Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said his frustrations with “toxic” partisan politics drove his decision to run for Michigan governor as an independent candidate in 2026. 

Duggan had been expected to announce his candidacy for governor, but his choice to break from a Democratic Party that the mayor shaped and supported over his long career came as a surprise. Duggan talked briefly about the decision with Detroit reporters Wednesday in a studio outside the Packard Plant site, a former symbol of the city’s blight which was demolished under his administration.

Stepping out on his own, Duggan said, is both a response to working people feeling abandoned by the Democratic Party and an avenue to build bipartisan support for his agenda. 

“I realized that, as a Democratic governor, anything I proposed would be met with immediate resistance (from Republicans),” Duggan said. “I’m not a person who wants to be governor and not get something done. I do think it’s possible that an independent governor can work with the reasonable members of both parties.”

Duggan said both the “far right” and “far left” have stood in the way of good ideas. Duggan described convincing lawmakers to support bills authorizing his Land Value Tax plan, only to watch the bipartisan support crumble once the legislation was introduced. 

“When it got to the House floor, the Republicans realized it was Speaker Joe Tate’s priority and were all against it, even though they told me they liked the idea,” Duggan said. “Then we went into the Democratic Caucus, some on the far left realized it was (Tate’s) priority, and they wanted to hold their votes back till they traded for something else. All I wanted to do was cut property taxes for homeowners in Detroit.”

Duggan also cited debates over defunding police agencies, which “I stood up strongly against,” despite being pushed by progressive Democrats.

Duggan said he found a way to invest in police with $10,000 raises while also investing in community organizations using their own violence intervention strategies. Three people vying to replace Duggan joined him at a Monday press conference advocating for the Michigan Senate to pass a bill that would create permanent funding for the community groups. 

Tate, City Council President Mary Sheffield and Council Member Fred Durhal III have all formed committees to run for mayor in 2025, along with nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins and businessman Joel Haashiim.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited and will depart office at the end of 2026. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, a Detroit native, is expected to seek the Democratic nomination to replace her. 

An independent candidate has never become governor in Michigan’s history. Duggan has faced long odds before. 

The three-term mayor of Detroit was first elected in 2013 through an unconventional write-in campaign fueled by relentless meetings with voters and support from business leaders. Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. immediately endorsed Duggan on Wednesday, highlighting the mayor’s ability to convene people and tackle big problems. 

Duggan said he decided to break from the Democratic Party within the last few weeks. Depressed Democratic turnout in the 2024 presidential election was a factor, he said. Republican nominee Donald Trump won back the state after President Joe Biden, who Duggan has described as a close friend, flipped it in 2020. 

Duggan said his late father was a proud “Reagan Republican” who wouldn’t recognize the GOP today. Likewise, Duggan said he joined the Democratic Party when it represented the working class, a reputation that is slipping. 

“There have been a lot of people who feel left out of both parties, feel like they don’t have a place where they belong, and being limited in two parties,” Duggan said. “If there was ever a time to give people a third choice, this would be the year.”

When asked what the Democratic Party could do to win back working class voters, Duggan said it’s not his problem. He appeared to reference a social media post from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, considered a likely Democratic gubernatorial contender, on the heels of his announcement that affirmed Benson’s support for the party. 

“I am no longer going to answer that question, but some are already tweeting criticism at me,” Duggan said. “You should go ask them.” 

Improving education outcomes, building affordable housing and growing Michigan’s population were a few policy priorities Duggan highlighted on Wednesday. He plans to start canvassing the state in 2025 but pledged to keep running the city as expected until his mayoral term expires next year. 

Duggan will avoid a potentially damaging 2026 primary against more progressive Democrats, but also loses some advantages that come with the backing of a political party behind him. That includes missing out on fundraising support and the Michigan Democratic Party’s organizing operation, but straight ticket voting also presents a hurdle. 

Straight ticket voting, while optional, allows voters to quickly back all candidates on the ballot from one party. Roughly 64% of Wayne County voters cast a straight party ticket in the 2022 gubernatorial race. 

Voters can select the straight-party option and still vote for other candidates in individual races.  Duggan said he hopes straight-ticket Democrats and Republicans will take the extra step to vote for him in the gubernatorial race.

“This is going to be an educational process,” Duggan said.