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Detroit residents are gearing up to choose their next mayor this Tuesday.
In the running are City Council President Mary Sheffield and Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. of the Triumph megachurch. Both candidates, affiliated with the Democratic Party, are squaring off in the general election following their top finishes in the nonpartisan primary held in August, according to The Associated Press.
The victor will succeed Mayor Mike Duggan, who, after three terms, is stepping down to pursue a gubernatorial bid in Michigan as an independent. Duggan took office in 2013 during a period of financial turmoil for Detroit. While the city has made significant economic strides since then, the incoming mayor will still have to tackle persistent issues, such as a lack of affordable housing and economic disparities among different racial groups.
In the final days leading up to the vote, Kinloch Jr., who is currently trailing in the race, has leveled accusations against Sheffield. He claims she breached city regulations by voting to grant lucrative city contracts to a person she was romantically involved with during her 12-year tenure on the City Council, as reported by the Detroit Free Press.
This election is happening amid dwindling federal resources for the city and a looming threat of federal intervention, which could include the deployment of the National Guard.
At a September rally in Howell, Michigan, Vice President JD Vance said in a public message to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., that the Trump administration is “happy to send the National Guard to Detroit, Michigan. All you got to do is ask.”
Polls in Michigan close at 9 p.m. ET. Follow the results of the Detroit mayoral election in the tracker below:
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
