Today in the notebook
- What fundraising tells us about 2025 mayoral candidates
Three people vying to be Detroit’s next mayor took turns trying on the office’s seal Monday.
A press conference inside the eastside church was held to share good news about city’s progress to reduce violent crime by funding community partners. It was also a chance to see how mayoral the three top competitors looked.
As the year winds down, Detroit political figures are making preparations for the 2025 mayoral race.
Mayor Mike Duggan will not seek reelection after his term expires next year. Five candidates took the initial step of forming committees that are legally required to fundraise and perform other campaign activities.
Here they are (in alphabetical order):
- Detroit City Council Member Fred Durhal III
- Businessman Joel Haashiim
- Nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins
- Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield
- Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate
Sources are floating other prominent figures yet to enter the race. Candidates must be residents of the city for at least one year before filing for office.
There’s a long road ahead. Each candidate needs to collect at least 500 valid signatures from Detroit voters to make the ballot, according to the City Charter. An August primary will reduce the field to two candidates who run head-to-head in November 2025.
For now, candidates are jockeying to be the first to announce the official start of their campaign. Each will need to build name recognition with residents and a network of supporters who will commit time and money to help get them elected.
Sheffield and Jenkins are the only candidates to show any fundraising activity so far. Sheffield has a $240,000 lead, but Jenkins raised nearly $120,000 from her network in just a few short months.
Sheffield will make an “exciting announcement that will shape the future of Detroit” on Dec. 10 at an IBEW union hall. Sheffield formed her committee to run for mayor far ahead of other challengers, so being first to shed the pretenses of her ambition would follow a trend.
Jenkins planned to make an announcement last week, but is rescheduling to a yet-unannounced date.
Durhal said he’s planning to make an announcement in January. Likewise, Tate and Haashiim said they’d have more to share soon.
An early look at campaign finance records provides some insight into how powerful people in Michigan view the field of possible mayors.
Keep reading for an initial breakdown on the candidates and some insights.
But first, let me know what you think about the candidates and what the next mayor should focus on.
Duggan said successfully growing the city’s population was a major reason he feels comfortable passing the torch, but said Detroit’s greatest export is its young residents.
This will color conversations about how to bring in new people without displacing longtime residents.
I expect Detroiters will voice ongoing concerns over illegal tax overassessments and demand repayment for those who were overtaxed.
Whether downtown development will rely on taxpayer subsidies is another big issue, particularly with a major request coming from General Motors for the Renaissance Center.
The expiration of federal pandemic relief funds will put more focus on how leaders will improve quality of life and safety in neighborhoods.
Water affordability and the city’s efforts to provide clean water will be important, especially in the context of lead line disclosure letters that went out last month.
Candidates will also need a plan for ensuring residents can benefit from growing economic opportunities in EVs, mobility technology and new real estate development.
Public transportation, including new regional partnerships and improvements to the existing transit system, will also be critical to the city’s growth.
Mary Sheffield
Sheffield, 37, was the youngest council member in Detroit’s history when she was first elected in 2013.
She’s since risen to leader of the city’s legislative body, promoting a community-focused policy agenda while uplifting youth and walking a tightrope on debates over the city’s use of tax breaks to secure development.
Sheffield prominently was the lone vote against tax breaks for the Illitch-backed District Detroit project. But she was quick to affirm she’s not anti-business. Sheffield was a tie-breaking vote on another multi-million dollar subsidy package for Dan Gilbert and supported tax breaks for other big developers.
Sheffield represents much of the city’s core in District 5, which extends from Dexter-Linwood through New Center and part of downtown to lower eastside neighborhoods.
As of Oct. 25, Sheffield’s campaign reported raising $360,822 and had only spent $5,600. She transferred $103,000 from her City Council campaign committee in October.
Sheffield’s top donor is Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, which gave $10,000 soon after she signaled interest in running last year.
Next in line are members of the Yellen family, owners of Belfor Properties. Founder Sheldon, who appeared on the CBS reality show “Undercover Boss,” and his sons Brandon and Jordan each gave $8,325, the maximum donation allowed by individuals.
Other max donors include:
- Grosse Pointe farms resident Matthew Moroun, president of Central Transport, and his wife Lindsay
- Birmingham resident Christopher Jones, Belfor CFO
- Livonia resident Majed El Seblani, president of SEBCOM Group Investment in Livonia
- Livonia resident Sam Seblani, president of ZaZa Cannabis and Moonlight Leaf Co.
- Birmingham resident Zaina Elia, wife of real estate developer Zaid Elia
- Amardeep Deol, president of Amar Transport
Cannabis entrepreneur Mark Savaya gave Sheffield $8,000 soon after she created a campaign committee last year. Sheffield awarded Savaya with a Spirit of Detroit Award for his community work two months later.
Sheffield attended a Trump-themed “Red Party” this month Savaya sponsored, which raised some eyebrows. In a statement, Sheffield said she was there to support her friend Suhair Kallabat, a prominent event organizer.
Savaya is a vocal Trump supporter, posting photos with the incoming president and likely administration officials on Instagram.
But Sheffield campaigned for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in Detroit. She said it’s clear where her support was during the election, but “now understand how my attendance may have been perceived differently.”
“I want to ensure my actions always align with my commitment to Detroit and our shared values,” she said.
Many of Sheffield’s early backers are executives at construction and real estate companies, including Damo Construction, Lakeshore Global Corp., A&H contractors and more.
A few names stood out to me when scanning Sheffield’s donor list, like Detroit Fire Chief James Harris, Board of Police Commissioners Chair Darryl Woods, former state Rep. Shanelle Jackson and Property Assessment Board of Review member Maria Muhammad.
