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    • Who will succeed Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan? “The floodgates have opened”
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    Who will succeed Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan? “The floodgates have opened”

    Umito Posted on

    Who will succeed Mayor Mike Duggan as Detroit’s top official is a wide-open question after the three-term mayor said Wednesday he would not seek another term, a move that a political consultant said , opens the “floodgates” for the potential successors who will be expected. to continue the city’s dynamics.

    No one has officially announced a formal run for mayor when Duggan’s term ends at the end of 2025. But two current Detroit City Council members, Speakers Mary Sheffield and Fred Durhal III, and former City Council President Saunteel Jenkins formed exploratory committees, which usually preceded a formal application. An exploratory committee allows potential candidates to raise funds and hire staff for a possible run for office.

    Other potential candidates are exploring their options, including business leaders, pastors and former unelected candidates, said Mario Morrow Sr., a Southfield-based political analyst who follows Detroit politics.

    “I think the floodgates have been opened,” Morrow said Wednesday. “It’s a great opportunity for Detroit to see some new faces.”

    Elected in 2013 as the city’s first white mayor since 1974, Duggan said Wednesday that he decided not to seek another term after U.S. Census Bureau figures showed the city’s first population increase since the Detroit gained 1,852 residents between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, bringing the city’s population to 633,218.

    “I wanted to change the direction of this city,” Duggan said at a news conference in front of staff and his family, including his wife, mother and son.

    After the latest Census Bureau figures were released, the 66-year-old mayor said he realized “I had done what I set out to do. This was really what I wanted to deliver.”

    Possible successors

    Sheffield, the council president, formed her committee last year and has $355,189 available for her potential mayoral run, according to public records. On Wednesday, she described Duggan as “a strong advocate for Detroit at a critical time in our city’s transformation.”

    She cited Duggan’s “significant milestones,” such as a “renewed focus on economic development, improving city services and revitalizing Detroit’s neighborhoods.”

    “As we prepare to open a new chapter in our city’s history, I remain committed to working with all Detroiters to continue building an inclusive, equitable and prosperous community,” Sheffield said in a statement. “The work ahead requires unity, vision and a shared determination to improve every corner of our city.”

    Jenkins, the former council president, has raised $119,900 since forming her exploratory committee in late August, according to public records filed with the Wayne County Clerk’s Office. Jenkins was first elected to the city council in 2009 and re-elected in 2013. In 2014, she resigned to become CEO of the Heat And Warmth Fund, or THAW, a nonprofit organization serving low-income people who need help paying their utility bills.

    Durhal, a former two-term state representative who followed his father to the Michigan House, also recently formed an exploratory committee but has yet to report any fundraising activity.

    “I think our city has made tremendous progress over the last decade. I think it’s very important to maintain a certain level of consistency,” said Durhal, who is in his first term on the council and chairs the budget and finance committee.

    He wants to see more growth downtown and he also wants to see more emphasis on commercial corridors in various neighborhoods, providing more support for small businesses and increasing homeownership for residents.

    Other possible candidates

    Another city council member, Mary Waters, said she is often asked to run for mayor.

    “I haven’t thought about it at all. Have a number of people asked me that? Yes,” said Waters, who is in her first term and was elected to an at-large seat. Like other potential candidates, she praised Duggan’s legacy.

    “I’m happy with the trajectory we’re on as far as building new housing and new businesses. Everything is on track,” Waters said. Duggan “paved the way for the next person to come in and continue to progress.”

    One of several people rumored to be considering running is Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate of Detroit. Republicans will become the majority in the state’s lower house in January, and Tate declined to seek a Democratic leadership position in the minority. Tate declined Wednesday to say whether he plans to run for mayor of Detroit.

    Some Detroit business leaders are considering running, political consultant Morrow said, but he would not name them. He said a few Detroit pastors would also consider their options, including Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. of Triumph Church, whose service is broadcast on a local Detroit television station.

    Another possibility is Portia Roberson, CEO of the nonprofit Focus:HOPE, who unsuccessfully sought the 13th Congressional District Democratic nomination in 2022 that was won by Shri Thanedar, Morrow said. She also worked for Duggan and former Mayor Dave Bing.

    “Big shoes to fill”

    Morrow said he expects at least five to six mayoral candidates to emerge in the August 2025 primary, which will send the two highest vote-getters to the November 2025 general election. Elections represent the best chance since Duggan became mayor of the majority-black city to elect another black leader.

    If there are many mayoral candidates, that would split the votes and present an opportunity for a spoiler like Thanedar, an Indian-American multimillionaire who also won a congressional seat in a crowded 2022 field, Morrow said. adding that there was speculation in the community about a Thanedar candidacy. Thanedar was re-elected to a second term in the House of Representatives on November 5.

    Unlike previous campaigns, name identification won’t be enough to take a candidate from the primary to the general election, Morrow said. Duggan had many accomplishments and had high expectations for his successor, he said. Voters will expect candidates to present viable plans for the future, especially since the incoming Republican Trump administration likely won’t send much federal money to the city, he said.

    “Those are big shoes to fill,” Morrow said.

    There is no front-runner for mayor, even among those who have already announced exploratory committees, Morrow said.

    Candidates will need to create more name IDs than they already think, raise money and create a plan for the city’s future, he said.

    “I don’t think the Detroiters are going to give anybody a pass,” Morrow said. “No one is a favorite.”

    Candidates will fight for support from business leaders like the Detroit Regional Chamber, religious leaders and the labor movement, he said, adding that he expects unions to split their support between two or three candidates.

    “It’s a new day for Detroit,” Morrow said. “It’s a new day for Detroit’s future political leaders.”

    Staff writer Beth LeBlanc contributed.

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