Detroiters cast ballots in primary election

Detroiters headed to the polls yesterday (Tuesday) for the city’s primary election.

In the race to become Detroit’s next mayor, City Council President Mary Sheffield led the field of nine candidates throughout the night, winning more than half the votes cast. Her victory was evident early, and the Associated Press called the race for her before 10 p.m. Sheffield spoke to her supporters at the Cambria Hotel, celebrating her clear victory.

“I believe our best days are ahead of us. The victory tonight is not mine. It is ours. It is ours. It belongs to every little boy and girl in this city that was told to dream small. It belongs to every neighborhood in this city that has felt left behind.”

Pastor Solomon Kinloch finished second in last night’s primary election.

He celebrated with supporters at the Roostertail. Kinloch says if he’s elected mayor of Detroit, he’ll focus on investing in everyone in the city.

“Detroit needs more than a manager of downtown development. We need moral leadership, someone who doesn’t just govern but serves putting people and their needs front and center in every decision.”

The race for second place was close and continued through the late-night hours. Kinloch beat former Council President Saunteel Jenkins by just over a thousand votes.

The two winners of the mayoral primary will face off against each other in the November general election. Incumbent Mayor Mike Duggan decided not to run for a fourth term. Instead, he’s running in 2026 as an independent candidate for governor of Michigan.

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Detroit City Council races take shape

The field of candidates is down to four in the race to become Detroit City at-large members—those elected across the whole city, not just within a district. Incumbents Mary Waters and Coleman Young led the voting. Challengers Janee Ayers and James Harris will also advance to the general election. The top two vote-getters in November will be elected to City Council.

In Council District 2, incumbent Angela Whitfield Calloway and Roy McCallister Jr. will face off in the general election.

Renata Miller and Willie Burton will vie for the council seat in District 5. And Denzel McCampbell and Karen Whitsett will compete in District 7.

Suburban mayoral primaries

Hamtramck residents cast their ballots in a mayoral primary Tuesday. The top two candidates were Adam Alharbi with 54 percent of the vote and Muhith Mahmood with 29 percent. They’ll face each other in the November general election.

Dearborn Heights voters selected Mo Beydoun and Denise Maxwell as the two mayoral candidates advancing to the November general election.

In Taylor, Tim Woolley and Herman Ramik were the top two vote-getters and will move on to the November ballot.

Pontiac voters chose Mike McGuiness and Kermit Williams to run for mayor in November. In Southfield, incumbent Ken Siver and challenger Sylvia Jordan will appear on the general election ballot.

City clerk says Trump’s election lies may be to blame

Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey predicts voter turnout of between 13 and 18 percent for today’s primary elections. Typically, fewer people head to the polls in years without a presidential race. But Winfrey told WDET’s “The Metro” she blames the low numbers in part on former President Trump’s false claims that elections — including in Detroit — were rigged against him.

“When you as a leader of this great country say things like ‘Voting doesn’t matter… it’s not fair… they cheat,’ that would oftentimes lead to, I think, voter apathy,” said Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey.

Winfrey says only about 2,000 people voted early — despite early voting starting more than a week ago and ending Sunday. She says other cities across the country are seeing a similar trend.

“And we see all across the board that turnout is slow… that people are disinterested. But I also think that candidates also drive turnout. When people are excited about the candidate one way or the other… they show up and they show out,” Winfrey said.

The two highest vote-getters from today’s primary will move on to the general election in November. Mayor Mike Duggan is not seeking re-election and is instead running for governor.

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Detroit city races will narrow after today’s primary

Detroit City Council members Mary Sheffield and Fred Durhal will find out today if they’ll appear on the November ballot in the race for mayor.

Several other races will also narrow.

Seven candidates are on the primary ballot in Sheffield’s District 5. Four candidates are running in Durhal’s District 7.

In District 2, incumbent Angela Whitfield Calloway faces two challengers — former councilman Roy McAlister Jr. and State Representative Helena Scott.

