Department operations. 

“At some point, we got to ask ourselves: How many more officers could we put on the street?” Kinloch said during the debate. “How much more equipment, how many more mental professionals could we equip our department with and how many more officers would have loved to have that pay in their salaries?”

Kinloch appeared to cite a figure reported by Michigan Capitol Confidential. BridgeDetroit obtained documents requested by the conservative nonprofit that showed $64 million was spent on settlements from January 2023 through February 2025. 

City data shows payouts in the 111 police settlements ranged from $785 to $8.5 million, with an average cost of $577,054. Most of the spending came from just 11 settlements over $1 million, totaling $55 million. 

Mayoral rival and City Council Member Fred Durhal III said Kinloch’s comments reflect his lack of government expertise. While the City Council is responsible for authorizing legal settlements, Durhal said it’s done to save the city money. 

“We end up settling them because if we take them to court, it actually becomes more expensive,” Durhal said. “You can’t totally prevent someone from suing but we can try to be as careful as possible and put systems in place to fight the cases we absolutely know we can win. If you don’t approve the settlement and you take every single case in court, the question becomes how much each of those will cost.”

The City Council does not always grant taxpayer-funded legal services to police officers or other city employees who face a lawsuit. Council discusses the merits of legal representation in closed sessions that aren’t open to the public.

Funding for legal settlements comes from the Risk Management Fund, not DPD’s budget. 

The $3 billion budget for fiscal year 2025-26 included a $30 million allocation for the Risk Management Fund. It’s also used to cover legal liabilities and workers’ compensation claims. The Risk Management Fund had a balance of $73.5 million at the end of May, according to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. 

An annual financial report for 2024 states it’s impossible to accurately predict the final outcome of ongoing lawsuits and claims, but estimates the liability could total $280 million.

Kinloch’s campaign argues more dollars could go back into the city’s General Fund and pay for public safety initiatives if there were fewer lawsuits. 

DPD’s budget for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year is $455.4 million. The city increased police salaries by $10,000 in 2022 to help fill 300 vacancies in the department and is now 99% staffed. 

Durhal said Kinloch’s focusing on police settlements also misses the mark because far more lawsuits are being filed against the Department of Transportation. A BridgeDetroit investigation found DDOT was involved in 409 out of 497 lawsuits settled in the 2021-22 fiscal year. 

Schetrone Collier, a career DDOT bus driver and president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, previously said inexperienced drivers face a higher risk of getting into crashes. Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett said lawsuits against DDOT are sometimes filed on false pretenses in hopes of a major payout, supported by a cottage industry of personal injury law firms. 

While lawsuits against DDOT were more frequent, they often were less expensive. The average cost of settlements involving DDOT was $33,755, while the average settlement involving DPD was $194,039.

Campaign spokesman Dan Lijana said Kinloch would study ways to reduce the city’s legal liability for police and DDOT. Lijana said the City Council authorized funding for settlements that could be used to pay officers, boost its community violence intervention program and improve training. 

“Does training need to change? Does department policy need to change? As the costs keep increasing and nothing is done, the answer to both is probably yes,” Lijana said.

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Monday, June 23 – 5 p.m.

Still hope to repay overassessed Detroit homeowners?

Four mayoral candidates are exploring ways to make things right for homeowners whom the city collectively overtaxed by at least $600 million from 2010-16, with options ranging from tax credits and lump sum payments to a personal apology from the next mayor.

Detroit failed to lower property assessments at the same pace with falling market values following the 2008 housing market crash, disproportionately affecting the lowest value homes and causing some homes to be illegally overtaxed. Some valuations were as high as 85% of the market value instead of the constitutionally required 50%. A University of Chicago study found roughly 10,000 foreclosures were associated with unconstitutional assessments.

The city has since reassessed values and funded some relief programs, but many residents argue not enough has been done to correct the costly mistake. 

Candidates were asked how they would move the issue forward during a June 21 debate at Eastside Community Network. Participants included Council Member Fred Durhal III, former council president and nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins, Attorney Todd Perkins and Council President Mary Sheffield. 

