Only about one out of every five people in the city of Detroit voted during the last mayoral election.

Now a similar small percentage of the electorate will likely determine who leads the city for the next four years, as long-time Mayor Mike Duggan makes a bid to become governor.

WDET is talking with voters about the candidates and issues that matter to them as part of our Citizen Vox Project.

That includes 60-year-old downtown resident Monica Davie.

She says the city faces a crucial crossroads.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Monica Davie: (Interview edited for clarity.) The conscience of Detroit is at stake. I think we need someone who has experience in both private and public sectors. I think our candidates are well-intended and that they love the city. Any one of them would be very good. But we need great.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Do you have a particular candidate in mind yet?

MD: I am supporting Saunteel Jenkins. She started her early career in public service. Think she has persevered over some personal and professional challenges. Her service on the Detroit City Council was very, very good. I think she had an opportunity to showcase her talents and has done a great job with THAW (The Heat and Warmth Fund, a nonprofit assistance agency.) I think that she has protected and supported at-risk and underserved populations in the city. I think we need that kind of leadership.

QK: You already mentioned some issues. But what others in the city would you like to see whoever becomes the next mayor address?

MD: I’d like to see as much attention and money spent in the neighborhoods as is in downtown. What happens when folks are visiting a community and the lights go out? Is it still welcoming to the individuals? We have got this tag phrase of the “old Detroit” and the “new Detroit.” There’s no such thing. It’s just one Detroit. And there’s a group of individuals that held Detroit down, as we say, when the lights were out, so I’d like to see them respected.

I don’t know how we have a big, beautiful metropolis and still have individuals traversing through that are homeless and we’re not building big, beautiful shelters for them and giving them a leg-up. They don’t need a hand-out, they want a hand-up. And we have the mechanisms and the resources to do it right here in the city of Detroit. So, I would like to see an individual be really focused on sharing the wealth, spreading the wealth, making sure the individuals in the city of Detroit, no matter who they are, get some of these skilled trades jobs training. That whole component is important. Even though our political landscape is threatening adult education and skilled trades, I would like to see us focus on it in the city of Detroit. I don’t want to see us moving our low-income and at-risk individuals out to the suburbs, our homeless out to the suburbs. I’d like to see them integrated and supported in the city while we continue to build.

QK: This will be the first time in about 12 years that Mike Duggan is not running for mayor. What have you thought of the job that he’s done? And do you see things he’s done that you think the next mayor should either build upon or perhaps go beyond?

MD: I’ll be honest, I was not originally a supporter of Duggan. But I think he has a brilliant mind and I think that he’s galvanized and exposed some real challenges that we have in the city. I think that he’s tried to take a swing at them, like some of the blight and tearing-down some of the vacant homes and some of the urban farms and some of the subsidies that he’s offered. I think he’s done a good job. I’m appreciative of his leadership overall. I would like to see the next mayor follow that blueprint, look at his historical footprint, sort of put their own spin on it and bring us some new and innovative things with that base still in place. Not someone that he’s just endorsing, but someone that can think like him and call upon him for support when they need him.

Detroit officials announced the launch of a new teen violence prevention plan in response to recent shooting incidents involving children in the city.

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At a news conference on Monday, Mayor Mike Duggan said the city will enforce a 10 p.m. curfew as part of the plan, adding that over the past month, 12 of the 20 shootings involving minors happened late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

“Whatever trouble teenagers may get into in the afternoon and the evening as you start to get to 11, 12, 1 in the morning — whether they’re drinking, whether they’re using substances, whether they’re just beefing — the behavior gets worse and worse,” he said.

Duggan says he will ask the Detroit City Council to raise the fines for parents whose kids are caught outside after curfew without adult supervision. 

Duggan is also authorizing more overtime for the Detroit Police Department, so officers will stay out later to enforce the curfew against groups of teenagers. 

Watch Duggan and Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison’s announcement about the effort here.

Reporting by Russ McNamara, WDET News

Other headlines for Monday, July 7, 2025:

• The city of Dearborn has unveiled another ability inclusive playscape. This third installment can be found at Lapeer Park, joining Ford Woods and Crowley parks in providing activities for children with special mobility needs. Dearborn Parks & Recreation worked with disability groups and families to design the park.
• Michigan residents now have the option to take the written portion of the driver’s education course online. The “KnowTo Drive” test can be taken at Michigan Secretary of State branches and offices, and is available in different languages. Eligible Michigan residents over 18 must verify proof of identity and pay a $6.50 convenience fee. They will also have to use a webcam to prove their identity.
• Detroit Documenters is a program that trains and pays people to take notes at public meetings in Detroit. Documenters is hosting a network-wide Virtual Note-taking Practice Session from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9. Participants must complete an orientation training before participating in the note-taking training. The Documenters are also hosting a photo documenting workshop in Tech Town on July 15.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.