Detroit mayoral hopefuls participate in first candidate forum
Two national nonprofit organizations hosted the first candidate forum between most of Detroit's mayoral candidates at the Erma Henderson Marina on the city's east side riverfront.
Seven candidates vying to be Detroit’s next mayor talked public safety, the city’s finances post pandemic relief funds, working with the White House and an assortment of topics during a two-hour forum Saturday.
The first candidate forum featuring Detroit mayoral contenders gave the public their best look yet at the field of candidates running to replace outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan.
Duggan won’t seek reelection to a fourth term and is running for governor as an independent.
Candidates highlighted their qualifications and spelled out the reasons why they’re running. The most interesting exchanges among candidates happened between Mary Sheffield and Fred Durhal III, and Todd Perkins and James Craig.
At one point, Durhal said the value of family legacy is, “about the only thing I agree with council president Sheffield.”
Minutes earlier, Sheffield skipped over candidate Jonathan Barlow (which Barlow OK’d) to respond directly to Durhal’s comments about the need for someone with fiscal management experience.
At the beginning of the forum, Perkins poked at former police chief James Craig, a former Republican candidate for governor, for not saying public safety would be his top priority as mayor, prompting laughs from audience.
Michigan Chronicle executive editor Jeremy Allen, who moderated the forum, reminded the crowd the office is nonpartisan.
Perkins later criticized Craig for saying Detroit has come a long way under Mayor Duggan.
“I don’t know about a long way,” Perkins said, pointing to Detroit’s poverty rate over 30%. “I want people to be angry, I want you to fight!”
Former City Council President and THAW CEO Saunteel Jenkins and current City Council President Mary Sheffield sat on opposite ends throughout the debate. The two candidates already had a contentious back and forth earlier this year, which was caught on a video I obtained and published exclusively to Detroit one million.
More than 70 people attended the event held inside an event venue at the Riverside Marina. There were less than a handful of attendees visibly under the age of 35.
National nonprofits African American Leadership Institute, led by president Al “BJ” Williams and women’s equality organization Supermajority. Director Tashawna Gill, Michigan lead program manager for Supermajority, introduced the candidates onto the stage.
“I don’t think there’s a front runner just yet,” William Davis, director of the Detroit Active and Retired Employee Association, told me Saturday at the event. “I think somebody needs to make a little stronger presence before the absentee ballots go out in June. It’s going to make a big difference who survives the primary.”
Allen addressed the crowd after the forum, noting someone texted him who he thought won.
“The winner is the people who got an opportunity to hear from who may be the next mayor of the city of Detroit,” Allen said.
Here’s what candidates said:
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