DETROIT – Former Detroit Medical Center CEO, former Wayne County prosecutor and former Wayne County deputy executive Mike Duggan officially announced Tuesday he is running for Detroit mayor.
He knows the political game and says he knows turnarounds, which is what Detroit needs. He intends to try to cut off any emergency manager at the pass.
Read back: Mike Duggan leaves DMC, eyes run for Detroit mayor
"If (the governor) decides to assign an emergency financial manager to the city of Detroit, I will campaign vigorously as the turnaround mayor, and on Jan. 14, 2014 I will ask the governor to return the city to its citizens," Duggan said.
Watch: Uncut: Duggan announces run for Detroit mayor
Of course, there is the question that comes into play in just about anything in Detroit: race. Duggan believes it's not important this time.
"When people spend 15 minutes with me they find out I am a person just like any other, and there is no issue with race," he said. "We are just trying to solve the city's problems together."
To Duggan, before you even concern yourself with the turnaround, getting the city's streets safer is the most important priority.
"There are too many officers sitting behind desks. They need to be replaced by civilians making 1/2 as much and put as many police officers on the street as possible," he said.
Duggan, joined by supporters, announced his mayoral candidacy Tuesday evening. He spoke about his plan to turn the city around without a state-appointed manager.