The debate was moderated by Outlier Executive Director Orlando Bailey, Eastside Community Network President and CEO Donna Givens Davidson and Daily Detroit Co-Founder Jer Staes. Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. and former Police Chief James Craig dropped out of the event after previously confirming their attendance. 

Sheffield said she would pursue changes in state law to create a property tax credit equal to the amount residents were overassessed. Sheffield said it would take five years for residents to be credited the full amount they originally were overtaxed by. 

“It is not enough to say ‘oops, my bad, it was a mistake,’” Sheffield said. “We have to still aggressively figure out how we address the issue but also ensure the continued overassessment is not happening.”

However, Sheffield did not say how the tax cut would affect Detroit’s budget. The 2025-26 budget includes a $1.57 billion General Fund. If the city lost $120 million in revenue through the tax credit for five years, that would result in an 8% cut to the General Fund.  

Jenkins also supported creating a tax break, saying the city needs to have more urgency in finding resources “to make those families whole.” 

Durhal said tax credits are a worse solution because it would take several years to repay residents; he said Detroiters “want a lump sum payment.” 

Durhal is proposing creating a property tax relief fund fueled each year with surplus budget dollars to repay overtaxed residents. He would also pursue changes in state law that would allow Detroit to directly refund people, which is currently prohibited. 

The Detroit Law Department has argued there’s no legal mechanism to retroactively refund people for assessments and it’s illegal to give public funds to individuals. State law lays out a separate process for homeowners to seek a change in assessment, but only within a limited time window.

Durhal said it’s important to acknowledge “we’re never going to make those folks whole,” even if residents are compensated. 

“Folks lost their homes,” Durhal said. “Money doesn’t simply pay that back.” 

Perkins said he would personally apologize to residents and give them an “I.O.U.” but admitted “I don’t know how we’re going to pay it.” Perkins said the state of Michigan would have likely stepped in to help if overassessment had occurred in a suburban city like Grosse Pointe. 

Sheffield and Durhal, as members of the City Council, helped create an Affected Homeowner Benefit Program that offers overtaxed residents discounts on Detroit Land Bank Authority property, as well as preferential access to grants, job assistance and other city programs. 

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Friday, June 20 – 1:30 p.m.

Sister Pie owner: Craig was ‘incorrect,’ we’re not closing

Sister Pie’s owner said Mayoral candidate James Craig was “incorrect” in claiming the east side pastry business is closing during a recent candidate debate.

Lisa Ludwinski corrected the record in an op-ed published by the Detroit Free Press on Friday. Ludwinski said the bakery she founded in 2012 is taking a “summer interlude” to reconfigure its business model in pursuit of “a more sustainable future for Sister Pie in Detroit.” That includes offering baking classes, fulfilling special orders and selling goods at Eastern Market. 

“By slowing down and taking stock of what we’ve learned so far, we are mindfully re-committing to our neighbors and great city for years to come,” she wrote. 

Craig invoked Sister Pie days earlier in a mayoral debate hosted by WDIV-TV Local 4. Responding to a question on sustaining development in neighborhoods, Craig said Sister Pie is “a great little place” that needs help.

“Many of you may know it, the place had lines wrapped around it,” Craig said. “It’s out of business now. What kind of support can we give to a thriving business?”  

Craig said he would also work to “streamline how we do business” and create a tiered program so Detroiters have first choice of homes owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority. 

Ludwinsky, a 2019 James Beard Award finalist, previously announced Sister Pie is going on hiatus starting June 8. The business opened its West Village brick and mortar location in 2015  and became an anchor of a growing commercial corridor along Kercheval Ave.

A neighborhood framework plan for the greater villages area of Detroit’s east side referred to “isolated commercial revival points” along Kercheval, with a now-completed streetscape project and locally-owned small businesses that became “citywide destinations.” 

Craig’s campaign provided links to local reports stating the bakery will close temporarily when BridgeDetroit asked for comment on Ludwinsky’s op-ed. 

