Mary Sheffield will become Detroit’s next mayor.  The City Council President defeated Pastor Solomon Kinloch, Jr. in Tuesday’s general election by a wide margin, winning more than 75 percent of the vote.  Sheffield went into the final campaign with overwhelming financial and voter support.  The new mayor-elect addressed hundreds of supporters at the MGM Grand just after 10 pm.   

“In this administration, everyone will have a seat at the table.  From our block clubs to our non-profits to our faith institutions, to our unions and the voices of our most vulnerable.  Because, guess what.  This city belongs to all of us.”  

About half an hour before Sheffield spoke, Pastor Kinloch delivered a fiery concession speech. 

“As the senior pastor of Triumph Church, I want you to know that fire just got re-ignited because, for the rest of my days, I’m going to keep on fighting for the citizens of the great city of Detroit. I love you and God bless you, my sweet Detroit.”  

Mary Sheffield will take the oath of office to become Detroit’s first woman mayor in January. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Detroit City Council Races 

In the at-large Detroit City Council race, Mary Waters and Coleman Young won the two available positions, defeating Janeé Ayers and James Harris.   

In District 2, Angela Whitfield Calloway defeated Roy McAlister, Jr. 

In District 3, incumbent Scott Benson beat challenger Cranstana Anderson.   

Renata Miller won the City Council election in District 5, beating Police Commissioner Willie Burton for the job.  This is the seat that will be vacated by Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield. 

Gabriela Santiago-Romero retains her council seat in District 6.  She beat challenger Tyrone Carter.  Santiago-Romero says she’ll continue working to protect residents in Southwest Detroit.  

“Making sure that we’re protecting immigrants…that was a huge task of mine to make sure that we leave the National Guard outside of the city, that we fight back against any kind of threats to our residents. And just making sure that we are prioritizing our neighborhoods.”  

Santiago-Romero will serve her second term in office, beginning in January. 

And Denzel McCampbell defeated Karen Whitsett in District 7.  That’s the seat that incumbent Fred Durhal left to run for mayor in the August primary. 

Dearborn Mayor 

Dearborn voters have elected Mayor Abdullah Hammoud for a second term.  He told a crowd supporters in Dearborn on Tuesday night that the city is a place for everyone to call home. 

Hammoud won with more than 70% of the votes in his bid against challenger Nagi Almudhegi. Hammoud became the city’s first Arab American and Muslim mayor in 2021, after mobilizing volunteers for clean-up efforts from catastrophic floods. 

Dearborn voters also overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to divide the city into wards for districted elections. 

Hamtramck Mayor 

The race to become the next mayor of Hamtramck was the closest of the night.  

Adam Alharbi won the race by just 11 votes.  He defeated Councilman Muhith Mahmood.  Those results are unofficial at this point.  A recount might be possibility.  

Incumbent mayor Amer Ghalib did not seek re-election because he was nominated to become the next U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More election coverage

For the first time, a woman is mayor-elect for the City of Detroit.

Mary Sheffield is a 38-year old Black woman and the current Detroit City Council President. In becoming mayor, she’ll have a much brighter spotlight flashing on her. And many agree that that light, because of her gender, will carry scrutiny that Mayor Duggan never had to face. 

Notably, Detroit already has many women leading organizations and departments across the city. So how significant is Sheffield’s win? And, what kinds of things might she need to be concerned about that a man wouldn’t?

To discuss all this now, we have Raquel Constañeda-Lopez served on Detroit City Council at the same time as Sheffield. Now she runs an organization called Restorative Democracy, which supports women of color who hold public office. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

In Northwest Detroit, District 7 went to Denzel McCampbell.

He defeated Democratic Michigan State Representative Karen Whitsett, who angered many in her party by caucusing with Republicans during last year’s lame duck session.

McCampbell is a former communications director for Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and a Democratic Socialist. He says his message resonates with Detroit voters.

“When we’re talking about delivering on basic needs, making sure that folks can have housing, that they can have food on the table in there, and have what they need to thrive, I think that’s what this moment is about, and we have to make sure that we not only build on it, but work together to deliver on that as well.”

McCampbell says he has a good relationship with Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield after working with her on the Detroit charter commission.

“When I was on the charter Commission, we worked on the Detroiter Bill of Rights, and I really look forward to meeting and coming together on how we can really make sure we’re serving our neighborhoods and really delivering for our neighborhoods, especially in District 7.”

