3 takeaways from first Detroit mayoral forum
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The seven Detroit mayoral candidates at the race's first forum on Saturday. Photo: Annalise Frank/Axios
Seven candidates vied for the spotlight in the first mayoral forum of the race to succeed decadelong Detroit leader Mike Duggan.
The big picture: The group used their varying experiences with leadership to differentiate themselves on top issues: public safety, affordable housing, economic growth and neighborhoods.
- The African American Leadership Institute hosted the forum Saturday at Riverside Marina with the national women's political nonprofit Supermajority.
The participants were: Former police chief James Craig, businessman Joel Haashiim, City Council member Fred Durhal III, City Council president Mary Sheffield, former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins, attorney Todd Perkins and entrepreneur Jonathan Barlow.
- Longtime pastor Solomon Kinloch and previous candidate DaNetta Simpson also submitted petitions, but weren't present.
Our three top forum takeaways:
Empathy: Candidates want to make personal connections with Detroiters. The question is who will be able to do it most broadly and convincingly.
- They zeroed in on what they believe Detroiters need, as people with their own personal history here — from Durhal's and Perkins' perspectives as fathers to Jenkins' history with trauma and a serious health issue and Sheffield growing up watching the activism of her father, Rev. Horace Sheffield III, and others.
Banter: Onlookers want to know what this race is going to look like as it ramps up — not just in how candidates will pitch themselves, but also how they'll interact with each other.
- This was a Q&A forum, not a debate, so no rebuttals.
- But viewers did see a couple back-and-forth moments, including when candidates were asked the city's most pressing issue.
- "The single most is public safety. I thought my Republican counterpart would say that," Perkins said. Craig is a proud conservative, though the race is nonpartisan, and answered "neighborhood focus."
- Plus, when asked about handling the city's financial future without federal pandemic relief dollars, Craig, Haashiim and Perkins all said they wanted audits to dig into the city's financial health. Durhal said that the city has guardrails, and that any candidate "should already know what the budget is."
Energy and turnout: "To be finally at a point where Detroit will have an African American at the helm of leadership is important," African American Leadership Institute CEO Al Williams said.
- "I think it's absolutely important that we turn out to vote. No more 19, 18 percent turnout," he added. The turnout for Detroit's last mayoral election in November 2021 was 19%.
- "This year, Detroit, let's get it right. This year, let's step up."