Mary Sheffield kicks off campaign for Detroit mayor

City Council President Mary Sheffield officially launched her campaign to be Detroit’s next mayor, pledging to be the people’s champion.

Sheffield gathered supporters at IBEW Local Union 58 on Tuesday to formally announce her candidacy more than a year after first expressing interest in the city’s top job. The event kicks off what could be a crowded race for mayor in 2025 – four other candidates created fundraising committees and more contenders are rumored to surface soon.

Sheffield told the crowd that she draws her inspiration from the city’s young people, its neighborhoods, front line workers and from the retirees who sacrificed to help Detroit rebuild its foundation.

“I am inspired by all of the leaders that are here on stage today, and all of you, all who are in front of me, whose life work has been centered around leaving Detroit better than you found it,” she said. “Together, we can achieve the Detroit that we all know is possible.”

She touted the legacy of “working together” built over her last 11 years on the council.

“This next chapter in Detroit is about building on the growth and the progress that we’ve all worked so hard for,” she said. “It’s about ensuring that the city’s prosperity reaches more residents, more businesses and more neighborhoods.”

The heir of an influential family in faith and politics, Sheffield preached her first sermon at 14 and first ran for office in 2008 after graduating from Wayne State University. She lost, but later became the youngest person elected to council at age 26. At 37, Sheffield is running to become Detroit’s first woman mayor.

Sheffield’s political pedigree goes back two generations, intertwining with the city’s history and legendary figures like Martin Luther King Jr. Sheffield has rubbed shoulders with famous rappers, entertainers, influencers and models. 

“A lot of people look at Mary and say ‘she’s young, she’s going to target the youth,’ but they miss that she does a good job cultivating relationships across her district,” said Taylor Harrell, a friend and political organizer who ran Sheffield’s 2017 City Council campaign. “She’s letting people know that there’s a place for everyone to belong here, while still maintaining loyalty and allegiance to long-term residents of Detroit.” 

Four others formed committees that are legally required to fundraise and perform other campaign activities, including Detroit City Council Member Fred Durhal III, businessman Joel Haashiim, nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins and Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate. Other possible candidates include Triumph Church Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. and businessman Dennis Archer Jr.

Sheffield is the daughter of the Rev. Horace Sheffield III, executive director of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations, and granddaughter of Horace Sheffield Jr., a Black union leader who helped stage strikes that led Ford to recognize the United Auto Workers. 

The maternal side of the Sheffield family also made an impact. Sheffield’s mother was an educator and nurse, while her grandmother was an activist. 

On the City Council, Sheffield represents a fast-changing district that she describes as key to Detroit’s revitalization. District 5 has also been a battleground for debates over affordable housing and taxpayer subsidies for wealthy developers. Sheffield has said that Detroit needs to attract new residents to repopulate the city and redevelop aging real estate while protecting life-long residents from gentrification and displacement. 

Jennine Spencer, president of the Field Street Block Club, said Sheffield has been instrumental in her efforts to beautify the Islandview neighborhood. Sheffield helped clean up alleys, address problems with sinkholes and direct grants for energy efficiency upgrades. 

“This is what she promised that she would work on for the community,” Spencer said. “Mary has boots on the ground. Mary comes to the community meetings herself, and that speaks volumes to me.”

Spencer said home repair grants are vital to help seniors stay in their homes. 

“Newcomers and developers have money to rebuild homes and they get tax credits for this and tax credits for that,” Spencer said. “The people that have been here, long-term residents, the conversation needs to be about how we continue to keep them.” 

The district was redrawn for 2025 council elections but currently stretches from New Center to downtown and lower eastside neighborhoods along the riverfront. It contains historic communities like North End, Boston-Edison, Virginia Park, Indian Village and West Village, plus landmarks such as Eastern Market, the Renaissance Center, Detroit RiverWalk, Greektown, Henry Ford Health, Detroit Medical Center, museums, cultural institutions and entertainment venues.

Supporters describe her as highly visible, responsive to resident concerns and a good listener. Sheffield regularly brings the community out to summer block parties, giveaways for food, school supplies, coats and toys, and State of the Youth symposiums featuring Detroit rappers, athletes and artists.

Sheffield is a budding influencer herself. She attended women’s mixers sponsored by Hennessy alongside people like radio host Angela Yee, entertainment news figure Jasmine Brand, content creator Yolanda Renee, “First Lady of BMF” Tonesa Welch, OnlyFans Model Kiara Marie, and Chanel Dominique, a manager for Detroit rappers like Peezy and Icewear Vezzo.

Harrell said Sheffield may have to confront a false perception that she is cold or struggles to build relationships. Harrell said Sheffield could face gender stereotypes, reflecting on a frustrating remark Harrell heard in 2017 that Sheffield was more focused on her fashion than her policies.

“Women’s personalities are always under a microscope but we never question how men move,” Harrell said. “People believe she cares about her community but I don’t know if they think she’s smart because she dresses well and is pretty. She’s an educated woman.

“I would challenge them to get to know her, and if there’s something that you want to know, just ask. She’s accessible.” 

Keith Williams, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus, said Sheffield fought to create a reparations task force and stood with the group through its trials in the last two years. Sheffield has remained positive publicly despite several resignations and internal clashes. 

“Other politicians would be scared,” Williams said. “She went with me on it. She has courage.”

