The mayor's race isn't the only consequential local election this year — Detroit's lawmaking body could be reshaped.

Why it matters: Nearly all City Council members are running for reelection this year, but there are challengers looking to edge in and two seats without an incumbent.

• It's a pivotal time to be on council, with a power vacuum as Mayor Mike Duggan is replaced and big budget decisions loom.

State of play: Detroit's nine-member City Council has seven geographic seats, one in each district, as well as two at-large seats. City Council President Mary Sheffield, who has been on council for more than a decade, leaves a void as she runs for mayor.

• That means her seat as president and representative of District 5 — which includes the RenCen and Eastern Market — are both empty.
• Council member Fred Durhal III is also running for mayor, leaving District 7 open.

What we're watching: Other top races to watch will be in Districts 6 and 2, where incumbents have strong early challengers.

What they're saying: "In District 5, we don't have anyone who has a really well-known name, so they're going to have to work hard, knock on doors, raise money. ... No one really has the cutting edge right now," Mario Morrow, president of a local communications firm and former political consultant, tells Axios.

• District 6 might be the most costly, because of both top candidates' popularity. "It's going to come down to who can pull their supporters out to the polls."

Here are some of the races:

District 2:

• Angela Whitfield-Calloway is seeking a second term after she beat incumbent Roy McCalister Jr. in an upset in 2021. McCalister filed to face Calloway again.

District 5:

• The race for Sheffield's seat is already crowded, including Whitney Clarke, a church administrator and community development advocate; youth mentor, former teacher and advocate Kevin Jones; entrepreneur and community advocate Michael Clemmon; and activist and organizer Chantel Watkins.

District 6:

• A Southwest Detroit native and the first out LGBTQ+ woman elected to City Council, Gabriela Santiago-Romero is running for a second term, with a strong challenge from Democratic state Rep. Tyrone Carter.
• Anita Martin also filed to run.

District 7:

• State Rep. Karen Whitsett filed to run, as well as Denzel McCampbell, a community advocate who previously ran for city clerk.

Read the full version, with details on all races

For two bitter rivals, the Michigan and Michigan State men's basketball teams haven't made things particularly close in recent years — only one of their last six meetings has been decided by under seven points.

• But tonight's game between the 12th-ranked Wolverines and 14th-ranked Spartans could buck that trend, as these are two of the best teams in recent program history.

Why it matters: The winner moves into first in the Big Ten with March Madness quickly approaching.

Michigan: Two 7-footers, Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf, have the Wolverines looking like they'll make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.

• Wolf, a transfer from Yale, is more of an electric point forward than a center and could cause some matchup problems tonight.

Michigan State: The Spartans had won 13 straight games before a mini-slide, but got one of their biggest wins of the season on Tuesday vs. Purdue.

• This is a deep team that doesn't have one true star, but can get points from anywhere — seven players average seven points per game or more, but nobody averages more than 13.

If you go: The 8pm game in Ann Arbor is being carried by Fox. Tickets on the secondary market start at $160.

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🚨 I-75 was temporarily closed yesterday after an early morning crash killed a 24-year-old woman. Snowy conditions contributed to about three dozen "preventable" crashes that state troopers investigated. (Free Press)

🚚 The Ambassador Bridge's commercial traffic fell to near-historic lows last year while truck traffic on the Blue Water Bridge — which connects Port Huron to Sarnia, Ontario — hit a record high. (Detroit News)

🥅 The Red Wings practiced in new helmets this week with a larger logo and a white stripe down the middle. They'll wear them against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 1 at Ohio Stadium. (MLive)

A juicy new drama set in Grosse Pointe premieres at 10pm Sunday on NBC.

Between the lines: One of the showrunners for "Grosse Pointe Garden Society," Bill Krebs, was born and raised in the east side suburbs known for stately lakefront mansions and physical barriers with Detroit.

Yes, but: The show was filmed in Atlanta, although you might catch local references to Mack Avenue and coney dogs.

What they're saying: "In Grosse Pointe I remember they used to have these garden tours where they would go through people's backyards and everyone from the community would come," Krebs told Metro Times. "It didn't matter where you were from in the Pointes, everyone was part of the same world. We thought it was a great intersection, all these different classes and personalities."

The intrigue: NBC was receptive to the Midwestern old-money setting, but the network made sure to "keep it sexy," per MT.

📺 Which Detroit-based TV show or movie has depicted the Motor City most accurately?

• Hit reply and let us know!

Dunkin' will stop charging its long-standing nondairy milk fee starting March 5, the company confirmed to Axios.

The big picture: Dunkin' is the latest chain to remove the surcharge. Coffee giant Starbucks removed its fee in November and smaller chains have followed suit.

💭 Joe's thought bubble: Hopefully this becomes the rule and not the exception. It's not my fault that I have no patience for lactose.

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