Hakim Berry, a former senior member of Duggan’s administration, is also a donor. So is bed-and-breakfast entrepreneur Roderica James, owner of The Cochrane House in Brush Park.
Ram Rajadhyaksha, an engineer with DLZ, is the top out-of-state donor. He gave Sheffield $500 last year. LeAaron Foley, a Chicago public policy manager with Amazon and lobbyist registered with the city, gave $250.
Sheffield’s campaign website is sparse but has a slogan: “Together we can, together we will”
Saunteel Jenkins
Jenkins, 54, is a former council president who left city government in 2014 to lead The Heat and Warmth Fund. The nonprofit organization raises money to help low-income families afford heat and electricity.
Jenkins was first elected to the council in 2009 and was reelected in 2013, but didn’t finish her second term. Her time on the City Council was defined by navigating municipal bankruptcy and state emergency management.
At the end of October, two months after forming her committee, Jenkins reported raising $119,910 and spending only $3,800. Jenkins’ donor list includes both corporate and philanthropic representatives.
Top donors include Southfield Attorney Chuck Bullock, who gave $8,300 in October. Identical donations were given by Benjamin Kennedy, vice president of programs at The Kresge Foundation, and Jim Nicholson, chairman of PVS Chemicals.
The Kresge Foundation had multiple donors, including CFO Amy Robinson, Managing Director Wendy Jackson, Vice President of Programs Benjamin Kennedy and Health Advisor Phyllis Meadows.
High-ranking officials at DTE Energy funded Jenkins with a combined $9,000, including CIO Steven Ambrose, executives Cedric Flowers, Joi Harris and Mark Stiers and Human Relations Director Hank Campbell.
John Stroh, whose family owns the iconic Stroh’s brewing business, gave Jenkins $5,000. Trina Scott, executive vice president of Rocket Companies, gave $250.
Developers are represented in Jenkins’ donor list. Richard Hosey, owner of a development company that bears his name, gave $1,000.
There’s also community leaders like Darienne Hudson, president of the United Way of Southeast Michigan; Anika Goss-Foster, Detroit Future City CEO; Judith McNeeley, vice president of Gleaners Community Food Bank and Carina Jackson, COO of Mariners Inn.
Jenkins’ campaign held an October fundraiser in Bloomfield Hills that brought in $16,250 from 15 attendees. Leon Richardson, president of Chemico Systems, and his wife Cheryl each donated $5,000 on the same day.
Jenkins has more out of state donors so far, including McKnight Foundation Executive Tonya Allen ($2,500) of Minnesota and Cecilia Munoz ($1,000), a Maryland resident and a former Obama administration official.
A biography is on her campaign website with the tagline “delivering for Detroit.”
Fred Durhal III
Durhal III, 40, comes from a political family. His late father served in the Michigan House of Representatives.
He was elected to the House in 2014 and represented his father’s district. Durhal was reelected in 2016 and was the ranking Democrat on the influential House Appropriations Committee.
Durhal joined the City Council in 2021. He represents District 7 on Detroit’s west side, which starts in Russell Woods and Nardin Park and largely traces between I-96 and borders with Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.
Durhal leads the city’s gun violence task force, has been an advocate for improving commercial corridors, plays a key role in the council’s budget negotiations and worked to build relationships with state lawmakers who can shape Detroit’s destiny.
Durhal formed his candidate committee in October and hasn’t recorded any fundraising activity yet. But he told me on Monday that his campaign is “aggressively” meeting with supporters to build a winning organization.
He doesn’t yet have a campaign website.
Joe Tate
Michigan’s first Black House Speaker created his campaign committee in November, and hasn’t recorded any campaign fundraising activities.
Tate, 43, filed paperwork on Nov. 21 that allows him to begin collecting campaign donations for the 2025 election. Tate was first elected in 2018 and was endorsed by various labor groups other candidates will likely seek out.
Tate’s committee was formed by Gabrielle Merditaj, who works as deputy finance director for the Michigan House Democrats, was previously a scheduler for Tate and a fundraiser for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Tate will start his fourth term in the state House next year and would need to leave office early to serve as mayor at the start of 2026, if elected.
Last month, he was reelected in 2024 to represent the new 9th House District, which covers much of downtown and midtown Detroit, all of Hamtramck and portions of the northeast side of Detroit. Tate earned 93% of the vote, collecting 35,781 total votes, and previously defeated a Democratic primary challenger.
Tate raised roughly $327,000 for his House race. He was supported by the Michigan Laborers Political League, UnitedHealth Group Inc, Small Business Association of Michigan, DOW Inc., the Automobile Club of Michigan and many others.
Tate is currently representing Michigan’s 10th House District, which extends from downtown across Detroit’s lower eastside, into Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Woods and parts of Harper Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores.
Tate doesn’t have a campaign website yet.
Joel Haashiim
Haashiim says he’s been ignored by the mainstream press but plans to run a professional campaign that could shock his opponents.
At 74, Haashiim is the oldest candidate in the race. He’s also the only candidate to outline a policy agenda on his campaign website.
Haashiim would seek to discontinue and replace the city’s community benefits agreement process, create a publicly-owned bank and reject tax breaks for the Renaissance Center redevelopment, among other issues.
I first met Haashiim at a diner nearly a year ago. In a Tuesday phone conversation, Haashiim said he’s spent the last year getting organized. Though his campaign committee hasn’t reported any donations, Haashiim said he’s filing paperwork that will reflect his fundraising activity.
Haashiim said he put $12,500 of his own money into the campaign, which he described as “progressive” and “grassroots.” He railed against how the city’s reliance on tax abatements has prevented revenue from flowing into schools.
“(Developers) should be paying their fair share of taxes and helping to uplift our schools,” Haashiim said.
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