McCampbell is now the second Democratic Socialist on city council after Gabriela Santiago-Romero won re-election.

More election coverage

Detroiters are voting for mayor, city council, city council at-large seats, city clerk and board of police commissioners.

Many eyes are on the Detroit mayoral race after Mayor Mike Duggan announced he would not be seeking reelection. He has since launched an independent bid for governor.

Last updated: Nov. 5, 2025 at 10:03 a.m. ET

Precincts reporting: 430/430

Other Detroit races

Board of Police Commissioners

The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners is an 11-member civilian oversight organization broken into 7 districts. Most candidates are running unopposed in their district or did not make the primary.

City Clerk

Incumbent Janice Winfrey is running unopposed in the November general election.

Community Advisory Councils

Only three of Detroit’s seven City Council districts have Community Advisory Councils: District 4, District 5 and District 7. No candidates met the deadline to submit signatures to get on the Aug. 5 primary ballot.

More election coverage

Detroit has changed a lot since 2009. The housing crisis rocked the city. Detroit entered and exited bankruptcy. And for a large portion of that time, Detroit has had one mayor. 

The vision of what Detroit can look like in the future is also changing. 

A new master plan of policies will be unveiled in the coming months to help residents, businesses owners, and city officials guide Detroit into the future. 

It does so by asking a simple question: what do we want Detroit to look like in 20 years? 

But creating the master plan of policies takes a lot of time. Producer Jack Filbrandt sat down with Detroit Documenters Katy Carlson and Lynelle Herndon for an update on this defining set of policies. 

Want to get involved with Detroit Documenters? The final orientation of the year is on November 13th at 5 p.m. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Detroit voters will elect two at-large city council candidates from a field of four.

Incumbents Coleman Young II and Mary Waters are on the ballot with former council member Janeé Ayers. The fourth candidate is James Harris. He’s the Detroit Fire Department‘s Community Relations Chief.

Why is he running?

Harris says winning would fulfill a dream he’s had since a city councilman came to his elementary school and spoke to his fifth grade class.

“He made us feel like our voice counted,” Harris says. “And I said one day I want to serve the citizens in that capacity.

Harris is the only at-large candidate without council experience. He says that’s not necessarily a disadvantage.

“The majority of people say we need some fresh blood in there,” he says. “The city always needs to change.”

One change Harris says he wants is to make it easier for new businesses to start up in Detroit. He says it’s frustrating for many entrepreneurs to cut through red tape.

“I’d make it a simple one-stop shop,” he says. “You get your certificates, you get all your compliance done, bam! You’re ready to go.”

Public safety matters

Harris has been a Detroit firefighter for 28 years. He says that experience is something his opponents do not have. He also says public safety starts with the citizens.

“You can’t have a police officer on every corner, every block, every house, but you do have citizens,” Harris says. “When you build that bridge with the citizens, with community violence intervention, it works.”

Harris says he does not want to see the National Guard policing the city.

“We have one of the best police departments in the world,” he says. “Our police officers, our citizens, our block clubs have a relationship.”

His vision: an affordable, walkable city

Harris says one way to increase affordable housing in Detroit is to lower property taxes. Another is to keep building housing projects that working class people can buy. He also wants to make Detroit more walkable. Harris says people should be able to walk to work, school, church, and recreation centers safely.

“I will work with the eight other council members to see what we could do to have more walkable communities.”

Election Day is Nov. 4, 2025.

More election coverage

Hamtramck City Councilman Muhith Mahmood, 52, is running for mayor in Hamtramck. 

If elected, Mahmood would become the first Bangladeshi American Muslim mayor in the city.

Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib is not running for re-election. President Trump has nominated him for ambassador to Kuwait. He awaits a U.S. Senate vote.

Mahmood’s platform

Mahmood says voters are concerned about property taxes, high water bills, and deteriorating infrastructure.

“Everything is high in Hamtramck due to the fact of one of the oldest city in Michigan is over 100 years old, and last few years, the city was being neglected,” he says.

Mahmood says he will work hard to bring the city back to good shape, “Where people can come and invest their money. We get different sources to earn the money so we don’t have to raise the taxes every year.”

