Detroit: Mary Sheffield, the current President of the Detroit City Council, has won the 2025 mayoral election and in doing so, becomes the first woman elected Mayor of Detroit.
Election & Result
- Sheffield defeated Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. in the general election held on November 4, taking a commanding lead.
- With the victory projected by the Associated Press at approximately 77% of the vote, Sheffield’s margin marks one of the largest in Detroit’s mayoral race history.
- She will succeed three term Mayor Mike Duggan, who opted not to seek a fourth term and is instead running for governor of Michigan.
Background & Significance
- Sheffield, aged 38, first joined the Detroit City Council in 2013 at age 26 then the youngest person ever elected to the council.
- She became Council President in 2022, also setting a record as the youngest person in that role.
- Her election is historic not only for being the first female mayor of Detroit, but also for deepening representation in a city long led by men.
Priorities & Platform
In her victory speech and campaign remarks, Sheffield emphasized several key themes for her tenure:
- “A Detroit that works for everyone,” she said, declaring her aim to listen, fight and serve for all Detroiters.
- Her agenda highlights: improving public safety, investing in education, preserving and uplifting neighborhoods and expanding development so that all parts of the city benefit not just downtown.
- Sheffield inherits a city that has emerged from bankruptcy and now has 12 consecutive years of balanced budgets, improving services, declining crime in some categories and modest population growth.
What’s Next
- Sheffield’s term begins in January. In the interim, she will oversee the transition and wrap up her work as Council President.
- Her administration will be watched closely as Detroit seeks to maintain momentum on its resurgence while addressing long standing challenges: Blight, Affordable housing, Gun violence, Economic inequality and Revitalization beyond the core.
