It's early in Detroit mayor's race, but money is starting to flow
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
City Council president Mary Sheffield has raised the most money so far in the battle to replace Mike Duggan as Detroit's mayor.
Why it matters: The race's latest campaign filings showing fundraising between October and December 2024 were due last week. These give an early look into which deep-pocketed stakeholders are financially backing candidates.
Yes, but: Sheffield announced her campaign in December, earlier than her opponents, and these reports come at the beginning of a long race in which many pivotal voices are still weighing who to support.
- Some potential candidates have yet to announce their campaigns.
- The election's primary is in August, then the top two candidates compete in November.
By the numbers: Sheffield raised nearly $163,000 in Q4 2024, for a total of nearly $468,000 on hand at the end of the year. She held a fundraiser in Atlanta and has garnered support from some major big business influencers, like the Dan Gilbert-connected Rock Holdings Inc. State PAC and Cindy Pasky, CEO of Strategic Staffing Solutions.
- State Rep. Joe Tate, who has not formally announced his candidacy but has formed an "exploratory committee," raked in some hefty donations from PACS and brought over $40,000 from another Tate committee. He raised nearly $130,000 in the quarter and had nearly $129,000 on hand.
- Candidate Saunteel Jenkins, the former CEO of nonprofit The Heat and Warmth Fund and former City Council president, raised more than $53,000 in Q4 and ended the year with nearly $117,000 on hand. She held three local fundraisers and received support from former Mayor Dave Bing, Kresge Foundation leader Rip Rapson and other big names.
- City Council member Fred Durhal raised $112,000 in Q4 and had nearly $112,000 on hand, including from former top city executives, prominent names in business and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters.
Worthy of your time: BridgeDetroit's map shows where in the country these candidates' donations are coming from.
Some of Sheffield's large and/or notable contributions in this most recent quarter include:
- Dan Gilbert-connected Rock Holdings Inc. State PAC: $13,000
- Wafa Eljahmi and Yousef Almadrahi, with Specialty Medical Center: $8,325 each
- Louay Hussein of towing company J & T Crova: $8,235
- Cindy Pasky, CEO of Strategic Staffing Solutions: $8,000
- Rudy Matti, president of cannabis retailer Backpack Boyz on 8 Mile Road: $2,000
- Maha Freij, CEO of Dearborn's Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS): $500
- Lance Woods, co-founder of running club WeRun313: $100
- Atlanta-based venture capitalist Arian Simone Reed: $2,500
- Richard Hosey, owner of Hosey Development and co-developer of the Fisher Body plant: $1,000
- Eric Larson, developer and Downtown Detroit Partnership CEO: $1,000
Jenkins' include:
- Former Mayor Dave Bing: $1,000
- Rip Rapson, CEO of the Kresge Foundation: $1,000
- Jim Nicholson, co-chair of PVS Chemicals: $2,000
- William Phillips, CEO of business services provider P.I.E. Management: $5,000
- Carina Jackson, COO of Mariners Inn: $2,500
- Dan Loepp, recently retired CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan: $1,000
- Director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and former state Sen. Adam Hollier: $250
- Rodney Cole of the DTE Energy Foundation: $250
Durhal's include:
- Juvaria Khan, director of D.C. nonprofit The Appellate Project: $1,000
- Local consultant and former state Sen. Buzz Thomas: $1,000
- Brad Dick, former city COO: $250
- Antoine Bryant, former city planning director: $250
- Jared Fleisher, vice president of Dan Gilbert's Rock Family of Companies: $2,000
- Dewey Santoro, owner of Santoro Auto & Truck: $3,000
- Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters: $10,000
- The Advancing Detroit and Michigan PAC, linked to Hollier: $1,300 and $9,000
- Paul Quasarano of Eastown Distributors: $3,000
- Hosey, co-developer of the Fisher Body plant: $1,000
- Manish Chaudhary and Majid Shaukat with DMC Group: $2,500 and $8,000
Tate's include:
- Antonio Pollicella of Team Wellness: $8,325
- David Meador, retired DTE Energy executive: $5,000
- Operating Engineers Local 324 PAC: $25,000
- Transformational Leadership Fund: $16,977
- MI Forward Fund: $6,830
