For many faithful folks in Detroit, Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. is a familiar name and face. As the senior pastor at Triumph Church, he’s known for his powerful sermons and community outreach. The church has over 35,000 members, according to its website. 

But now he’s on the political stage running for mayor of Detroit, and this is an arena where he’s not as well known.

Kinloch is the only candidate in the mayoral race who has not held an elected position. But he views that as one of his strengths, and believes residents are tired of career politicians leading the city.

He says his campaign’s message is rooted in service, leadership and intentional change, which he hopes will set him apart from other candidates.

Metro producer Cary Junior II spoke with Kinloch at the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference about how his experience leading Triumph Church will inform his priorities as mayor.

The conference is aimed to bring together business leaders, policymakers and community stakeholders to discuss key issues affecting Michigan’s economy, politics, and future.

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At the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island last week, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist announced new incentive programs aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and retaining talent in the state. 

“I think this is all about making it easier for people to say yes to living in the state of Michigan, yes to growing in the state of Michigan, yes to succeeding in the state of Michigan,” Gilchrist told WDET. “That’s what I want to do.”

The Make MI Home funding includes $210,000 for housing for new grads looking to start businesses in Detroit; $100,000 for attracting and retaining college students in Flint; and nearly $60,000 for housing and childcare programs in the Traverse City area, among other programs. The grants will also help support building out broadband internet, and making solar energy more accessible to people in Michigan’s urban areas.

“People need to see a future for themselves everywhere — a community they can afford, a home that they can afford, and we have worked to do that and build solutions for that all across the state of Michigan,” Gilchrist said. “But I know that one of the anxieties that parents have all across Michigan, whether you are on the eastern Peninsula or the east side of Detroit where I’m from, parents are worried about their kids growing up, leaving and never coming home.”

Gilchrist says the bottom line of these programs is to ensure Michigan remains competitive.

“We want them to say yes in Michigan, so we can build the things that matter. And so that means one: they have to be confident that our workforce is prepared. They have to be confident that our infrastructure is solid,” he said. “That’s why we’ve made these historic investments.”

Gilchrist has taken a larger role in announcing statewide programs more recently — likely tied to his run for governor.

He is seeking the Democratic nomination in the race along with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. On the Republican side, State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt and Michigan Congressman John James have also announced their candidacies for governor, while Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will be running as an independent. 

—WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

The 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference became all about how to increase Michigan’s population.

After that conference, politicians, demographers and economists were theorizing about how to increase the state population. Last December, newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that Michigan increased its population by about 57,000. And last month, we got word that Detroit also increased its population by 6,800 residents. 

What should we make of these numbers? Are they too small to celebrate? Or, is the state and its largest city on a path to continue the trend?

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with Citizens Research Council President Eric Lupher at the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference last week to learn more.

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New U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra is downplaying the effect of tariffs on the auto industry.

The former Congressman and ex-chair of the Michigan GOP was confirmed to the ambassadorship in early April. 

In an interview with WDET during the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference, Hoekstra said the economy is strong, and that worries about tariffs and a trade war with Canada are overblown.

“They’re not going to have a dramatic impact, OK?” Hoekstra said. “They will have an impact, but it’s not fundamentally going to change this relationship.”

Hoekstra said he thinks there will be a full re-working of the trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada within the next couple years.

He also dismissed concerns about President Donald Trump’s desire to make Canada the 51st state, calling the threat a “sign of affection” — something that has been outright rejected by Canadian leadership and its populace.

“Why they’re offended by such a generous offer, I’m not sure, but they are,” he said. “We have to deal with it, and we will.”

Car trips from Canada into the U.S. have dropped by nearly a third since Trump started the 51st state rhetoric. According to a recent poll from the Association for Canada Studies & Metropolis Institute, a majority of Canadians said it’s no longer safe for them to travel in the U.S.

Still, Michigan is consistently a top destination for Canadians for business and leisure travel, and with the newly constructed Gordie Howe International Bridge set to open by the end of the year, Hoekstra says he expects the relationship between the two countries to improve.

“Canada is our second largest trading partner, 70-80% of what they export comes south. That’s not going to go away,” he said. “If anything, we’ve got a president that is energizing the American economy. We have a prime minister in Canada that wants to try to do the same thing in Canada. And when they’re both successful, we’re going to have an energized North America.”

–WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

The annual Mackinac Policy Conference has wrapped up for 2025. In this episode of MichMash, reporter Elena Durnbaugh joins Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben from Mackinac Island to recap this year’s conference.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode:

• Budget negotiations during the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s reactions to the Trump administration’s pardon considerations
• 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference themes

Durnbaugh shared that both Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and Republican Speaker Matt Hall publicly criticized each other at the conference over budget negotations. She also shared that after speaking with Speaker Hall, it appeared that the budget wouldn’t be passed until after the July 1 deadline.