Former councilwoman Janeé Ayers is among six candidates running for at-large seats against incumbents Mary Waters and Coleman Young II.

Michigan launches stipend program for behavioral health interns

Students studying for careers in behavioral health can now apply for state support while completing unpaid internships. The Behavioral Health Internship Stipend Program offers up to $15,000 to help cover living expenses and academic fees.

Those studying to become marriage and family therapists, behavior analysts, social workers, professional counselors, and psychologists may qualify.

More details and application information:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/legislationpolicy/workforce-access-and-grants-management-section/mi-bhisp

MOCAD hosts art-making, exhibits, and book club this week

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is offering several events this week for visitors of all ages.

Thursday:

• Summer studio hours from 3–5 p.m.

• Curator book club at 6 p.m. featuring Legacy Russell’s Black Meme, discussed by Associate Curator Isabella Nimmo.

Saturday, August 9 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.):

• Family Day — with gallery chats, art-making, and collaborative projects.

• Exhibit closing: Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art

• Closing performance at 6 p.m.: All Faux Everythings, a sonic collaboration between artist Wes Taylor and Michael Demps.

More info: https://mocadetroit.org

Hannan Center exhibit celebrates artists who teach

The Hannan Center is showcasing a new exhibit titled Artists Who Teach and Their Students — part of its 100th anniversary season. The multigenerational show explores the connection between creating art and teaching it.

Curator and Gallery Director Richard Reeves says the exhibit gives teaching artists a much-needed space to show their own work.

REEVES: “A lot of times teachers are so busy doing the wonderful things they do — teaching our kids and adults — they don’t have time to be creative and do their own artwork. This gives them a space to show and express themselves.”

The Hannan Center is located at 4750 Woodward Avenue.
More information: https://hannan.org

Nine candidates compete in Detroit’s mayoral primary

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is primary election day in Detroit. Voters will have a chance to cast their ballots to determine which of the nine mayoral candidates will go on to face each other in the November general election.

Council President Mary Sheffield, pastor Solomon Kinloch, former Council President Saunteel Jenkins, and Councilman Fred Durhal II are on the ballot… along with former police chief James Craig, attorney Todd Perkins, businessman Joel Haashiim, entrepreneur Jonathan Barlow, and retired cosmetologist Danetta Simpson.

Several candidates are also on the ballot for Detroit City Council. Primary elections are also taking place in Hamtramck, Taylor, Dearborn Heights, and other cities.

Dearborn wards

The City of Dearborn is not holding a primary election tomorrow. A group called Dearborn Wants Wards is hoping to add ballot language to institute districted elections in Dearborn. If approved in time, voters could decide on the measure in November—along with choosing the next mayor and several city council seats.

There’s more information about local elections at the Michigan Secretary of State’s website.

Reporting by Nargis Rahman

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$1 million in tuition prizes awarded to Michigan students

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), and the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) gave out $1 million dollars to 50 Michigan students recently.

The Ticket to Tuition giveaway provided 40 students with $1,000 prizes, and ten students with $50,000 prizes for those who filed their Federal Application for Student Aid – or FAFSA – for the first time. More than 21,000 students applied for the giveaway, which aimed to promote FAFSA filing for scholarships and grants to attend post-secondary education.

The giveaway is also part of the state’s “Sixty by 30” plan, which seeks to have at least 60 percent of Michiganders receive a degree or skill certificate by 2030.

Reporting by Nargis Rahman

August is Breastfeeding Month in Michigan

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared August as Breastfeeding Month.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says breastfeeding prevents multiple illnesses in infants, including decreasing the risk of infections, diseases, and diabetes. They recommend breastfeeding children up to 2 years old. The World Health Organization also says breastfeeding saves more than 820,000 children under the age of five.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) hopes to support families in nursing babies by increasing support for families—especially those from communities of color. The department provides resources such as training for health care providers and support for parents to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding.

Learn more at mibreastfeeding.org.

Reporting by Nargis Rahman

Arab American nonprofits to receive $110K in grants

The Center for Arab American Philanthropy and the National Network for Arab American Communities announced they are teaming up to give away $110,000 to 17 Arab American nonprofits nationally.