Mahmood has previously served as the sergeant-at-arms for the Unite Here! Local 24 union, representing hospitality workers; the Democratic Party’s 13th district Vice Chair, and president of the Michigan Bangladeshi-American Democratic Caucus (MI-BADC). He’s the founder and president of Golapganj Helping Hand USA, a charity organization that serves people in Bangladesh and in the U.S.

Investigations for election fraud in Hamtramck

Hamtramck voters have expressed concern about pending investigations of alleged election fraud by several councilmembers. 

Mahmood says people are taking advantage of voters, some whom are newer immigrants, and may not know some of the laws of elections.

“Some of the people are taking advantage out of it, picking up their ballot or picking from mailbox, frauding their signature. Of course I’m against it. That’s not what democracy is,” he says.

He says people have the right to choose their leaders, and community leaders play a role in educating voters.

Mahmood, who is part of a residency fraud investigation by the Michigan State Police, says he has been living in Hamtramck since 2021, when he ran for a seat on the city council.

“And that time they investigated everything. I don’t know why it became an issue after a few years, even though not when I was running… after I get elected, few years later, it became an issue,” he says.

Mahmood says he owns other homes, including one in Troy, where his family lives.

He says he is running for mayor in Hamtramck because he loves the city, and he hopes to bring people together. 

“Everybody needs to have a step forward to a one inclusive city… We all need to respect each other, respect their values, respect their religious freedom,” he says.

Mahmood’s opponent, Adam Alharbi, is an engineer for the Department of Commerce. 

Lynn Blasey, Community Arts Partnerships co-director for the College for Creative Studies, is running as a write-in candidate. 

More election coverage

Detroit voters will elect two people to at-large seats on the City Council this fall.

Incumbents Mary Waters and Coleman A. Young II are on the ballot with former council member Janeé Ayers. James Harris is also running. He’s the Detroit Fire Department’s Community Relations Chief.

Housing is a vital need

Voters elected Waters in 2021. She says she’s done a lot during her first term, such as starting a dedicated call center for people who are looking for housing.

“The people need a one-stop shop because they become very frustrated when they can’t find a decent place to live,” she says.

Waters believes people are also frustrated with the Detroit Land Bank Authority. Since its inception, the DLBA has fixed up and sold more than 100 homes and over 30,000 vacant lots.

While the program has been largely successful at reviving home ownership in Detroit, Waters says potential buyers sometimes get tied up in red tape. She says some have even lost their homes because they weren’t able to meet the authority’s repair requirements.

“They’ve invested thousands of their dollars, their hard-earned money, only for the land bank to say, ‘well, this is not good enough, you didn’t meet the deadline, so now we’re going to evict you,'” she says.

Waters, a former state lawmaker, has asked the Michigan Legislature to hold out-of-state landlords accountable for the properties they own, especially those shielded by limited liability corporations.

“It’s very difficult for our Board of Review and our assessor’s office to locate them because they are hiding under one LLC after another,” she says.

Waters also supports rent control to protect people who don’t own their homes from eviction.

Detroiters can protect the city without military intervention

Besides better housing, Waters says she wants to make city streets safer. Detroit recorded its fewest homicides since the 1960s in 2024, and Mayor Mike Duggan says murders are down 15 percent so far in 2025.

Waters says she supports the city’s Community Violence Intervention program, as well as a curfew for minors.

“Sometimes if young people are out late, there’s a possibility they could commit a crime,” she says.

Waters would also like to see the city put more foot patrols in neighborhoods and restore funding for block clubs.

“When block clubs were funded and they had the support of the municipal government, they were able to patrol their neighborhoods,” she says.

Waters does not want to see the National Guard fighting crime in Detroit, but she says President Donald Trump can help in other ways.

“What I want [him] to do is make sure that municipalities like ourselves have the necessary resources so that we can do this ourselves,” she says.

Water says if voters re-elect her, she will keep working to train people for skilled trades jobs and to provide services for seniors and veterans.

More election coverage

It’s the home stretch for Detroit City Council candidates with election day only about a month away.

On the city’s northeast side incumbent Scott Benson faces a challenge from a life-long resident of Council District 3, Cranstana Anderson.

She’s a former UAW local official and administrator who works from home preparing taxes.

