If Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has his way, the next governor of Michigan won’t be a Democrat or a Republican.
It will be an independent, and it will be him.
Duggan said in a video announcement that he will run for governor in 2026. But Duggan, a longtime Democrat who has been the city’s mayor for 10 years, said he will not seek the Democratic nomination in 2026, but will instead run as an independent.
He said he’s hoping to avoid the kind of political infighting that once plagued Detroit.
“The political nonsense that once held Detroit back is too often what we’re seeing in Michigan today,” Duggan said. “The current system forces people to take sides, not find solutions. I want to see if I can change that.
“What would happen if we upended the system and gave voters a new choice – a governor who didn’t run as a candidate for either party?” he asked, “but went to work every day with no goal except to get people to work together for all of Michigan. I’m not running to be the Democrats’ governor or the Republicans’ governor. I’m running to be your governor”
Duggan announced to city employees last month he would not seek another term as mayor, but didn’t say what his political future held. As many had speculated, his video announcement shows him taking aim at replacing term-limited Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Duggan’s departure leaves an opening that will likely draw a great deal of interest. Several candidates — City Council President Mary Sheffield, former Councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins, Councilman Fred Durhal III, Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate and businessman Joel Haashiim among them — have reportedly formed committees to consider the run.
Duggan took over the mayor’s office just after Detroit’s municipal bankruptcy filing. He used his campaign kickoff video to point out his successes as mayor, including lowering crime – in the video, Duggan says homicides in the city are at their lowest point since the mid-1960s – and improving municipal services such as restoring long-darkened street lights, and growing revenue streams such as online gaming and growing income taxes.
