Detroit — City Council President Mary Sheffield and the Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. will go head-to-head in November to become Detroit’s next mayor, setting the stage for a showdown between a millennial political veteran and a Gen X novice who says the city needs an outside voice.
Sheffield, 38, won Tuesday’s primary with 51% of the vote to be the top vote-getter, and Kinloch finished in second place with 17.6%, with 84% of votes counted.
Former City Council President Saunteel Jenkins was in third with 15% of the vote, followed by former Detroit Police Chief James Craig at 5.4% and attorney Todd Perkins at 5.3%.
“This is just the beginning,” said Kinloch, 52, a pastor at Triump Church who has never held elected office before, in a statement after the election was called. “We’re going to win this election the old-school way, with boots on the ground, engaging Detroit, block by block, from now until November.”
Speaking at her victory party at a downtown hotel late Tuesday, Sheffield, meanwhile, said she’s “deeply committed” to investing in the city’s neighborhoods, parks, youth programs, and cultural institutions “because every Detroiter deserves to be feel seen and supported.”
“We know that we are in critical times, times that demand bold and immediate action, and we need leadership that is ready, that is equipped and prepared with a clear plan to continue the progress that we’ve made,” she said.
“We still have far to go to build a Detroit that is more equitable, more just and truly safe for all. But I say to you tonight, we can rise higher. And as your next mayor, we will rise.”
Leading up to Tuesday’s primary, Sheffield was the frontrunner in both fundraising and polling.
Many at her primary watch party were confident hours before the race was called, with periodic chants of “Mayor Sheffield“ and “first woman mayor” from the crowd. She took the stage to cheers. If Sheffield wins in November, she would be Detroit’s first female mayor.
Resident Daryl Cureton cast his ballot for Sheffield because he believes she is the candidate who can make things happen as Detroit’s next mayor.
“She knew more what was going on, and she can make things happen,” Cureton, a retired teacher, said. “It’s time to put money in the community now that the downtown is built up.”
The Nov. 4 general election will mark the first time in more than a decade without Mayor Mike Duggan’s name on the ballot. After three terms in office, Duggan announced late last year that he wouldn’t seek a fourth term and is now running for governor as an independent candidate.
Most of the nine mayoral candidates tried to pitch themselves as the one who can expand Detroit’s overall improving fortune, promising balanced budgets, lower crime rates, rising home values and less poverty.
Voters at the polls Tuesday said they were looking for candidates who had track records of experience with fiscal issues and community service, who would prioritize affordable housing and neighborhood investments and generally maintain the city’s recent momentum.
Kinloch: Didn’t enter race ‘to chase power’
After the polls closed Tuesday, candidates fanned out at gatherings across the city. More than 100 supporters, volunteers and campaign workers for Kinloch gathered at the Roostertail to await election results. Guests wore gold and blue shirts, buttons and hats heralding Kinloch as the city’s next leader.
Loud music pumped around the restaurant, which sits along the Detroit River, and food and drinks were aplenty as guests awaited results. Kinloch arrived just before 10:50 p.m. when his supporters started chanting: “We rock with Kinloch.” They all broke into the Kool & the Gang song “Celebration” with the candidate on stage, where he smiled and danced with his wife.
Kinloch told his supporters that they were on their way to accomplishing something “historical.”
“I did not enter this race to chase power. I came to serve with a purpose. If we want a city that shines, we cannot stand in the shadows,” Kinloch said.
Tabitha Nahabedian and Alisa Sanders arrived at Kinloch’s party dressed in white jackets which bore the name “Mothers Keeping Boots on the Ground,” an advocacy group both women started after their adult children were murdered and their criminal cases remain unresolved.
Both women supported Kinloch, saying he is the person who has real-world experience dealing with the trauma of a homicide in his own family and experience of living in neighborhoods where crime and poverty are constant challenges.
Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. speaks to supporters
Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. speaks to supporters on primary election night in Detroit on Aug. 5, 2025.