Anderson says she wants to change how city government operates on the eastside.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Cranstana Anderson: For instance, the rainfall sewage fee. They call it a fee but it’s actually a tax. If people want to build around their homes and they put more cement down, there is nowhere to absorb the rainwater. So your drainage fees are higher. A lot of churches experienced it because they made parking lots or created more sidewalks. Anything that is not grass or trees to absorb, that rainfall becomes an additional charge.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: If you were elected to council, how would you address those kind of problems?

CA: I would first have to see how we get out of something that we got into. I really believe Detroit not having control over the water has led to these types of actions by leadership. The water bill used to be less than what it is every month now, even every three months. So, it seems like that’s a long-term consequence of them giving control of it to the Great Lakes Water Authority.

QK: There’s been a lot of talk about a “financial cliff” that Detroit could be facing because federal funding and some other money is running out. Some of the mayoral candidates have talked about increasing revenue by perhaps raising certain taxes on things like events downtown. Do you think that that’s a way to go?

CA: I do believe that we’ve given out enough tax abatements and incentives for those businesses downtown to be a contributor into paying a higher tax, if that’s what’s going to help the neighborhoods. Because originally, that’s what downtown was getting built up for. It was to change the dynamics of the way downtown looked, to change the dynamics of economic growth in Detroit and build-up downtown. But it was also supposed to contribute to building up the residential communities, making sure those who have retired, bought their home, worked their 30 years, are not left out. And that’s what we want to focus on, not leaving those who have already paved the way for us to stabilize the community be forced out by business or investors. I believe in gentrification versus nullification. So if it’s nothing, then gentrification sounds pretty good when it’s nothing.

QK: I still hear lots of concerns about crime, not just on the northeast side, but throughout the city. If you were on council, how would you try and help address that?

CA: I would try to create some different policies about how we retain our public safety officers. I believe when they were given the option to live outside of Detroit, that’s when we had more crime created. The crime rate is just at a flat line right now. I don’t see the quality of policing in Detroit, in my area and in many other areas, the way it used to be. When I grew up, relying on police was the route to go to keep the community safe. But now, to engage with them, to build a certain amount of trust with them, and have none of our officers that want to live in Detroit, that says a lot about their policing.

There’s a lot that needs to be done. But I want to make sure we look right.

QK: You’ve mentioned that you’d like to see more political accountability. Do you think that’s lacking at the moment with some of the Detroit officials?

CA: Yes, especially mine, in my district. I think we’ve compromised our office.

QK: You’re talking about Detroit City Council member Scott Benson. There had been some allegations made about bribery charges. But federal authorities said that they had closed that case. And Benson said he and his staff came up completely clean. So, in your view, wouldn’t that kind of clean his slate in terms of that?

CA: No, not with me. Because I’m analytical. I’m from Detroit. And I know everybody who is in prison is not guilty and some of those who are guilty are still walking around.

QK: In any political campaign it is often hard to beat an incumbent. And you’re the challenger in this one. What do you say to people in District 3 if they ask why they should vote for you for council?

CA: Because I understand exactly the hardships that they’re going through. I am a person that’s just like them. And I will fight harder for them. The people who live there, who built there, who are maintaining their property and shopping in that area, doing business in that area, should be entitled to good service. There needs to be some type of resources made available that help these residents qualify for the investors that we want to come into our community.

As far as jobs go, you have the Work First program. But the jobs pay minimum wages, $15-$16 an hour. That’s just not a fair wage. We’re supposed to live off 30% of our income. How do we manage that? Affordable housing is $1,200 and your wages are $1,500. What does that calculate up to? That calculates up to a struggle.

One of the things that hasn’t been invested in is the blighted buildings in my community. A lot of schools shut down. And no one’s talking about doing anything with them except maybe utilizing them as training spots for the police or other public safety departments. These are buildings in the community that used to educate. And we believe, not just myself but a lot of residents, that we can turn these buildings into community hubs where they teach about things like drones, auto mechanics. We don’t want those buildings torn down. We want to utilize those buildings to put back into the education system what they took away. Creative arts. Let the residents, the children, tap into their natural talents or introduce them to the skills that they don’t know they have. Those are places that we can renovate and make into state-of-the art facilities. To make sure that we have the resources not 50 miles from us, not across town, but right here in our own community, where our children can actually walk to school. There’s a lot that needs to be done.