“Conversations of the budget are happening, just not between the leaders of the Senate and the House,” she said. 

Durnbaugh also noted the most important conversations seemed to be happening off the stage.

More from WDET:

• Detroit Evening Report: The Mackinac Policy Conference is underway
• Whitmer ‘not happy’ about possible pardons for men involved in her kidnapping plot
• Critics: Medicaid cuts in House GOP budget plan will burden Michigan health system

Detroit mayoral candidates debated housing, public safety, education and more during a forum Thursday, May 29, at the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference.

Five candidates participated in the debate, hosted by The Detroit Regional Chamber, including Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, former Detroit City Council President Saunteel Jenkins, Detroit Councilman Fred Durhal III, Detroit pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr., and former Detroit Police Chief James Craig. Detroit News Editorial Page Editor Nolan Finley and BridgeDetroit founder and journalist Stephen Henderson will serve as moderators.

The Skillman Foundation is one of Detroit’s most influential philanthropic organizations, using millions of dollars to shape education policy and priorities in the city.

As Detroit’s public schools struggle with chronic underfunding, low literacy rates, and crumbling infrastructure, Skillman’s decisions hold real weight for educators, parents and children.

Angelique Power, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation, joined The Metro during the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference to talk about how the foundation is leveraging its wealth and influence to change the trajectory for Detroit kids.

Power said while people across Michigan want something better for Detroit youth, the education systems in the city are “complicated.”

“History matters in terms of the things that have happened to Detroit,” she said. “Whether it is things that policy has done, things that philanthropy sometimes have done, often it happened to Detroiters, or for Detroiters, but not with Detroiters.”

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Michigan U.S. Sen. Gary Peters is preparing to retire after a decades-long career in politics and public service. 

Peters has championed Michigan’s Great Lakes, leading efforts that brought nearly a billion dollars in restoration funds to the state. He’s passed legislation to protect the mental health of veterans. And he’s fought for critical infrastructure — securing funding for the Soo Locks, a lifeline for Michigan industries.

As he steps away from Washington, Peters joined The Metro during the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference to help us to reflect on this work and what the next person elected to his seat must do as Democrats face historically low approval ratings.

Peters says he’s ready to pass the torch to the next generations of lawmakers.

“I just think it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I do believe that we’ve gotta have new energy all the time, refresh itself, Congress has to represent the energy and the future of our country, and that means a broad cross section of people who are serving — including folks who are younger.”

–WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

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Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline cuts beneath the Great Lakes, stretching over 600 miles and crossing beneath the Straits of Mackinac. For decades, the pipeline has raised concerns because of its potential to spill oil and contaminate water for millions of Americans. This water is also a source of sustenance, culture and sovereignty for tribal communities.   

Now, Enbridge has a proposal on the table to build a new oil tunnel to replace a section of Line 5. The Canadian oil and gas company says this will address aging infrastructure.

In a statement emailed to WDET, Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said, in part, that “Enbridge is working with state and federal agencies to study and develop plans that will minimize and mitigate impacts to the natural environment, natural resources, cultural heritage and community priorities.”

Duffy said Enbridge “will build the Great Lakes Tunnel safely, in conformity with thorough safety and environmental reviews by permitting agencies.”

An executive order from the Trump administration could expedite the construction of this project.

But advocates argue that the construction of this new oil tunnel and potential leaks from it pose numerous threats, especially to tribal fishing rights and livelihoods.

Andrea Pierce, a member of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the policy director at Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, is among the tribal activists speaking out against this project. She sat down with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent on the shores of Mackinac Island ahead of a rally protesting the proposed oil tunnel. 

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This story has been updated with a statement from Enbridge.

Enbridge is a financial supporter of WDET. Our newsroom observes a clear boundary between funders and editorial content, and we do not serve the agendas of those who support us.

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Countless media organizations and journalists attend the Mackinac Policy Conference to gain a better understanding of what business, nonprofit and political leaders are doing to try to improve the state.

Annalise Frank, a reporter covering Detroit for Axios, is among them. She joined The Metro to talk about the Detroit mayoral debate planned for Thursday night and what else she is covering at this year’s conference.

There will be five candidates participating in tomorrow’s debate, including Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, Former Detroit City Council President Saunteel Jenkins, Detroit Councilman Fred Durhal III, Detroit pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr., and former Detroit Police Chief James Craig.

She says she is hoping to get a sense of what business and philanthropic and political leaders want to see from Detroit’s next leader.

“Mayor Mike Duggan is not running for reelection, so it’s kind of a new time for Detroit next year,” she said. “So what are the policy priorities; how do we grow population in Detroit; how do we improve neighborhood corridors — there’s just so much to talk about and limited funding to do it.”

WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

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The next mayor of Detroit is not just tasked with managing the city, they also manage relationships with business and policy leaders from across the state.

Detroit’s mayor regularly attends the Mackinac Policy Conference to help build those relationships. But this election season, the candidates vying for that seat are here making their case for why they should be elected the next leader of Michigan’s largest city.

Saunteel Jenkins is one of those candidates. The former Detroit City Council president most recently served as the CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund – otherwise known as THAW. She joined The Metro to talk about how her past experience has prepared her for the role, and what her priorities would be as the city’s next mayor. 

“I had to build coalitions with legislators in Lansing and in D.C., and work on both sides of the aisle to bring resources home for our families,” she said. “There are a lot of things that I did as the CEO over the last decade that correlates with the job of the mayor.”

WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

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In 2016, many liberals didn’t take Donald Trump seriously. They thought that he was wacky, ridiculous, offensive, and not a serious candidate for president. 

But during that time, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell thought differently. She was speaking with her constituents Downriver, and it was prior to President Trump’s first term that she realized he was well-liked, that he had a good chance at becoming the most powerful person in America. 

Almost a decade later, Trump has become central to the Republican Party and our politics writ large. Democrats have spent a lot of that time becoming the “anti-Trump” party. But after losing the 2024 election, many Democrats believe that position is not enough. They need to stand for something. 

So, what do Democrats stand for? What should they stand for? And what do they need to do to win back the country — specifically the low-income and marginalized people they claim to champion?

Dingell joined The Metro live from the Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss how she stays connected to her constituents.

“Every weekend I try to be at a couple farmers markets…I try to be in a union hall, I try to be in a veterans hall, I go to special events, I go to the grocery store — where real people are,” Dingell said. “And I don’t go with anybody, I go with no entourage, I don’t have any staff, I go me, and people talk to me and they tell me what’s on their minds, and a lot more Democrats need to do that.”

WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

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Michigan U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin spent three terms in the U.S. House before running to replace outgoing Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. She bucked the pro-GOP trend to beat Mike Rogers last November for the seat.

WDET’s Russ McNamara caught up with the junior senator at the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference ahead of All Things Considered – Detroit on Wednesday to talk about proposed cuts to Medicaid, supporting EV manufacturing and more.

On planned cuts to Medicaid

Michigan U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin says she is against planned cuts to Medicaid passed by House Republicans.

The legislation — part of a massive spending bill deemed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — is on its way to the Senate next week.

Slotkin says 300,000 Michiganders are at risk of losing their primary insurance if the bill passed as is, adding that work requirements are just another way to keep people off Medicaid.

“They’re making them sign up every six months so that people forget, people get busy and they lapse, and they get off of Medicaid,” she said. “For Michigan, it would have a dramatic impact.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration issued a report earlier this month warning of the potential impact of Medicaid cuts by the federal government.

During the 2024 campaign, now-President Donald Trump promised many times to never make cuts to Medicaid and Medicare.

On giving consumers a choice about EVs

The U.S. Senate recently voted to remove California’s ability to set EV and emission standards, thwarting the state’s goal of phasing out gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

Slotkin was the only Democrat who voted with Republicans on pushing back against California’s EV mandate, saying she believes in giving consumers a choice.

“I made a very important pledge to voters here that I don’t support a mandate,” she said. “I want to build the next generation of EVs, but I don’t want to mandate. I don’t believe in that.”

Michigan’s other U.S. Senator, Gary Peters, voted against the measure.

Slotkin says she is upset Congressional Republicans are rolling back incentives for people to purchase EVs, but that doesn’t mean we should be creating a mandate that is “above and beyond anything like consumer demand” without the infrastructure to support it.

WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said that the Detroit-Windsor area is the “busiest active border crossing in North America,” and that about $200 billion of trade flows between the two countries annually. 

A border that is active has plenty of infrastructure that needs to be maintained. Regine Beauboeuf, CEO of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel for American Roads, oversees the bridges, tunnels and toll roads that exist between the two countries. 

She joined The Metro live from Mackinac Island on Wednesday to discuss what her job entails and to provide more insight on the consequences of the trade war between the U.S. and Canada. 

American Roads is a U.S.-based owner and operator of transportation infrastructure, including toll assets, and currently operates three toll bridges — including the international tunnel connecting Detroit with Windsor.

She spoke about the region’s unique cross-border economy and why she doesn’t expect to see a major impact at the border from Trump’s recent tariffs.

“Together Detroit and Windsor, really that’s its own ecosystem,” she said. “We’ve been working together; it’s not just trade, it’s also people [who] will come to work, like the health care workers who are coming here; you have people with families or in-laws in other countries…so there is a very strong history between Windsor and Detroit and I don’t think you’ll see that being affected.”

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