Campaign Manager Andre Ash said Craig’s statement wasn’t meant to disparage the business.

“It spoke to what he understood from published reports at the time, and spoke from a perspective of being a mayor of supporting small businesses finding ways on how Detroit can be a place of sustainability for business owners,” Ash said. “He supports the Sister Pie owner in her entrepreneurial efforts to stay afloat.”

– Malachi Barrett

Wednesday, June 18 – 2pm

Who benefits from a CBO? Candidates have their say

Six of Detroit’s mayoral candidates spoke directly to community development organizations at a forum Wednesday morning to address the city’s longstanding and emerging issues.

City Council President Mary Sheffield, former Council President Saunteel Jenkins, Councilman Fred Durhal, Attorney Todd Perkins, along with businessmen Joel Haashiim and Jonathan Barlow all shared their visions for how they’d fix the Detroit Land Bank Authority, address the need for affordable housing and how they would hold corporations accountable at the Community Development Advocates of Detroit forum.

Rev. Solomon Kinloch, former Police Chief James Craig and DaNetta Simpson were absent from the forum.

Haashiim is trailing in the polls, but wants to make sure Detroiters know the history of community benefits in Detroit and how that process has affected residents.

“We don’t need a CBO, we need a true benefits agreement enforceable in court to make sure that they keep their word to the community,” Haashiim said. “They have not kept their word to the people. Year after year, they get these billion-dollar developments, and we get left out talking about a CBO. A CBO is not worth the paper it’s printed on if it’s not enforceable.”

Sheffield, who was on City Council when the original Community Benefits Ordinance was drafted, said she would like to amend the current CBO to have a lower threshold before developers and community members have to negotiate.

“It’s $75 million before the community and developer have to negotiate,” Sheffield said. “There have been several conversations about why is it not lower? So you’re telling me projects that are $30, $40, $50 million shouldn’t have to sit down with the community? I think that’s unacceptable.”

Sheffield added that more transparency and accountability is needed on the part of developers coming into the city.

Durhal touted the progress City Council has made to get more affordable housing in the city.

“One of the things that I’m most proud of in my time on council is sponsoring the pilot Fast Track ordinance, which is now slated to create over 1,400 new affordable housing units per year here in the city of Detroit, while locking developers into 15 years of compliance as well as 15 years of affordability,” Durhal said.

Barlow, who is also trailing in the polls, believes affordable housing is just half the problem.

“The question really becomes, when it comes to affordable housing, is it affordable based off of the model that’s being put on us, or are we creating our own model?” Barlow asked. “We could encourage and force all developers to make a more tiered system to account for those being left out. We could have made our own scaled AMI, but we keep on allowing political platitudes to come around every season, and they say they did this, they did this, but then where’s the proof to show for it?”

Perkins had his sights set on fixing the well-documented issues with the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

— Bryce Huffman

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Monday, June 16 – 10 p.m.

Mayoral debate: Jenkins turns up the heat, Sheffield denounces ‘fake report’

Four of Detroit’s highest polling mayoral candidates participated in a televised debate where Saunteel Jenkins took aim at her rivals in the closing minutes.  

Monday’s hour-long debate comes in the final stretch of the Aug. 5 mayoral primary, as absentee ballots are scheduled to begin being mailed to Detroit voters at the end of the month. Participants were chosen based on the result of a poll by Lansing-based Glengariff Group. It showed Council President Mary Sheffield with a clear lead and Jenkins in fourth place. 

Jenkins, a former City Council president and nonprofit CEO, attempted to roast Sheffield, Rev. Solomon Kinloch and former Police Chief James Craig in her closing remarks. 

“If you want a future that includes more guns in schools, locking up our kids, Craig is your guy,” Jenkins said. “If you want a part-time mayor who’s working two full-time jobs, Kinloch is ready. If you want a mayor who shows up on Instagram but doesn’t show up for meetings, then follow Mary. 

“But if you want a mayor who is committed to this city and will continue the progress that Mayor Duggan has brought to this city over the past decade, then keep thinking Jenkins.” 