But I want to make sure we look right, so that we don’t invite the wrong type of activity into the community. Get rid of what we do have that’s not a positive influence in our community. Our children are becoming a product of their environment. We say we want to help them, but we have an overpopulation of alcohol stores. We have a population of marijuana dispensaries. It’s legal and a lot of people voted for it because they were tired of people going to jail for marijuana, which is understandable. But it’s something we need to go back to the drawing board about to make sure that it’s regulated properly, that our children don’t have such easy access to it. It’s really hurting us. And in order to build a community up, you have to eliminate the things that take them down.

More election coverage

We talk about the roads often on The Metro. From reducing truck traffic in Southwest to the impact of I-375 on Detroit’s historic Black neighborhoods, yet, who’s making sure these roads and highways are clean of trash? 

In 2022, According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, it cost taxpayers in the state nearly 8 million dollars for crews to pick up trash along state roads. And according to MDOT the price tag would be higher if it were not for programs like Adopt-A-Highway and dedicated volunteers to clean stretches of highway.

So what does it look like when a young artist gets involved and brings the community with him to clean up roads in Detroit?

All Notes is a creative and community platform blending music, social impact, and digital media founded by Detroit-based artist TommyPAPI.

Through the initiative, the Afro-Caribbean musician hosts livestream performances, neighborhood cleanups, and resource drives, connecting artists of all disciplines through support.  

Tommy received the spirit of Detroit for The Highway Cleanup project in September 2025. He joined The Metro to speak about the award and giving back to the community he calls home. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Detroit voters will elect two at-large city council candidates in 2025. Incumbents Coleman Young II and Mary Waters are on the ballot. So are former council member Janeé Ayers and Detroit Fire Department Community Relations Chief James Harris.

Why she’s running

Ayers joined the council in 2015. She was appointed to replace Saunteel Jenkins, who vacated her seat to become the CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund. Ayers won a special election in 2016 and secured a full four-year term in the 2017 general election. She ran for re-election in 2021 but lost.

At the time, the federal government was investigating corruption in city government. FBI agents searched her home for evidence but found none. The Justice Department closed the case in 2025 without charging her.

Ayers says if not for that ordeal, voters would have re-elected her.

“It was horrible, but I’ve come through it,” she says.

Ayers says she couldn’t talk about the investigation until now but welcomes voters’ questions about it. She also says it helped her understand many of the problems Detroit faces.

“I’ve lived it in a way that makes me so much more keen on the issues that people are dealing with,” she says.

Support local police

One of those issues is crime and how to fight it.

Detroit has seen a steady drop in the number of homicides and other violent crimes in recent years. Despite that, President Donald Trump has insisted crime is out of control in Detroit and other U.S. cities.

Vice President JD Vance repeated those claims while visiting Howell, Michigan, and said Trump would send the National Guard to Detroit if Governor Gretchen Whitmer requests it.

Ayers doubts she would.

“She and I know each other well,” Ayers says. “If she did, she’d have some serious questions to answer.”

Ayers says the federal government doesn’t need to police the streets of Detroit. But she does see a problem on the horizon—replacing Detroit Police officers who are retiring.

“We’ll be losing a lot of the institutional knowledge in those folks that have been on the job,” she says.

Ayers chaired the Public Health and Safety committee throughout her years on the council. She says the city needs to encourage young people to join the Detroit Police Department as older officers leave.

“We definitely need to strengthen that pipeline for Detroiters to start taking those positions,” she says. “So that we just have people that are from our community policing our community.”

On housing and jobs

Besides public safety, Ayers says she’s concerned about affordable housing in Detroit. One reason why it hasn’t been affordable for many, she says, is the formula the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development uses to calculate the city’s median income.

“For us, it is Detroit, Warren, and Livonia, and they take the median income from those three cities,” she says. “We can’t get a median income that makes sense for Detroiters as long as we’re compared to those two cities.”

Ayers says more Detroiters could afford to buy a home if they had better jobs and better access to transportation. She would also like to pick up where she left off with a task force to help people returning to the city after being incarcerated.

Don’t call it a comeback

While Ayers hasn’t been on the council for almost four years, she has been busy running her own consulting company and returning to work for the city’s recreation department where she started.

“I’ve been right here doing all the things I would have done with or without the title,” she says.

More election coverage

In about a month Detroiters vote to re-shape the city’s government.

After a dozen years, a new mayor will lead the Motor City.

