Detroit

Mary Sheffield is the current Detroit City Council President and a lifelong Detroiter with a track record of progressive leadership, community empowerment, and social justice advocacy. First elected in 2013 as the youngest member in council history, she now serves as the youngest-ever Council President and has an impactful legislative record.

Sheffield has often led on bold, progressive policies that put people first. She authored Detroit’s Inclusionary Housing ordinance, spearheaded property tax reform to protect homeowners, and created the HOPE program to help residents stay in their homes. She led efforts to establish a right to counsel for Detroiters facing eviction, passed responsible contracting to hold corporations accountable for fair wages and benefits, and created the Industry Standards Board to improve working conditions for Detroit’s workforce. She also sponsored Detroit’s Juneteenth Paid Holiday ordinance, championed the CROWN Act to end race-based hair discrimination, and launched the Legacy Business Project to protect Detroit’s small, long-standing neighborhood businesses.

Sheffield’s monthly “Conversations with the Councilwoman” series, annual State of the Youth Symposium, and 10-year flagship initiative Occupy the Corner – Detroit have connected thousands of residents to resources, jobs, mentorship, and community support. She also created the Detroit Reparations Taskforce to address historical injustice, the city’s first-ever Homelessness Taskforce and Homeless Bill of Rights to protect vulnerable residents, and youth-focused programs like Girls of Destiny to mentor the next generation of leaders.

Sheffield has been recognized widely for her leadership, including Crain’s 20 in their 20’s, Michigan Chronicle’s Women of Excellence and Power 50 Leaders, the NAACP Great Expectations Award, and multiple community service honors.

Rooted in the legacy of her family’s civil rights leadership, Sheffield continues to fight for equity, economic opportunity, and justice for all Detroiters. Her progressive vision prioritizes revitalizing neighborhoods, uplifting working families, and ensuring that Detroit’s resurgence is inclusive and fair.

Mary Sheffield is the most progressive choice for Detroit City Council, standing with working people, advancing racial and economic justice, and ensuring every Detroiter has a voice in the city’s future.

Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. is a Democrat running for Mayor of Detroit. He is the senior pastor of Triumph Church, which he has led for nearly three decades, building it into one of the fastest-growing congregations in the nation with over 40,000 members across multiple campuses. Kinloch has dedicated his career to fighting poverty, expanding opportunity, and delivering direct services to Detroiters, from food assistance and housing support to youth mentorship and education programs.

Kinloch has served Detroit during some of its most difficult times, building a reputation for hands-on leadership and community advocacy. He was a key figure in Detroit’s pandemic response, organizing one of the city’s largest community-led relief efforts to deliver groceries to families, distribute tablets to help children stay connected to school, and provide counseling and support for residents in crisis. He has also been a strong ally to working families, standing with UAW workers on strike, organizing food and solidarity for autoworkers through his ties to UAW Local 235 and Local 900, and consistently advocating for labor rights and fair wages. His decades of leadership have been recognized with numerous honors, including being named a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News and inclusion in the Michigan Chronicle’s Power 50 list of influential African Americans.

Kinloch’s policy vision is centered on building safe, thriving, and equitable neighborhoods across Detroit. He has pledged to streamline access to food, healthcare, and financial assistance; expand afterschool programs, youth mentorship, and summer jobs; and build a citywide WiFi network to close Detroit’s digital divide. He also proposes launching a Safe and Vibrant Neighborhoods initiative to expand community violence intervention, improve police training and accountability, and prioritize hiring Detroit residents as officers.

His platform includes major investments in infrastructure upgrades to prevent flooding, turning vacant Land Bank properties into gardens, farms, and community hubs, expanding affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, and ensuring Detroit’s economic development creates living-wage jobs connected to reliable public transit and affordable childcare.

A lifelong Detroiter, Kinloch grew up in the city’s working-class neighborhoods and worked alongside his father at the Chevy Gear and Axle plant as a member of UAW Local 235. His personal experience as both a pastor and a union member deeply shaped his belief in justice, compassion, and solidarity. He was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity at Morehouse College for his dedication to faith and public service.

Janeé L. Ayers is a Democratic politician who served as an at-large member of the Detroit City Council. She was appointed to the council in 2015 following a resignation, elected to complete the term in 2016, and reelected for a full term in 2017. Ayers served until 2021, when she was defeated in the general election. As of now, she does not have an active campaign website that provides updated policy information.

Mary D. Waters is the incumbent Detroit City Council at-large member since 2022 and a former Michigan House minority leader. She focuses on poverty, job training, and insurance issues affecting Detroit. Currently, she has no campaign website with updated policy information.

Angela Whitfield Calloway, a lifelong Detroiter, attorney, and advocate for housing justice, is running for re-election to represent District 2 on the Detroit City Council. She has consistently taken progressive stances, prioritizing community needs over corporate giveaways.

Calloway opposed large tax abatements for projects like the Hudson’s site and “Future of Health” development, citing weak community benefits. She co-authored a $203M affordable housing strategy, pushed for a tenant bill of rights, and fought predatory short-term rental growth.

She championed Detroit’s ban on cashless businesses, opposed renewing ShotSpotter surveillance, and advanced protections like anti-trafficking signage laws and restrictions on marijuana and vaping ads near schools. Her record reflects a commitment to affordable housing, economic fairness, historic preservation, and safeguarding Detroit’s most vulnerable residents.

Roy McCalister, Jr., a Detroit native and retired U.S. Army CID officer and Detroit Police Detective Lieutenant, is running to represent Detroit City Council District 2. With over 49 years of combined military and police service, McCalister is committed to continuing his lifelong dedication to public service. He aims to lower Detroit’s high auto insurance and property tax rates through legislative reform and fair pricing practices.

