PONTIAC, Mich. – A candidate for a city council position grabbed a microphone at a nightclub in Oakland County and targeted a mayoral candidate’s sexuality.
Mike McGuinness has been the Pontiac City Council president for four years, and he said he has heard about every possible snipe and insult.
“I’ve been called everything you can imagine, including a vampire,” McGuinness said. “I can tell you: I am not a vampire.”
One hotly contested race that will be decided next week is in Pontiac, where McGuinness is running for mayor against former three-term city councilman and former council president, Kermit Williams.
McGuinness, who is gay, said he has dealt with constant attacks about his sexuality. He was on the wrong end of another one this week.
A video from a nightclub in Pontiac was posted to Facebook on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. It shows Dawn Hannah, a community activist and write-in candidate for the District 3 city council seat, grabbing the microphone and rallying people to vote.
“I need y’all to flood the polls,” Hannah said, “Y’all better get out and vote for Kermit Williams, unless we going to have another gay white man over us.”
Hannah’s social media is flooded with posts urging people to vote for her and Williams on Election Day.
Williams told Local 4 that Hannah is not connected with him or his campaign in any way, and he said she does not speak for him. He added that his 20 years of working for the city speaks for itself.
Williams posted a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday morning denouncing what Hannah said, without directly referencing her by name.
“Our campaign stands firmly against hate speech, division, and negativity of any kind,” the statement said, in part. “This election is about bringing our city together.”
McGuinness said Hannah’s comment, whether she works with his campaign or not, has been part of a very nasty campaign led by Williams.
“There have been mailers from out of town attacking me,” McGuinness said. “From Michigan Voices to Facebook Lives -- all of this deluge, all the debate performances, is just a matter of public record that my opponent has been very divisive.
“I’ve had to endure a lot of attacks, and this is just the latest example.”
Local 4 reached out to Hannah for comment and has yet to receive a response. McGuinness said he wants to focus more on the issues and uniting the city.
“I’ve tried to be very positive, focus on the issues, focus on the city’s future, because that’s really what the people of Pontiac want and deserve,” McGuinness said. “It’s up to the city of Pontiac to say what approach best represents them and what vibe are they feeling.”