But Detroit City Council member Scott Benson hopes one thing stays the same. The incumbent is running for reelection to represent northeast Detroit.

Benson says Council District 3 faces a flood of problems, including dealing with actual and sometimes massive flooding.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Scott Benson: We still have to help with public safety, we still need to help with jobs. We still need to help grow our infrastructure. We need to reboot our infrastructure, in many ways. Our infrastructure is hundreds of years old in certain places within the city of Detroit. And you don’t see it, so it’s easy not to think about it. When we look at stormwater infrastructure, advocating for new pipes, advocating for green stormwater to make us a more resilient space, that takes work. And it doesn’t happen without the heavy lifting and being very strategic and prescriptive around how we rebuild our city from underneath the ground as well. We can get the development from private investment. But the infrastructure, that’s public investment. We have to work with the state, the county and the federal government, which has its ebbs and flows, as we all know. We have to work with all those partners to make sure that we continue to invest in our infrastructure.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: When you are trying to pay for that work, there’s been a lot of talk about the so-called “financial cliff” the city’s facing because federal and other sources of funding are running out. In your view, what should the city do to get more revenue in?

SB: I want to go back to that statement about the financial cliff. I am a fiscal hawk on the Detroit City Council. We have been very strategic in how we utilize that federal funding. It was used as icing and not the cake. We have lived beneath our means in the city of Detroit. I want to continue to ensure we do that we save more than we spend. And we just saw where the mayor made the announcement that we got about a $60 million surplus that we’re going to reprogram this year. So we are in a position where we’re not worried about the loss of federal money.

To get more money in, we’re going to have to continue what we’ve done. Since I’ve been on the Detroit City Council there’s been over a 50% increase in the General Fund. We need to continue that growth. Which means we need more investment, we need to continue population growth. And that’s how we grow our General Fund.

QK: Some of the Detroit mayoral candidates have talked about possibly raising taxes on certain things in the downtown or other areas. What do you think of those proposals?

SB: The one that I’m thinking of is a tax on events. I’m not opposed to that. I believe the thought is that we would use that revenue to offset other tax obligations. It would be an additional opportunity to reduce property taxes. We have to figure out a way to reduce the cost to live in the city of Detroit when it comes to operating a home. We have to incentivize people to move back into the city of Detroit. And our property taxes and our car insurance, that’s a disincentive. We need to figure that part out. But having a tax of that nature, it hits on the downtown-specific events and it’s something that’s been done successfully around the country. So I am more than happy to take a look at how we can implement something like that in the city of Detroit.

If we want to grow our city, we have to do it by bringing in everybody.

QK: When I talk to some people around the city, they still bring up the specter of crime. They fear sometimes being in their own neighborhoods, including over in your district, which I go through every single day. In your view, what can be done about that? I know you favor the ShotSpotter system, which is supposed to alert police when it detects gunfire. And there’s lots of talk about community policing. But if you do something like add more personnel to the police department, that would take extra money. So what do you see as the best ways to address crime?

SB: ShotSpotter was something that I championed back in 2015, before it was cool. CVI, community violence intervention, I’ve also championed that in the third district. and we’ve seen results. So I continue to champion those items. We’ve given a pay raise to our police department so that we can keep and attract additional police officers. But we’re going to have to continue to leverage those items because we are not a wealthy district. We don’t have any of the traditional sexy neighborhoods. But we see a huge brunt of the crime, which means that my bosses, the residents, are often victims of crime. And when you tell other people, “Hey, come to the city. We’ve got all these assets, the quality of life that you’re looking for.” People say crime, either real or perceived, is an issue. If we want to grow our city, we have to do it by bringing in everybody. Income diversity is something that we need here in the city of Detroit.

QK: You’d been caught up in some controversy a while back as part of a federal corruption investigation into several public officials in the city over bribery allegations. They charged former Detroit City Council Member Andre Spivey with that. But they closed other cases at the beginning of this year with no charges filed against anyone else, including yourself. Do you feel exonerated after all that? Or are there any lingering concerns that somehow you could have been tarnished to where opponents can try to throw something at you about it?

SB: Any time that the federal government comes to your house unannounced, that’s a problem. But the grand jury did not indict anyone in my office, in my colleague’s office, none of us. The federal government even provided a letter indicating they were dropping the investigation, which it rarely, rarely does. There’s always going to be that. “Oh, your name was spoken with those words.” But you know what? They took a very deep dive into me, my personal finances. And we came up clean. My team came up clean, my colleague’s team came up clean. So I do feel exonerated.

