Duggan’s Dubious Ambitions: Detroit Mayor Eyes Governor’s Run

Detroit Mayor, Mike Duggan, is engulfed in political fervor, but not for his own agenda. Rumors circulate suggesting Duggan as a potential Democratic candidate for Michigan governor, highlighting the undue influence he and his predominantly Black city wielded, supporting Kamala Harris, during the recent presidential elections.

Duggan, like other Democrats in major cities, is flexing his political muscle to inspire voters in his city as Harris plans her visit on Labor Day. Mayors are generally elected based on partisan preferences, reflecting the opinions of most voters in their cities, which in the case of Duggan, is heavily Democratic-leaning, with only Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas having Republican mayors among the largest 20 cities in the U.S.

Andrew J. Ginther, Mayor of Columbus, Ohio, expresses his unabashed support for Vice President Harris. He, along with other mayors, is well aware of the significance of their states in the upcoming elections. Michigan, for instance, is a crucial swing state that both Harris and former President Trump are pursuing, given that Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 before losing it four years later to Biden.

Detroit, being Michigan’s largest city, is a stronghold of Democratic influence in the country, where voter turnout is anticipated to exceed 50% of its registered voters in the general election. Quick to pivot to the winning side, Mayor Duggan endorsed Harris following Biden’s withdrawal from this year’s presidential race.

City Clerk Janice Winfrey predicts that 55% or more of Detroit’s registered voters may participate in the November elections. She recalls a similar turnout for the first term of Obama’s presidency. Winfrey appreciates Duggan’s involvement in voter engagement, taking note of his backing for a sizable increase in her budget.

According to these Democratic mayors, their political affiliations do more than promote popularity with current and future presidents; they also secure millions in federal funds for various city projects. Such investments help improve city-wide infrastructure, law enforcement, and sanitation needs, they claim.

Mayor Ginther believes that housing is the primary challenge shared by mayors nationwide, regardless of the president in power. Another example of Democratic spending comes from Detroit, which allocated approximately $1 billion over the past five years to build over 4,600 affordable housing units, funded through a combination of federal, state, and city resources.

Duggan claims Detroit has thrived under the Biden/Harris administration. However, under Trump’s administration, Detroit received approximately $706.5 million in federal grants. Contrarily, during Biden’s tenure, Detroit was granted and pledged over $2 billion, which speaks volumes of the Democrats’ knack for spending.

The Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan, a coronavirus relief measure signed in 2021, which included funds for governments at various levels, supposedly dialed up Detroit’s recovery by a decade, according to Duggan. Meanwhile, Detroit’s crippling debt and crippling annual budget deficits were managed and even reversed under Trump’s watch through a manager appointed by Michigan’s then-Republican governor.

Duggan insists that the American Rescue Plan enabled them to expedite urban revitalization, attempting to tarnish Trump’s image by criticizing his unfulfilled infrastructure promises. However, this partisan interpretation overlooks that lawmakers across both parties are cognizant of the urgency to address the national housing crisis.

Analilia Mejia, co-executive director of the nonprofit Center for Popular Democracy, stresses the importance for mayors, regardless of political affiliation, to address the housing crisis. She anticipates that the incoming mayors will continue to act in the best interest of their constituents, a sentiment echoed by Republican Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona.

However, Giles, a Trump critic, wrongly assumed more attention from Biden’s administration than Trump’s, accusing Trump of prioritizing ties with state governors. Giles suggests that mayors are inclined to engage in partisan politics especially during election season. Unfortunately, his belief that maintaining cordial relations with the incoming administration stands in the city’s best interest betrays a pro-Democrat bias.

In stark contrast, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, a fellow Republican, holds a divergent viewpoint. Johnson, a former Democrat currently favoring GOP’s firm stance on crime, aims to restore Trump to the White House. He stated his inclination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee during July.

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick asserts that mayors merely anticipate access to the White House. Kilpatrick, serving over seven years of a 28-year federal prison sentence for corruption, had his sentence commuted by Trump in 2021. Now acting as a political consultant, he openly supports Trump’s re-election and plans to register as an independent.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat, is currently advocating for voter engagement in his city and strongly supports the Harris/Walz ticket. According to Johnson, democracy demands participation, somehow implying it to be a competitive sport rather than a form of government.