“We believe he will reform the justice system, form a connection with the attorney general and have fresh eyes and ideas,” Nahabedian said.
“He knows what it is like to have gas, lights and water cut off,” Sanders said. “He believes in housing and education.”
Sheffield: ‘We are one city’
Speaking to reporters at the Cambria Hotel after her victory, Sheffield rejected the narrative of “two Detroits” that Kinloch had campaigned on ― essentially downtown, Midtown and Corktown versus the rest of the city.
“My message was very clear today: We are one city. No matter where I travel throughout the city, from east to west, we all have the same issues. We want safe neighborhoods. We want affordable housing. We want access to quality education,” she said.
Mary Sheffield speaks to supporters after winning primary
Mary Sheffield wins Detroit Mayoral primary: ‘So much work is ahead of us’
“But I do believe that our neighborhoods need more investment without a doubt. We are going to elevate issues and ensure that we’re bringing more attention to our communities.”
Sheffield was the youngest person elected to the Detroit City Council when she won in 2013 at the age of 26, according to her official biography. She represents District 5, which covers parts of the city’s east and west side and a portion of downtown.
A fourth-generation Detroiter, her family has a long history of civil rights activism. Her grandfather, Horace Sheffield Jr., was a noted labor activist in the United Auto Workers union. Her father, Rev. Horace Sheffield III, is executive director of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations and pastor of Detroit’s New Destiny Christian Fellowship.
Among Sheffield’s supporters on Tuesday at her party were Latwaina and Stephen Kelley, both of whom run Detroit nonprofits.
“I believe in her vision to keep improving the city,” said Stephen Kelley, 53, who runs Chosen Ndetroit. “It’s not just about big corporations for her. It’s about helping people.”
Latwaina, 47, said she believed Sheffield has the experience to “make an impact ” in reducing crime. Latwiana, who runs the nonprofit Crowning Detroit.
“I think she can get things,” Latwaina said.
‘Everything out on the field’
Even as Jenkins trailed late into the evening, she pledged to keep waiting on the results. Gathered at the Enclave on West McNichols with her supporters, the former Detroit City Council president got emotional as she thanked her volunteers.
“I know our city clerk is working hard to make sure that we all get accurate results tonight, so we are going to patiently await these numbers,” Jenkins said. “It’s a really close race, but I’m so excited and proud.”
Jenkins thanked her family and campaign team before giving a shout-out to her opponents.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody whose name is in this race,” she said. “It’s not easy to raise your hand and say, I will put myself out there … So, I want to thank all of my opponents, who are also colleagues, for raising their hands to serve the city. I think we all want what’s best for the city, and it is my goal to continue this race and win this.”
Caroline Kroger, 32, was a volunteer for the Jenkins campaign. She started researching the candidates about a month ago, and Jenkins stuck out to her for her “life of service,” Kroger said.
“She’s been a CEO, a social worker, city council president,” Kroger said. “She’s the most well-rounded, and I feel she will really put the people and the businesses here first. There’s a lot of potential here, and it’s like ‘What are we going to cultivate here?’”
Video: Saunteel Jenkins greets supporters at mayoral primary election watch party
Video: Saunteel Jenkins greets supporters at mayoral primary election watch party
Sheffield and Kinloch cast their ballots
A late May poll commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV (Channel 4) of 500 likely primary voters found Sheffield leading the crowded mayoral field with 38%. She had a double-digit advantage over Kinloch at 14%.
Sheffield was greeted by a crowd of supporters and campaigners when she arrived to vote Tuesday morning at the Horatio Williams Foundation. Accompanied by her grandmother and 8-year-old cousin, Rylan Owens, Sheffield posed for pictures with supporters and cast her ballot, saying she was “fired up” for the race.
When asked about low voter turnout during the primary, Sheffield said that if elected mayor, she will work to engage more Detroiters.
