Candidates running for Detroit mayor in 2025 election — so far

It's anyone's race for the mayoral seat in Detroit, and some have already created committees to run.

Mayor Mike Duggan announced Wednesday afternoon that he is not seeking reelection in 2025, leaving the seat open for multiple candidates. Although it's still early in the campaign cycle, multiple Detroiters have thrown their hat in the ring and established candidate committees for mayor. Some have already begun fundraising.

Those who have already filed candidate committees for the mayoral post include City Council President Mary Sheffield, former Councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins, Councilman Fred Durhal III and businessman Joel Haashiim, nearly all of whom have approached Duggan for advice, he told the Free Press.

Candidates have until April 22, 2025, to file for office.

Sheffield was the first to establish her exploratory committee last year, getting a head start on fundraising among other potential candidates. As of her October campaign statement, Sheffield has an ending balance of $355,189 in campaign funds.

Jenkins announced her bid in August and hit the ground to raise money for her campaign. Jenkins has an ending balance of $116,047 as of her October campaign statement.

Durhal filed in October and has yet to file any campaign contributions.

Haashiim announced his bid in January to the Free Press but has yet to file a campaign statement, Wayne County Campaign Finance records show.

Duggan declined to share specific conversations he had with them, but offered his time and staff as resources during the transition period. Duggan also has not decided whether he will endorse a candidate.

"I'm going to watch and see who the candidates are. I'm going to decide, like all the other Detroiters, who I'm going to vote for next year," Duggan said during an interview Tuesday. "I don't have a favorite right now, but I'm going to watch each of the candidates get out and campaign and show their leadership style, but I am quite sure there won't be a return to us-versus-them politics. I don't think you could be elected mayor today if you started attacking Lansing, attacking the suburbs, attacking the business community, all that nonsense."

Duggan is looking for a candidate with the courage to tell residents what they, as mayor, can or cannot do, despite any criticisms they may face.

"The hardest thing, though, is you got to tell people what they don't want to hear," Duggan said. "I think a big part of my success is when I'm in somebody's community, I said ,'You're not gonna like my answer. But here is what's happening."

The mayor recalled the city's initiative to restore streetlights, calling it "the biggest fiasco" from utilizing funds to place lights every 300 feet across Detroit, to facing residents who were upset with him for removing some lights near them.

"If you were going to light this city to the standard, you had to put lights every 300 feet across the city, which basically was a light at each corner and one in the middle ... the whole city sat in the darkness. I came in, I brought in the meeting, I said, 'Here's what we're going to do.' There's 1,100 people in front of a working light that's gonna be taken down, and 1,100 houses are going to be mad at me. The other 230,000 houses are going to be better off," Duggan said.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: [email protected]. Follow her: @DanaAfana.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Candidates running for Detroit mayor in 2025 election