Solomon Kinloch and Mary Sheffield are running in the nonpartisan election for mayor of Detroit, Michigan, on November 4, 2025. Incumbent mayor Mike Duggan is not running for re-election and is running for governor as an independent in 2026.

Though the position is nonpartisan, Duggan is an independent, formerly affiliated with the Democratic Party. Kinloch and Sheffield are affiliated with the Democratic Party. Detroit’s last Republican mayor left office in 1962.

Sheffield received 51% of the vote in the primary to Kinloch’s 18%.

The Detroit News‘ Melissa Nann Burke, Louis Aguilar, and Jennifer Chambers wrote that the primary results set “the stage for voters to select the city’s first new mayor in more than a decade to replace Mayor Mike Duggan.”

Solomon Kinloch is the pastor of Triumph Church. He is campaigning on his lack of political experience and focusing on his experience as a pastor. He said, “It doesn’t matter how experienced you are if your experiences don’t change the experiences of the people in this city.” He added, “When government didn’t show up and do their part, Solomon Kinloch and Triumph Church stood up.” Kinloch is also campaigning to address food insecurity, and his website said that his plans for addressing the issue include “funding for strategically placed affordable grocery stores, delivery of medically-tailored meals, and investments in community gardens.”

Mary Sheffield is the president of the Detroit City Council. She is campaigning on investing in underserved neighborhoods, saying in her primary election victory speech, “I do believe that our neighborhoods need more investment without a doubt. We are going to elevate issues and ensure that we’re bringing more attention to our communities.” Sheffield has also campaigned on using community policing, and said she is “very big on community violence intervention programs, and possibly creating an office of gun violence prevention in Detroit. Creating more ways to address the underlying social issues that breed crime in our community.”

In an interview with Ballotpedia for the On the Ballot podcast, Detroit News columnist M.L. Elrick said that in the primary, “most of the candidates [said] ‘I’m going to keep on running on what [Mike Duggan] did.’” Duggan endorsed Sheffield, and she said of the endorsement: “Over the past decade, we have worked side by side to move our city forward, and I am grateful for his confidence in my leadership.” Kinloch criticized Duggan’s record in response to the endorsement: “A mayoral endorsement won’t stop the violence in our streets. It won’t ensure a better education or create more opportunities for our children… Detroit doesn’t need recycled ideas or the same politics that have left too many neighborhoods behind.”