“It cannot just be during election time. We have to consistently educate our residents about civic engagement,” Sheffield said.
“We’re going to be getting into the schools. We’re going to be activating that youth services department within the city of Detroit, where our young people are going to be driving that entire department… It can’t just happen every time an election shows up and we think that the voter turnout was just going to, you know, come out. We have to do it more consistently.”
Sheffield’s grandmother, Mary Coty, 88, said it is “a great day to be a woman,” as she watched her granddaughter “make history.”
Kinloch, a pastor at Triumph Church, meanwhile, cast his ballot just before 8 a.m. at Chrysler Elementary School in Detroit.
“The people in this city want to see this city come back,” Kinloch said. “They want to see the city thrive. They just want to be able to be included in that and knowing that they have somebody on the other side of that door that’s going to show that that’s going to happen is what my candidacy is all about.”
Waiting for results
Craig, a former Republican candidate for governor, awaited the results with his supporters at Sindbad’s restaurant on Detroit’s east side Tuesday evening. He said he didn’t think any of the other candidates had his experience or background.
“Leading a police department is like being the CEO of a company,” he said. “I don’t think people realize how important leadership is. I don’t want to knock the other candidates, but what leadership have they exhibited? Voting on a bill? Or running a church? Again, not being critical of them, but those skills are not what’s needed to run a city like Detroit.”
Craig cited “law and order” when asked which conservative policies could help Detroit. “If people don’t feel safe in the city, then nothing gets done,” he said. “Nobody will want to invest here if they don’t feel like it’s a safe city.”
Voters sound off
Ayana McClain, 21, who lives on the city’s east side, said she voted for Sheffield because she’s been a mentor to her since eighth grade.“Whenever I’ve needed her, she’s always been there to help,” McClain said. “I think she’ll bring the city back.”
Mary Johnson said she voted for Kinloch because he has “a track record for community service.” His Triumph Church has food programs, for example, she said.
“I believe that he’s shown in the city how much he cares, how much he gives,” Johnson said. “He personally gives back.”
Michael Wells, 77, said he voted for Jenkins because of her past experience as a CEO at nonprofit organizations, including The Heat and Warmth Fund, which provides utility assistance to income-eligible families in Michigan. Wells specifically liked that Jenkins previously managed a budget.
“All this federal money that the city has enjoyed under Mayor (Mike) Duggan will not exist in the coming years, so it’s going to be a much tighter fiscal budget than we had,” Wells said. “So I’m looking for someone who’s had experience with finances.”
‘Keep bringing more jobs’
Leading up to Tuesday’s primary, several mayoral candidates pledged to make sure the city’s economic momentum spills beyond downtown Detroit and into other areas, including the city’s neighborhoods. Sheffield has vowed to bring jobs to Detroit, and Kinloch has said he’d push to build 10,000 affordable housing units.
Voter Inez Torbert, 77, said Tuesday that she remembered living downtown in 1990, and it was such a “ghost town” that she was “embarrassed” to have people over to visit. Those days are gone, Torbert, said, with a downtown that’s been virtually transformed with new residents, upscale retail stores and revived skyscrapers.
Torbert declined to share whom she voted for at the Douglass Branch of the Detroit Public Library but said her choices for both mayor and city council were determined by “people with experience and competency.”
“We need to keep bringing more jobs, and we need to work on improving education opportunities,” Torbert said, adding that she said was backing candidates with “a proven track record” who have shown they know how to work with a city council and the mayors’ office to accomplish their goals.
Allison Harris, 45, said she voted for Sheffield because she listens to the community and has taken their concerns to the council. Harris said when she first moved to Detroit, she worked on a project with Sheffield to help Detroit neighborhoods engage in more sustainable features.
“She’s the real deal,” Harris said. “She knows how to get stuff done. She was really thoughtful in listening to the community.”
Staff Writers Aya Fayad, Sarah Atwood, Apurva Mahajan, and George Hunter contributed.