QK: One thing I try to always ask anybody that’s running for office is why people should vote for them. So what would you tell voters? Why should they reelect you to Council?

SB: Number one, I have added value to my district when it comes to jobs. And I am all about jobs. My three priorities are jobs, jobs and more jobs. And we are not a typical area where people think about investment. Because we are overwhelmingly low-income in the third district, it does not mean that we are low-quality. I fought for the “Dining with Confidence” ordinance when I saw there were a number of major restaurant chains that thought they could serve residents on the northeast side of Detroit poisoned food, improper food. I fought very hard and lost once but won the second time to get an ordinance that holds restaurants accountable. They have to publicize their scores when it comes to their food compliance and food safety. It’s not just about being treated well in the downtown area. We pay taxes on the northeast side of Detroit as well.

More election coverage

The Detroit Department of Public Works announced a new effort to keep the city clean with a recycling pilot program at bus stops.

The department also unveiled two electric garbage trucks that will be used to collect recycling.   

The pilot program will place 800 new recycling cans at the bus stops.  

Public Works Deputy Director Sam Krassenstein says bottles and cans are the number one thing people throw away when waiting for the bus.  “And that’s what we’re trying to capitalize on by diverting that to keep that out of the landfill and keep that out of the streets.”  

Krassenstein says the pilot aims to increase recycling rates from 45% to nearly 100%.   

The $500,000 investment was funded by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, DTE, and City Council.   

Additional headlines for Thursday, September 11, 2025

Non profit offers free homecoming dress drawing

High school students in southeastern Michigan could get a free homecoming dress this weekend. 

Alison Vaughn is the CEO of Jackets for Jobs.  

She says her non profit and Comerica bank are hosting a homecoming dress giveaway on the lower level of the Samaritan Center in Detroit this weekend.  

“Homecoming is one of the young girls’ biggest moments of high school, and so we wanted to make them feel like Cinderella and the belle of the ball, if you will, and make them feel good and confident. And we know those events are very costly.”  

Vaughn says anyone can come get a free homecoming dress and accessories from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday or from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Samaritan Center on 5555 Conner Street.  

Corewell terminates gender affirming care for minors

Corewell Health is the latest Michigan hospital to end gender affirming care for minors. The hospital announced it will no longer prescribe puberty blockers or hormone therapy to minors because of “the serious risk of legal and regulatory action.”

That pressure is coming from the Trump Administration. Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan’s hospital system, announced it will also stop gender affirming care last month.  

Corewell Health made a similar announcement in February this year before backtracking due to protest.

Dearborn improving business exteriors with grant funding

The City of Dearborn is celebrating the completion of the first façade improvement project on Warren Avenue at Nadia’s Pharmacy.

The city’s initiative awards up to $200,000 in Community Development Block grant funding, with a 10% business match to improve the exterior of selected businesses.

The goal of the project is to modernize, enhance, and create a cohesive business aesthetic along Warren Avenue between Lonyo Avenue and Greenfield Rd.

Nadia’s Pharmacy is the first to complete repairs. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

There is set to be considerable turnover on Detroit City Council after November’s election. City Council President Mary Sheffield is running for mayor leaving a vacancy in District 5. Fred Durhal III also ran for mayor, but failed to advance in the primary, so District 7 is now open.

Michigan State Representative Karen Whitsett, by virtue of name recognition and corporate backing, seemed to be the front runner heading into the District 7 primary.

However, it was Democratic Socialist Denzel McCampbell that earned the most votes.

McCampbell has some deep liberal credentials, including time as Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s communications director and as the head of the Progress Michigan. McCampbell was also a Detroit Charter Revision Commissioner and lost a bid to replace Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey in 2021.

His opponent, Whitsett, hasn’t shied away from attacking McCampbell for his progressive roots. The Detroit Democrat has taken criticism from members of her own party for praising Donald Trump during the Covid-19 pandemic and caucusing with Republicans during last year’s lame duck session.

McCampbell isn’t fazed by Whitsett’s attacks.

“I’ve been a community organizer my entire adult life and been working around voting rights, election protection, equitable development, making sure that we have what we need in our neighborhoods around environmental justice issues – the right to breathe clear air,” McCampbell said.

