Detroit’s mayoral candidates came out swinging during a debate televised on WXYZ.

Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and the Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. used the time to both address issues and criticize each other with increasingly personal attacks.

Morning Edition – Detroit Host Pat Batcheller asked WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter about the messages the candidates were sending to voters.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: They agreed on several core issues. They said Detroiters need better access to affordable housing, more investment in neighborhood communities and additional methods to fight crime and poverty.

Council president Mary Sheffield said she worked with outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan to deliver Detroit from bankruptcy.

But she wants to cut even more red tape to bring new business to the city at a time when federal Covid relief funding is running out.

QK: Reverend Kinloch is a political newcomer. But he says he is well-versed in one of the long-standing complaints in Detroit, that residents in the outer-ring neighborhoods just don’t feel the benefits from the investments made downtown since the city emerged from bankruptcy.

Pat Batcheller, WDET News: Neither Sheffield nor Kinloch are incumbents in this campaign. But Sheffield has served for a dozen years on the City Council. How did that play into the debate?

QK: Kinloch questioned just how effective Sheffield has been on Council.

She touted numerous programs she initiated, especially in regards to affordable housing and fighting crime.

Sheffield also alleged Kinloch did little to use his bully church pulpit to aid those efforts.

PB: That was only one in a series of contentious exchanges between the two candidates. And they seemed to become more personal as the debate wore on.

QK: Yes. In fact, the two traded accusations about possible corruption in their financial dealings.

Kinloch, who is in effect the challenger of a veteran, if young, incumbent government official, cast Sheffield as someone more interested in headlines and social media posts then residents’ concerns.

PB: Do we have any idea how this is all playing with voters?

QK: We gained a small window on those opinions courtesy of WDET’s Alex McLenon, who was with voters at a debate watch party.

He talked with Detroiter Chiara Clayton, who says she was not a fan of the attacking style of either candidate.

QK: We’ll see if that happens during the joint appearances the candidates have set over the next few weeks.

More election coverage

Detroit’s mayoral candidates have their only scheduled debate this week.

The Reverand Solomon Kinloch faces City Council President Mary Sheffield in the general election. Kinloch, a political newcomer, says city leaders haven’t done enough to increase affordable housing in Detroit. He votes to do that and continue pastoring his church if voters elect him.  

“All of us got a responsibility, not to just do something from a spiritual perspective, but to do something social and political. That’s my rearing and my raising. I believe that this is a great opportunity to inspire an entire city that ordinary people can do some extraordinary things.”

Sheffield argues dealing with Detroit’s housing and financial issues demands someone with the kind of experience she’s gained over a dozen years on Council.

The debate will be on Channel 7 starting at 7 p.m this Wednesday, Oct. 15.

– Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter 

Additional headlines for Monday, October 13, 2025

Dearborn Heights acting mayor 

Dearborn Heights City Council Chairman Mo Baydoun is now the Acting Mayor due to Mayor Bill Bazzi’s resignation. The U.S. Senate confirmed Bazzi’s nomination to serve as the Ambassador to Tunisia. 

Acting Mayor Baydoun says he will work closely with city council, public servants and local unions to bring fresh perspectives and solutions. He also says he will focus on public safety, city services, infrastructure and neighborhood revitalization.

Residents of Dearborn Heights will vote for a new mayor in November between Baydoun, the highest vote getter during the primaries, and Councilwoman Denise Malinowski-Maxwell. 

The next mayor’s term begins January 1st 2026. 

Detroit Repair Cafe

The Detroit Repair Cafe is hosting a popup at the Moondog Cafe in Detroit.

People can bring their clothes, electronics, bikes, toys and other things to fix for free. There is also free parking available.

The repair popup takes place every 3rd Sunday in October, November and December from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Moondog Cafe 8045 Linwood Street in Detroit.

The next repair clinic takes place Sunday, October 19. 

Rising Voices Salon Series 

The Asian American-led group Rising Voices is hosting another artist salon in their series “We Belong Here – Asian American Ancestry, Authenticity and Healing.”

The program will begin with a walking tour of Asian Americans and allies buried in the cemetery, followed by a panel discussion about AAPI history in America and healing.

The event takes place next Friday Oct. 24th at the Elmwood Cemetery 1200 Elmwood Ave. in Detroit. 

It is free and open to the public. 

Samaritan Operation Christmas Child 

The international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse is looking for gifts and donations for Operation Christmas Child starting next month. Volunteers are collecting and delivering gifts for kids who have faced war, poverty or disaster.

This year the initiative will have 5,000 drop off locations across the nation, hoping to serve 12 million children. People can also donate $10 for a box of goodies to fill a shoebox full of gifts for a child. Collection week is November 17-24.

Find the closest drop-box by entering your zip code on this Samaritan’s Purse page. 

If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org. 

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