Crowded race forms for Detroit's District 5 seat
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The city's Greek Independence Day Parade in District 5's Greektown in April. Photo: Courtesy of the City of Detroit via Flickr
Detroit's District 5 City Council race has a competitive field of seven candidates with deep roots in their communities, all vying to replace outgoing City Council President Mary Sheffield, who's running for mayor.
Why it matters: District 5 has a heightened visibility with a portion of downtown, New Center, Belle Isle, the bustling riverfront and parts of the east side.
- As District 5's representative, Sheffield pushed for affordable housing requirements when downtown developers such as Dan Gilbert approached Council for tax breaks.
Between the lines: The top two finishers in Tuesday's primary election move on to November's general election. The eventual winner will replace Sheffield as the district's representative, but not necessarily as Council president.
- Council members will vote next year to select their leader.
The candidates:
George Adams Jr. is a Realtor, developer and founder of 360 Detroit, a community nonprofit in the Virginia Park neighborhood.
- His priorities include affordable housing, neighborhood development and public transit.
Willie Burton has been the district representative on the city's Board of Police Commissioners since 2014.
- His tenure on the police oversight board has been marked by controversy, such as his arrest during a 2019 meeting for disrupting the proceedings.
Michael Hartt is a former auto industry human resources director whose campaign has focused on the city's unaffordable water rates and rampant overassessment of property values, per BridgeDetroit.
Esther Haugabook is a longtime housing advocate and district resident who has served on the Virginia Park Citizens District Council.
- Her playbook includes establishing a monthly call among regional leaders to track inflation, job losses and federal rule changes.
Tatjana Jackson is an educator at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and president of the Arden Park-East Boston Historic District Association.
- She has advocated for balancing the voices of developers with residents "so that wealth can be created for all."
Renata Miller is a UAW retiree who has been active in the Indian Village neighborhood.
- Her campaign prioritizes historic preservation, community-led development and government transparency.
Michael Stephen Ri'chard has worked in politics for years as a legislative aide and community liaison alongside several former Democratic elected officials.
- He touts the relationships built in government and in the community.
Go deeper: Read about how the City Council primary will work, and take a look at candidates for at-large, District 2 and District 7.