DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan endorsed City Council President Mary Sheffield on Tuesday in her bid to become the city’s next mayor, throwing significant political weight behind her campaign against Pastor Solomon Kinloch of Triumph Church.
“From the time I announced I wasn’t running, people kept saying, ‘Who are you supporting? Who are you supporting?’ And here’s what I knew from the beginning, the most qualified person, the best prepared to be the next mayor, was Mary Sheffield,” Duggan said during an endorsement event at a longtime resident’s home on the city’s west side.
When asked if this was the most important endorsement she could get in Detroit, Sheffield responded, “I think the most important endorsement is the residents of Detroit but I will say to have our sitting mayor who has 12 years through the ups and downs of our city give me his nod of confidence that he believes that my leadership is needed at this critical moment in Detroit I think sends a very loud signal.”
Political consultant Mario Morrow said Duggan faced mounting pressure to take a position in the contest.
“This is too much of an important race for him not to weigh in,” Marrow said via Zoom. “The mayor isn’t one to bow to pressure, but this is such an important race that he had to make a decision one way or another.”
The backdrop for the endorsement was the front porch of Geraldine Noble, a 73-year-old lifelong Detroit resident and a supporter of Sheffield.
She believes Duggan’s support could influence undecided voters.
“It will turn some of those people that just aren’t sure toward her,” Noble said.
The Kinloch campaign pushed back against the endorsement in a statement Tuesday (Aug. 20), criticizing both the current administration and Sheffield’s tenure on council.
“We don’t have coronations. A mayoral endorsement won’t stop the violence in our streets. It won’t ensure a better education or create more opportunities for our children,” the statement read. “After 12 years on the Detroit City Council—and 4 more as Council President—if you haven’t fixed it by now, you’re not going to. Detroit doesn’t need recycled ideas or the same politics that have left too many neighborhoods behind.”
The statement also said Detroit is in need of “fresh leadership.”
Sheffield, who was elected at the same time as Duggan in 2013, was asked if she’s now endorsing his bid for governor of Michigan as an independent after receiving his support in the mayoral race.
“It was very clear we’re here today about the future of Detroit. I think right now, my focus is ensuring that Detroit’s future is in good hands. The governor’s race is not until 2026, and so I do believe that that race will directly impact Detroit, and looking forward to it at the appropriate time, getting more involved in those discussions,” Sheffield said.
The general election is on Nov. 4.
The winner will inherit leadership of a city that has experienced significant downtown development and financial stability under Duggan’s tenure, although challenges persist in many residential neighborhoods.