The grants will be awarded to nonprofits working in arts and culture, human services, advocacy, and education.

Check out the full list at centeraap.org.

Reporting by Nargis Rahman

Air quality alert remains in effect for Detroit

An air quality alert remains in effect for Detroit today.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is drifting south and east, blanketing parts of the Midwest. Air quality was considered to be in the “unhealthy” range this afternoon, as small particles from the wildfires drifted in the air. Those particles can be inhaled and cause irritation. They can also cause problems for healthy residents, as well as those with asthma or heart disease.

Detroiters are advised to avoid strenuous activities and limit time outside until the air quality alert has lifted.

For months, Detroiters and suburbanites have had their eyes on the mayoral race. That’s for good reason: Mayor Mike Duggan is running for governor and the mayoral race is the most competitive it’s been in years. It’s also very likely that the city will have a Black mayor once again.

But other races in Detroit deserve attention. Twenty-two candidates are competing in the Detroit City Council primary races. Those seats matter — the people who win those positions are the city’s legislators. They decide what ordinances get passed, what norms are established, and which ones fade away. 

Bridge Detroit has been hosting town halls in every Detroit district leading up to Tuesday’s primary election. For more on what issues are uniting and dividing residents, The Metro brought into the WDET studios the two people leading those town halls: journalists Bryce Huffman and Malachi Barrett.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

More stories from The Metro

Early voting underway in Detroit’s primary election

Early voting is underway in Detroit’s primary election. Voters can use an absentee ballot or cast their vote at one of the city’s eight early voting centers. Those centers are open this week from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Nine candidates are on the primary ballot vying to become Detroit’s next mayor. The top two vote-getters will go on to face each other in the November general election. Several candidates for City Council also appear on the primary ballot.

Early voting ends on Sunday. Detroiters can also vote in person on Primary Day, which is one week from today — Tuesday, August 5.

Learn more about upcoming elections with WDET’s 2025 Detroit Voter Guide »

Heavy storms cause flooding across Detroit

Many Detroiters spent part of the evening cleaning up after heavy thunderstorms rolled through the area Monday afternoon. Rain amounts varied widely across the region, but some Detroit streets were temporarily flooded by heavy rainfall.

The I-96 westbound exit ramp to the Southfield Freeway was backed up with heavy traffic and closed for a short time after the storms passed. At Metro Airport, several roads were closed by flooding, forcing passengers to scramble to make their flights.

Meteorologists say an area near Romulus received nearly three inches of rain in just an hour.

Detroit launches first municipal start-up fund

The City of Detroit and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation have launched the city’s first municipal start-up fund. The fund will award 20 grants of $15,000 each and six additional grants of $50,000 each.

Detroit Economic Growth Corporation CEO Kevin Johnson says the grants will give new non-retail businesses a better chance to survive.

“Being an entrepreneur is a battle to survive. Ideas mean one thing, but when you can’t cultivate it to a point where it becomes a reasonable business, then we’re recycling old things that cause them to fail,” Johnson said.

Entrepreneurs must have been in business for at least two years and be based in Detroit to be eligible for the grants.

Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley

Gas prices drop in Metro Detroit

Gas prices are falling in Metro Detroit. The average price of self-serve regular is now $3.19 per gallon. That’s down three cents from last week and seven cents lower than a month ago.

The national average for gas is just over $3.13 per gallon.

Tigers trade for two pitchers ahead of MLB deadline

The Detroit Tigers have completed a trade just a few days before the Major League Baseball deadline.

The team was looking to bolster its pitching staff and received right-hand pitchers Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak from the Minnesota Twins. In exchange, the Twins received catcher Enrique Jiminez and a minor league prospect.

The Tigers needed pitching help with Reese Olsen missing the rest of the regular season due to a shoulder sprain. He could return for the playoffs.

Detroit currently holds a record of 62 wins and 46 losses and sits in first place in the American League Central.

Detroit is just a few weeks away from a primary election that will decide the two final contenders to become the next mayor. WDET is listening to the voices of Detroit voters as part of our Citizen Vox project.

One of those voters is Jasmine Kay. She has several issues she hopes the next mayor will address.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Jasmine Kay: One would definitely be about like renting spaces and tenants rights. Just making sure that it’s equitable. Why am I getting luxury pricing but not getting a luxury space? So, I think that should definitely come up first just to make sure that people can be housed.

And the second would be like the education system. So like DPSCD. How are we actually making sure our students are being supported, and the teachers, the staff and the people who are doing that work that they have the safeguards and resources to properly do their job?

Sascha Raiyn, WDET News:  Are there any candidates that seem to be addressing those issues for you?

JK: I would say not at this time, because I like to take my time to really kind of see their policies and see what they’re saying in between that time.

SR: How much do you feel like your expectations for the next mayor are shaped by the work of the last mayor?

JK:  I would hope the initiatives that he did start, like removing blight and other things like that continue to be expanded upon. So I just hope that they would continue the good work that is really, actually helping the city to continue to do that and not let ego get in the way of ‘I’m going to tear it down, or I’m going to shut it down or stop it to reset it so that I can put my name on it.’

So, I just hope those programs and things that have been helping our city progress, they continue to do that, then they can sprinkle on their own little flavor in their next season. That this can be their claim to fame.

I would hope they would really listen to your people. First, because we’re here, we’re local. We are the ones being impacted directly by these policies and how it comes into our space. So, I would hope they just really listen to the people. Take a stand if something is really not with the vision of this country. If something is not right, that they would be bold enough to take that stand to do so. Just making sure we are protecting our people, because we’re right across from Canada. That’s a whole nother country. You know, Detroit, historically has been a place, like for the Underground Railroad, you know, of port of freedom. I like to, like do that. So I hope that they’re taking stands. They’re listening to their people.

SR: Is there anything you would like to say to people running to lead the city?

JK: Do your job for the people. Do your actual job for the people. What are our needs? And get it moving. Don’t over promise and under deliver. If there’s only one major thing you can do, then make sure it gets done. We have a tattered history with different mayors in this space. So, let that be a good reminder to actually do your job. Be involved. Let’s see your face more. Like, don’t be afraid of your people.

Detroit is just a few weeks away from a primary election that will decide the two final contenders to become the next mayor. WDET is listening to the voices of Detroit voters as part of our Citizen Vox project.

One of those voters is Dena Norris. She says she wants the next mayor to address issues that hit close to home.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Dena Norris: So, top of mind for me is senior security, you know, and more services for seniors. You know, as I travel down in age, I’m interested in those specialties. I’m also very concerned about affordable housing. It is outrageous the rents that, you know, people are being asked to pay and for so little.

I provide housing for senior women who are in temporary states of homelessness. And I know that they’re not going to find anything — it’s going to be very difficult for them to find affordable housing when they leave me. I like the concept of tiny homes. I think that is an excellent way to go. If we can have more communities of tiny homes… It’s a small thing, a big thing, you know, a small contribution, but a very big thing.

Sascha Raiyn, WDET News: Have you heard any candidates addressing the issues that are important to you?

DN: No, I haven’t. I listened to one forum, and I was impressed with a few of them. I don’t remember if they addressed those issues specifically, but I don’t think so.

They were talking about creating more jobs. Really important. We need that too. Everybody talks about, in every election, you know what they bring, what they’re going to bring. And then nobody brings anything. You know, if you don’t know how to operate economically, what can you really bring to the city?

You have great ideas. You know, I had great ideas once upon a time.

Great ideas are great ideas. Can you manifest them? Do you have the skills? Do you know how to work it? By the numbers, those are the important points.

SR: Do you see some enthusiasm, interest in this election right now?

DN:  I don’t. I don’t, you know, but I don’t feel any enthusiasm in the city for this election. Period. Maybe I’m not hanging out in the right places, you know, but I’m not feeling that energy.