DETROIT — City Council President Mary Sheffield is set to become Detroit’s first female mayor after defeating popular megachurch pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch in Tuesday’s general election. Sheffield is slated to take office in January, succeeding three-term Mayor Mike Duggan, who decided not to seek reelection and is running for governor of Michigan.
Sheffield assumes this position at a time when Detroit is experiencing substantial improvement following its exit from one of the largest municipal bankruptcies in U.S. history in 2014. Under Duggan's leadership since 2014, the city has seen advancements in city services, including improved response times from police, enhanced public lighting, and the elimination of blight throughout the city.
Detroit has maintained 12 consecutive years of balanced budgets and boasts historically low violent crime rates. Additionally, the city’s population has started to grow again, reversing decades of decline; the U.S. Census Bureau recently estimated that Detroit’s population is now approximately 645,705.
Both Sheffield and Kinloch, Democrats, advanced to the general election after emerging as the top contenders in a non-partisan primary held in August, where Sheffield secured nearly 51% of the votes.
Sheffield made history when she was first elected to the City Council in 2013 at the age of 26 and has served as council president since 2022. She is the daughter of Horace Sheffield III, an activist and pastor of a local church. In her campaign, Sheffield emphasized that her administration would focus on education for Detroit's children, enhancing public safety, and improving the quality of life in neighborhoods. My commitment, Detroit, is to build on the foundation laid by Mayor Duggan, she stated. We aim to ensure that the city’s progress reaches every block and every family.
Kinloch graciously accepted defeat and reiterated his commitment to making sure investments reach all corners of the city, not just downtown. He called for civic engagement among the residents, advocating for more focus on affordable housing, crime, and support for neighborhoods across the city. This city’s in trouble, and we need you to stand up and step up more now than ever before, he urged his supporters.
Sheffield assumes this position at a time when Detroit is experiencing substantial improvement following its exit from one of the largest municipal bankruptcies in U.S. history in 2014. Under Duggan's leadership since 2014, the city has seen advancements in city services, including improved response times from police, enhanced public lighting, and the elimination of blight throughout the city.
Detroit has maintained 12 consecutive years of balanced budgets and boasts historically low violent crime rates. Additionally, the city’s population has started to grow again, reversing decades of decline; the U.S. Census Bureau recently estimated that Detroit’s population is now approximately 645,705.
Both Sheffield and Kinloch, Democrats, advanced to the general election after emerging as the top contenders in a non-partisan primary held in August, where Sheffield secured nearly 51% of the votes.
Sheffield made history when she was first elected to the City Council in 2013 at the age of 26 and has served as council president since 2022. She is the daughter of Horace Sheffield III, an activist and pastor of a local church. In her campaign, Sheffield emphasized that her administration would focus on education for Detroit's children, enhancing public safety, and improving the quality of life in neighborhoods. My commitment, Detroit, is to build on the foundation laid by Mayor Duggan, she stated. We aim to ensure that the city’s progress reaches every block and every family.
Kinloch graciously accepted defeat and reiterated his commitment to making sure investments reach all corners of the city, not just downtown. He called for civic engagement among the residents, advocating for more focus on affordable housing, crime, and support for neighborhoods across the city. This city’s in trouble, and we need you to stand up and step up more now than ever before, he urged his supporters.