Kinloch rebuked her remark, saying she’s “forgotten that construction does not happen by destruction, that you cannot build yourself up by tearing other people down.”

Sheffield, the presumed front-runner, faced attacks from other candidates throughout the night. Kinloch and Jenkins appeared to call out Sheffield for not doing enough to create housing that low-income residents can afford.

“When you brag about all you’ve done, and a mother had to bury her babies because she couldn’t find affordable housing in spite of reaching out to the city time and time again, especially as someone who chairs a housing and homelessness task force, you have failed our residents,” Jenkins said.

Sheffield was also asked by the moderator to respond to an allegation that she missed 90% of the council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee meetings over three years. The claim appeared to originate from a column by political commentator Adolph Mongo. 

Sheffield said it’s a “fake report.” As council president, Sheffield runs the Tuesday formal session and is an ex-officio member of every committee. She said her attendance isn’t mandatory at committee meetings. 

“This is what we go back to in politics when you don’t have substance, you don’t have a record and you’re not sure what you’re running on,” Sheffield said. “Detoriters prefer to hear about my plan and my vision.” 

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9:30 p.m.

Kinloch says he’d be Detroit’s mayor and pastor 

Kinloch touted his service as senior pastor of Triumph Church during Monday’s debate, casting himself as an ordinary person who used the pulpit to “lift an entire community of people.” Kinloch said he’s running for office “because the people that are empowered and in these positions are not delivering for us, and we got to do something different.”

Kinloch was asked how he would run his church and be mayor at the same time, a question he has faced several times on the campaign trail. 

Kinloch said he’d be “a full-time mayor 2.0,” planning to lean on a team of qualified people around him that will help manage both organizations. 

“I will be a mayor that will go to church on Sunday and when he goes to church on Sunday, he will preach,” he said.

Craig argued Detroit voters can’t pick a mayor who needs “on the job training,” but often struggled to get his full answer out before the time limit elapsed.

The training line was first used by Detroit mayoral candidate and City Council Member Fred Durhal III during the first debate at the Mackinac Policy Conference. Durhal didn’t poll high enough to make the second debate but released a tax reform plan on Monday. 

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9 p.m.

Detroit mayoral candidates lean on experience in second debate

Monday night’s debate was moderated by Local 4 morning co-anchor and Flashpoint host Jason Colthorp from Wayne State University. It was co-sponsored by WDIV-TV Local 4 and the AARP and presented in partnership with the Michigan Chronicle. 

Each candidate was asked to name some of the relationships they have with business leaders. Jenkins said she sits on the board of directors for Henry Ford Health, was on the board of the Kresge Foundation and has worked with DTE as CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund. 

Craig said he’s done a lot for small businesses like gas stations, party stores and “small businesses with a neighborhood focus.” Sheffield said her council district has likely received the most economic development of all seven but didn’t name any specific groups or individuals. 

Kinloch said he has relationships with former Henry Ford Health CEO Wright Lassiter III, current Henry Ford Health CEO Bob Riney, DTE CEO Jerry Norcia and Rocket Companies Board Member Bill Emerson. 

Sheffield said she’s been building the foundation for Detroit’s growth in her last decade on the City Council, and is ready to take the city to the next level after restoring “civility, decorum and a spirit of collaboration” to the legislative body. 

Craig said he’s a “proven leader” who can do the job on day one. He said Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is doing a poor job, but Craig would work with him to improve education. 

Jenkins focused on the “difficult financial reality” the next mayor will face with the expiration of pandemic relief funding, saying she’s the only one with enough experience to do the job. Jenkins proposed a penny tax that could generate $100 million annually, offsetting property tax cuts. 

Sheffield promoted her own half-penny tax and said the council is studying the impact of taxing downtown entertainment activities. 

“We are not capitalizing on the economic activity that is happening in downtown Detroit,” Sheffield said. 

Craig called for an “independent forensic audit” of the city’s financial health so leaders can make “prudent decisions.” 

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