Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan endorses Vice President Kamala Harris for 2024 election

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Monday followed President Joe Biden's lead to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris after the president's stunning decision Sunday to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

Among other Democratic mayors, Duggan is standing alongside Biden, his friend and political ally, to support Harris in a campaign against former President Donald Trump, according to Duggan spokesman John Roach.

"The Biden-Harris team has brought Detroit's recovery back 10 years ahead of time," Duggan said, crediting the administration for resources to address lead water line replacements, roof repairs, new buses and park renovations.

"I'm 100% behind Vice President Kamala Harris. I am a delegate to the convention and I will be voting for her nomination next month and will be campaigning hard for her. Joe Biden has meant a great deal to this city and we will always be grateful. But Vice President Harris has shared that commitment," Duggan said.

More than 250 mayors endorsed Harris on Monday through the Democratic Mayors Association.

“As mayors, we are the closest to the people and understand better than most that too much is at stake for our communities to endure another Donald Trump presidency. Our rights, freedoms, and very democracy are on the line. With just over 100 days until the election, Democratic mayors remain fully committed to doing everything in our power to continue the momentum and legacy that President Joe Biden created," according to a statement from the mayors.

Duggan's political future is up in the air, as he has yet to confirm whether he plans to seek another term or run for higher office, in which he has been rumored to chase after the governor's seat.

The third-term mayor ran as a write-in candidate in 2013 and has since held the seat during multiple presidencies. Duggan and Biden's relationship kicked off in 2014, when he asked the then-vice president for aid in expanding city services after Detroit was emerging from bankruptcy. Since then, Duggan firmly backed Biden throughout his campaigns and maintained deep links to the White House, following several Detroit mayors' footsteps in capturing federal funding and resources for the city, including lobbying for a record $826 million in American Rescue Plan Act money.

However, with Biden leaving office and Duggan's political future in question, Detroit's needs will be in the hands of candidates with less visible links to the White House. Candidates who have filed candidate committees thus far include Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and ex-businessman Joel Haashiim, though several others are rumored to go after the mayor's seat.

'No good relationship' with Trump

Despite any unofficial confirmation of Duggan's political future and whether a possible departure from city hall will affect the accumulation of resources, the mayor pointed out his bad relationship with Trump during his presidency as an example of navigating less favorable circumstances.

"I spent four years with Donald Trump as president. There was no good relationship then. Basically we tried to keep our head down during that time. I think our starting point is, we need to elect a president who cares about this city and cares about this state," Duggan said. "I remember he did the visit to the church in the campaign in 2016 and says, ‘I will help Detroit's rebuilding.’ He got elected and never visited once in the next four years."

Biden lost a considerable amount of support in Michigan among constituents who demanded a cease-fire amid Israel's retaliation in Gaza after Hamas' attack on Israel in October. Backlash resulted in a campaign to vote "uncommitted" in the primary election to pressure Biden to call for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which led to more than 101,000 uncommitted votes.

Duggan plans to boost Harris by coordinating door-knocking efforts between unions and Democratic elected officials, pointing out her support for Detroit's housing and transportation programs, and advocacy for women's rights across the state, he said.

"I think she is going to energize this campaign," Duggan said. "The president did what was right for the country, and it's really hard to see him step aside. But he recognized that Donald Trump is an exceptional campaigner. President Biden is a great president, but he had to recognize himself. He wasn't as effective on the campaign trail. He did the right thing for the country."

Darryl Woods Sr., the new chairman of the Board of Police Commissioners, also expressed his support for Harris on Facebook.

"I stand ready to fight hard for the Harris ticket," Woods wrote. "Let's (come) together to maintain dignity, respect and integrity in the White House."

Free Press staff writer Andrea Sahouri contributed to this article.

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: Detroit Mayor Duggan endorses Kamala Harris for 2024 presidential run