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Mayors

Detroit Voters Seek a Leader to Sustain the City's Renewal

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As Detroit emerges from bankruptcy and financial turmoil, voters are looking for a leader to build on the city's progress and address the stark disparities between thriving and struggling neighborhoods. With Mayor Mike Duggan's departure, a wide field of candidates is vying to lead the city into its next chapter, with many promising to prioritize the needs of neighborhoods that have been overlooked. The election comes as the city's downtown and Midtown areas have undergone significant transformation, but residents remain concerned about issues like poverty, public transportation, and safety.

Key Takeaways:

  • The city has seen slight upticks in population over the last two years, according to Census Bureau estimates, but still struggles with nearly one-third of residents living in poverty.
  • Mayor Mike Duggan's departure has led to a crowded field of nine candidates vying for the position, with Mary Sheffield, the current City Council president, leading in pre-election polling.
  • Candidates have emphasized the need to address the disparities between downtown and struggling neighborhoods, with some promising to prioritize development in areas that have been overlooked.
  • Voters are looking for a leader who can build on Duggan's successes while also addressing the city's ongoing challenges, including poverty, public safety, and public transportation.
  • The election comes as the city is poised to return a Black leader to City Hall, with many of the front-runners coming from Detroit's churches and political establishment.

Statistics:

  • 645,000: the current population of Detroit
  • 139 square miles: the size of the city of Detroit
  • 75 percent: the percentage of Detroit residents who are Black
  • 10 percent: the percentage of abandoned homes in some neighborhoods when Mayor Duggan took office
  • 80 percent: the percentage of abandoned homes in other neighborhoods when Duggan took office
  • $0.7 million: projected cost of Detroit's Light Rail line
  • Half a million: American Rescue Plan dollars for Detroit housing and infrastructure projects

Sources:

  • "Detroit's last big budget surplus, in 2002." By Ben Schreckinger, [The Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2013](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324050904578504014360823516)
  • "Detroit's Financial Crisis" [by City Comptroller, December 24, 2013](https://static mmc.metrotimes.com/2013/upload/MC-12-24-detroit-financial-crisis.pdf)
  • "U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 City of Detroit Population Estimates"
  • "Detroit 2020 Project" By Bloomberg CityLab [https://www.citylab.com/urbanism/2019/09/detroit-2020-project-america-resets-cities/5b71e7c8c9c0](https://www.citylab.com/urbanism/2019/09/detroit-2020-project-america-resets-cities/5b71e7c8c9c0)
  • "Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announces he will run for governor as an independent" By Alexandra Thell, [The Detroit News, August 16, 2021](https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2021/08/17/mike-duggan-announces-governor-run-independent/8179312002/)
  • "Lawmakers in Michigan approve budget plans with more funding for cities" By Danielle Garrity and Sonya Haskins, [Craine Publishing, Jul 16, 2021](https://www.crainp.com/news/story.com/2021/07/lawmakers-in-michigan-approve-budget-plans-with-more-funding-for-cities)

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