He supports integrating community violence interrupters into the Detroit Police Department to improve safety and police-community relations. McCalister also prioritizes economic growth by promoting small business development, workforce training, and infrastructure investment. His vision is a safer, more affordable Detroit with greater opportunities for all residents.

Cranstana “Gina” Anderson, a lifelong East Side resident, is running on a platform of property tax justice, rebuilding roads, fair pay for firefighters, cleaner streets and alleys, and a stronger, more accountable public safety system. She emphasizes empathy, integrity, and transparency in leadership.

Anderson has deep community and labor roots. She was a member of UAW, later serving as recording secretary for Local 235. She also runs Seehope Real Estate Investments LLC and leads the Gardenia Community Block Club Association.

Her advocacy is shaped by personal resilience. After her brother was fatally shot at 17, she raised his child while later raising two of her own, all while supporting neighbors with property tax relief, loan modifications, and unemployment assistance.

Cranstana “Gina” Anderson is the most progressive choice in this race.

Scott Benson, incumbent Detroit City Council member for District 3, is running for re-election. His priorities are job creation, public safety, and quality of life for Detroiters. With 17 years in community development, he has worked to reduce blight, raise property values, and remove safety hazards.

A U.S. Coast Guard veteran and former Commander, Benson holds degrees from Hampton University and Wayne State, plus credentials from Wharton and the Naval War College. In District 3, residents say Kronos Concrete has held the community hostage with ongoing pollution issues. Benson has called for lengthy dust studies, though city environmental official Crystal Rogers noted Kronos already has a fugitive dust plan.

An FBI investigation for bribery into Benson was closed with no charges, and he continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Renata Miller is a lifelong Detroiter, UAW retiree, and community advocate running for Detroit City Council in District 5. With a history of overcoming personal hardships, she brings lived experience and resilience to her public service. Her priorities include protecting homeowners, supporting working families and seniors, and ensuring every Detroiter has a voice in shaping the city’s future.

She has led efforts in historic preservation and neighborhood development through her work with the Historic Indian Village Association and the Detroit Historic District Alliance.

Miller supports transparency in government, affordable housing, and responsible, community-led development.

Willie E. Burton, a lifelong Detroiter, is an incumbent running for re-election to represent Detroit’s 5th District. He made history as the youngest police commissioner in the United States and has fought for public safety, accountability, and economic opportunity.

On the Police Commission, Burton led efforts to implement body cameras, expand Project Green Light, raise officer pay, support small businesses, and promote youth employment. He also championed mental health reform and gun safety.

Now running for City Council in District 5, Burton is focused on ending tax breaks for billionaires, expanding affordable housing, lowering water rates, improving public transit, and reopening mental health facilities. He is committed to putting Detroit residents first and ensuring government works for the people.

Gabriela Santiago-Romero, MSW, is the incumbent Detroit City Council Member for District 6, born and raised in Southwest Detroit. An immigrant and lifelong advocate for justice, she leads with community-centered values, transparency, and service. She has pledged not to take corporate PAC money, recently rejecting $5,000 from a Dan Gilbert–funded committee. “I have been offered PAC money I will not accept,” she said. “You don’t need to take money to have a working relationship with people.” She was also one of four council members to vote against a $60 million tax break for Gilbert’s Hudson’s Detroit project.

On the Council, Santiago-Romero champions public safety through community-based violence prevention, affordable housing through zoning reform and renters’ rights, and workers’ rights by supporting unions and labor protections. She is also a leader on environmental justice, holding polluters accountable and pushing for sustainable infrastructure. As chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee and co-chair of city task forces, she works to ensure all Detroiters, especially immigrants and marginalized residents, can access city services and have their rights protected. Her campaign is powered by grassroots contributions, reflecting her belief that accountability belongs to residents, not corporations.

Gabriela Santiago is the most progressive choice in this race.

Tyrone Carter, a former State Representative and longtime Wayne County Sheriff’s Office leader, is running for Detroit City Council District 6. Carter previously ran for the District 6 seat in 2017, later winning a State House seat in 2018 and serving through 2024.

In Lansing, he sponsored legislation like the Clean Slate Act and secured funding for Sickle Cell research. He also worked to reopen community centers and has made education, healthcare, housing, and infrastructure central to his platform.

Despite his public service record, Carter’s campaigns have relied heavily on self-funding and corporate PAC money. His top donors include DTE, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Rock Holdings, and Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers, raising concerns that he is more aligned with corporate interests than grassroots residents.

Note: Denzel McCampbell is the managing director of Progress Michigan but has not been involved in the creation of the Municipal Progressive Voter Guide.

Denzel McCampbell is running to represent District 7 on the Detroit City Council. Born and raised on Detroit’s east side and a graduate of Michigan State University, McCampbell has built his career in public service and advocacy.

His priorities include ensuring reliable city services, making government accountable, improving public safety through prevention and mental health supports, expanding affordable housing and tenant protections, strengthening public transit, and pushing for climate resilience and environmental justice. He also advocates for senior services, youth programs, and investments in skilled trades to bring good-paying jobs to the community.

Denzel McCampbell is the most progressive choice in this race.

Karen Whitsett has represented Michigan’s 4th District in the State House since 2019. Though elected as a Democrat, she is often considered one of the more conservative Democrats in Lansing. In January 2025, she announced she would no longer attend House Democratic caucus meetings.

During her time in office, Whitsett has frequently sided with Republicans on key issues, including recently supporting Republican’s proposed cuts to Michigan’s education funding. In the past, she voted with Republicans to cap Governor Whitmer’s emergency powers during COVID, opposed efforts to remove conservative restrictions on abortion access, and skipped the final days of the House’s lame duck session. Her absence, combined with a Republican walkout, prevented Democrats from advancing priorities like raising the minimum wage and guaranteeing earned sick time.