Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Will Run For Governor As An Independent

MICHIGAN — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced Wednesday that he will run for governor as an independent in the 2026 gubernatorial race.

"I'm not running to be the Democrats' governor or the Republicans' governor. I'm running to be your governor," Duggan said in a statement on Wednesday. "The political fighting and the nonsense that once held back Detroit is too often what we’re seeing across Michigan today. The current system forces people to choose sides—not find solutions. It’s time to change that."

Last month, Duggan, 66, said that he will not seek a fourth-term as Detroit mayor, saying that being mayor "has been an honor of a lifetime." His current term ends next year.

Duggan was first elected mayor in 2014 and became the city's first White mayor since 1974. He began his tenure as mayor amid Detroit's bankruptcy process, and since then has helped revitalize downtown, demolish thousands of empty structures and stabilize city services.

"What we’ve done in Detroit is something we can do across Michigan. I am convinced it’s the partisanship that’s stopping us from making real change in our education system and enacting the transformation we need to inspire our young people to see a future for themselves that doesn’t require leaving Michigan. I believe Michigan’s largest export is no longer our automobiles – it’s our young people," Duggan said. "It will take drastic change to build an economy with real opportunities to retain talent."

Once he finishes up his mayoral duties, Duggan said that he'll launch his gubernatorial run by traveling across Michigan to talk with residents about what they want from the next governor.