“When it’s all said and done, we need a leader that will take Detroit to the next level. Mike (Duggan) was a caretaker. It’s time now that we get back to representing ourselves. Black folks didn’t get much out of this new renaissance. The question I ask all (candidates): What have y’all done to close the wealth gap?” 

What is Sheffield all about? 

The council president has had to carefully navigate decisions on offering massive tax breaks to secure developments that in turn create jobs and eventually new revenue for city services. Sheffield has often said she’s not against development but needs to see real benefits for residents in exchange for subsidies. 

She opposed a version of Detroit’s Community Benefits Ordinance that was backed by Duggan and approved by voters. Sheffield worried about the enforcement of community investments negotiated by residents and developers under direction of the city.

One of Sheffield’s first decisions on the council was to transfer city land to the Downtown Development Authority to build Little Caesars Arena. Sheffield said it was the right decision because the city needs new jobs. 

She supported tax breaks for the Detroit Pistons to build LCA, plus its New Center corporate headquarters and practice facility. At one point, Sheffield reportedly considered changing her vote as residents opposed public funding for the arena and later negotiated with the Pistons to create a fund for neighborhood improvements. 

“She’s had the opportunity to navigate conflict,” Harrell said. “She’s had to broker relationships with people, work with people she doesn’t always get along with. You have to be able to work with people that don’t always see eye-to-eye for the common good. I think that she’s shown that.”

Sheffield thanked Duggan Tuesday night for being a partner with her and helping to guide the city through bankruptcy and emergency management.

“We balanced budgets and improved our bond ratings,” Sheffield said. “We improved city services and ended mass water shut offs. We beautified Detroit by investing in parks and eliminating blight, and together, we made this city safer by reducing crime to historic lows.”

Sheffield’s legislative agenda is called the “People’s Bills.” 

Some of the items have been accomplished, including a parking fine discount, legislation to create more oversight of surveillance technology contracts and a trust fund for affordable housing developments. Sheffield backed creation of the reparations task force, an industry standards board for arena workers, a new legal defense program for low-income renters, income-based water rates, and some relief for overtaxed homeowners.

Sheffield’s “inclusionary housing ordinance” is a signature policy achievement. The 2017 law requires developers to set aside 20% of new units as affordable housing if they receive city assistance. 

Developers were already doing that as an informal practice, but the ordinance set it into law. Sheffield argued it was a moral imperative to prevent gentrification.

Duggan supported the proposal, which was amended at his suggestion. But it was criticized by some for not securing large enough discounts to create affordable housing, since income guidelines were based on metro Detroit instead of the city alone. 

Sheffield’s ordinance also established a fund to preserve or create affordable housing for lower-income Detroiters. Another ordinance was meant to prevent seniors and low-income residents from being unexpectedly displaced – it requires landlords to disclose when they are opting out of Section 8 housing. 

Sheffield has been an advocate for unhoused residents, meeting with people who were camped in a city park in 2015 during icy conditions. Sheffield has directed funding to open warming shelters in recreation centers and drew attention to unsafe conditions in emergency shelters.

“She’s a person who believes that she’s voting for the interests of her constituents,” Harrell said. “If constituents haven’t had the opportunity to weigh in, she will not hesitate to go back and say, ‘OK, I didn’t hear you clearly. What is it that you’re saying?’” 

A brief campaign history 

Taking a shot at mayor is the most high-profile race of Sheffield’s career. 

She first ran for a state House seat in 2008, finishing sixth with only 5% of the vote. Sheffield ran again two years later for another House seat but was defeated again in the Democratic primary. She finished 74 votes behind Maureen Stapleton. 

Sheffield served a few different roles outside of politics. She’s an ordained minister, worked as a hearing officer for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, sold fitness equipment and did public affairs work for her father’s Detroit Association of Black Organizations. 

Sheffield set her sights on City Council in 2013. It was the first time in 100 years that Detroit elected council members to represent districts. Sheffield was considered part of an emerging generation of political leaders along with Adam Hollier, a former liaison to the council under the Bing administration and future state lawmaker who Sheffield beat to earn her spot on the council. 

She joined the council among a group of fresh faces, all under 45 and most under 40, who were less connected to traditional organizations. But their powers were limited by state emergency management. 

Sheffield briefly served on the council with Jenkins. Sheffield was reelected in 2017, defeating late-Wayne County Commissioner Jewel Ware. She secured a third term on the council in 2021 without facing any challengers. 

In a field of five named candidates, Sheffield is a presumed front-runner. She announced her interest in seeking the mayor’s office in 2023 and raised $360,822 since, pulling in large donations from the Moroun family, construction industry and cannabis entrepreneurs. 

Sheffield is pulling together a campaign team with national experience.

She’s being advised by “national campaign expert” Nick Rathod, who advised Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, served as former President Barack Obama’s liaison to the states and managed Beto O’Rourke’s unsuccessful 2022 campaign for Texas governor.

Communications are being handled by Antonice Strickland, vice president of public relations at 98Forward. Strickland started her career in Washington, D.C. before joining the Black-owned firm in Detroit. 

Sheffield’s record keeper is listed as Peter Ballon of Wisconsin-based consulting firm Uprising Strategies, which was founded by Rathod. 

Sheffield’s finance director Molly Goldberg previously fundraised for Michigan Senate hopeful Hill Harper in 2024 and several Ohio congressional candidates in 2020. All lost their races. Goldberg also worked as an outreach director for U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit.