DETROIT – Candidates for the Detroit Mayoral Election are debating Monday evening.
Local 4’s morning co-anchor and Flashpoint host Jason Colthorp will serve as moderator of the debate, which is co-sponsored by AARP and presented in partnership with the Michigan Chronicle at Wayne State University.
The four candidates in Monday evening’s debate are James Craig, Saunteel Jenkins, Solomon Kinloch Jr. and Mary Sheffield.
--> What to know about the four candidates
Why these candidates were selected
The candidates were chosen by the recent polling done in partnership with the Detroit News.
--> Poll: Here’s who leads Detroit mayoral race 2 months before primary election
The poll was done by Glengariff Group, and we asked Detroiters who plan to vote in the primary who they would choose right now.
Any candidate would quality that got at least 10% — including the 4% margin of error. So anyone who got 6% of the vote and above.
Four candidates met that threshold:
- Sheffield - 38%
- Kinloch - 14%
- Craig - 9%
- Jenkins - 8%
All other candidates were 5% or below.
What questions will be asked?
The questions come from the people of Detroit.
That same poll, along with another survey by our debate sponsor, the AARP of Michigan, showed several issues Detroiters care about and a clear pecking order of them. That—along with our partner, The Michigan Chronicle—helped map out what will be asked on Monday.
Each gets a minute to answer and possibly a 30-second rebuttal if they’ve been called out by another candidate.
How to watch
You can watch the debate on Local 4 and Local 4+ at 7 p.m. on June 16, 2025. You can watch it live here.
Here’s the latest:
Debate ends
- 7:58 p.m.
Debate concludes.
Closing statements
- 7:52 p.m.
Closing statements were given in the following order: Sheffield, Jenkins, Craig, and Kinloch.
Sheffield said she was worked with the community for years and said the city has improved greatly but said more can be done. She said she wants to continue that work.
Jenkins said there needs to be a mayor with experience. She also bashed her candidates in her closing statement. She said that there will be more guns in schools under Craig if he were elected mayor. She said Kinloch will work two jobs if he were mayor. She accused Sheffield for being on Instagram more than being in meetings.
Craig said he loves Detroit and he’s a public servant, not a politician. He said he has a proven track record of success.
Kinloch said you cannot build yourself up by putting other people down in response to Jenkins’ closing statement.
Business relationships
- 7:50 p.m.
The candidates were asked what relationships they had with businesses and how they can cultivate to get projects and programs in motion in the city.
Taxes in the city
- 7:45 p.m.
The candidates were asked what steps they would take to reduce the property tax burden on residents while maintaining essential city services.
Education
- 7:41 p.m.
The candidates were asked how they would, as mayor, work to improve education in the city’s public schools.
Unemployment in Detroit
- 7:36 p.m.
The candidates were asked how to not only improve Detroit’s unemployment rates but also how people can maintain jobs in the city.
Biggest challenge Detroit seniors face
- 7:32 p.m.
A question was asked on what the biggest challenge senior citizens in Detroit face is and how the candidates can improve that as mayor.
Question for Sheffield
- 7:30 p.m.
Sheffield is being criticized for missing meetings. She was asked how she can remain committed if she were elected mayor.
Sheffield said she is an active member of many city committees. She said as city council president, she has worked hard for residents to benefit from the city.
Question for Craig
- 7:28 p.m.
A question was asked as to why voters should choose Craig as mayor when people are unfavorable of him, despite the polls showing residents want public safety to be improved.
He said he was a Republican when he was chief and said he got the job done. He said he wants to work to develop a relationship between police and the community.
Question for Jenkins
- 7:27 p.m.
Jenkins was asked why voters should trust she would be committed to the job.
She said she’s been working for the city for many years. She knows how to work with the most vulnerable families in Detroit after working for THAW for years.
Question for Kinloch
- 7:26 p.m.
Kinloch was asked how he could balance working at the church and being the mayor.
He said he would be a mayor who would go to church. He emphasized he will prioritize being mayor.
“What’s wrong with a mayor with a Christian conscience?”
Neighborhood investment
- 7:20 p.m.
The third question highlighted how the next mayor should bring investments into the neighborhoods.
Affordable housing
- 7:15 p.m.
The second question focused on how the candidates would work to improve affordable housing in Detroit as mayor.
Improving public safety
- 7:10 p.m.
The first question focused on how the city can improve public safety.
Opening statements
- 7:05 p.m.
Opening statements begin in the following order: Kinloch, Jenkins, Sheffield and Craig.
Debate begins
- 7 p.m.
The Detroit Mayoral Debate hosted by WDIV has begun. Moderator Jason Colthorp introduces the candidates.
Candidates enter the stage
- 6:49 p.m.
The four candidates participating in Monday night’s debate have entered the stage and head to their podiums.
Wayne State University introduces debate
- 6:40 p.m.
Wayne State University welcomes and thanks guests for coming to Monday night’s debate.
Public begins seating for debate
- 6:05 p.m.
Members of the public begin entering the auditorium.
Candidates arrive
- 5:48 p.m.
Candidates participating in Monday night’s debate have arrived at the auditorium. They begin a random drawing to determine the order of who gets to speak during during the debate.