So for me, it is actually making sure that our people have the power, but also that we have a city government that is responsive to their needs.

McCampbell says he’s knocked on 15,000 doors in his district.

“What folks are actually upset with…is the way that our government has given away so much money to, the billionaire class and corporations, while their needs go to the wayside,” McCampbell said. “So for me, it is actually making sure that our people have the power, but also that we have a city government that is responsive to their needs.”

Water affordability legislation was left behind in the state legislature when 2024’s lame duck session ended early. McCampbell says it needs to be brought back.

“I have been advocating for solutions that address affordable housing. I’ve been advocating for solutions to address water affordability, because water is a human right,” McCampbell said. “I’ve been pushing to make sure that corporations and their interests are out of our government, that would get money out of politics.”

McCampbell says Whitsett isn’t “showing up” for people in her House district by working with Republicans to kill Democratic priorities. Whitsett was the lone Democrat who voted for the GOP-led House budget.

If elected, McCampbell wouldn’t be the only Democratic Socialist on council. Gabriela Santiago-Romero is running for re-election in District 6.

As for Detroit’s race for mayor between Sheffield and Rev. Solomon Kinloch, McCampbell is still making up his mind.

“I’m focused on the District 7 race, but, I think what I’ll be looking for is a mayor that works closely and collaboratively with Detroit City Council.”

The Detroit City Council has approved an ordinance that would allow the city to prosecute more misdemeanors.  The measure moves some offenses such as minor assault and battery charges and some larceny cases out of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office. 

City Council member Scott Benson says that will make it easier for the city to keep Detroiters accountable. “But it also gives us the opportunity to make more referrals to specialty court – and as the demand of the community violence intervention programmers, that we have restorative justice as a part of those accountability measures.”

The ordinance enables the city to collect fines from misdemeanor judgements.  The program will cost $700,000 which has already been allocated in the city budget. 

(Reported by Bre’Anna Tinsley) 

Additional headlines from September 3, 2025

Midtown congestion 

Midtown streets around Wayne State University remain packed through the day as students attend their classes after Labor Day. 

Small traffic jams at times lead to congestion on Cass, Warren and other nearby streets.  And it can be hard finding a parking space in some locations. 

 The university says it has more than 24,000 new and returning students this semester.  If you’re driving or walking on campus, pack your patience. 

Pontiac Parks town hall

Pontiac is holding a town hall meeting later this month to discuss a proposed master plan for city parks.  The event will give residents a chance to hear the latest information – and ask questions of parks department representatives. 

Pontiac has also started a survey to get more input from city residents about its plan for parks. 

The town hall meeting takes place on the 2nd floor of Pontiac City Hall – 47450 Woodward Avenue.  It runs from 6 to 7:30 pm on Monday, September 15^th .   

Gas prices fluctuate

Gas prices are slightly lower than they were a week ago.  That’s according to the latest survey by Triple-A Michigan.  Metro Detroit  gas prices average $3.28 per gallon today.  That’s down from $3.34 a week ago as motorists prepared to travel for the long Labor Day holiday weekend.  But today’s price is still nine cents higher than a month ago.  You can save some gas by making sure your tires are properly inflated, and by driving at the speed limit. 

Powerball lottery over $1 billion

And if you have dreams of becoming a billionaire, today might be your day. 

The jackpot for the multi-state Powerball lottery has grown to $1.3 billion.  The last time someone picked all six digits was at the end of May, so the jackpot has continued to grow since then. 

The odds of winning aren’t very good though.  They’re about one in 290 million. Good luck! 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Vetoes aren’t just polite refusals. They’re vital checks of power between executive and legislative branches, at every level of government. 

But when the city council doesn’t grasp how vetoes work, things can get heated.

During a recent city council meeting in Highland Park, confusion over veto authority sparked a heated moment with a dramatic walk‑out by Council Member Khursheed Ash-Shafii. 

The city council had previously voted to cease a contract with the consulting firm McKenna. The mayor vetoed that decision and then the city council was tasked with upholding or overruling the Mayor’s veto, per the city’s charter, at the Aug. 4th meeting. 

Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt spoke with Detroit Documenters Caitlin Santer and Lynelle Herndon to unpack the tension and decode what went wrong. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro