The 76th try was the charm.
Mary Sheffield, the 12-year veteran of the Detroit City Council and its sitting president, made history Tuesday, becoming the first female mayor in Detroit’s history after soundly defeating challenger Rev. Solomon Kinloch in Tuesday’s eletion.
In a victory speech, Sheffield – who entered the fray when Mike Duggan chose to eschew a fourth term and run for governor – said the 75 previous mayors had all been male.
“I am told it was the largest margin (of victory) in the history of the city of Detroit,” Sheffield said to a group of reporters, according to the Detroit Free Press/ “I feel like today was a mandate by our city. Everyone is going to have a seat at the table with this administration.”
According to unofficial results, Sheffield won with 77% of the vote to 22 percent for Kinloch, of Detroit-based Trinity Church.
“I say to every little girl watching tonight, and to every child in this city: Never doubt yourself,” Sheffield said, according to a report from Axios. “No mountain is too high for you to climb. I’ve heard you loud and clear, Detroit, throughout the campaign. Don’t forget about the neighborhoods. And I’m going to tell you that we won’t. Together, we will invest in every corner of our city.” According to Axios, Sheffield joins eight Black female mayors of the 100 most populous U.S. cities as of June, per the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). Thirty-seven of those 100 cities were governed by women, the outlet reported.
