Sheffield, Kinloch Advance In Detroit Mayor's Race: AP

DETROIT — Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and Solomon Kinloch were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday's primary election for Detroit mayor, the AP projects.

Sheffield secured 53 percent of the vote when the AP declared her the top vote-getter, while Kinloch gathered 17 percent of the vote, edging Jenkins by 2 percent, according to unofficial vote totals.

If elected, Sheffield would be the first woman and the first Black woman to hold the role of Detroit mayor.

The seat became vacant after Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan decided not to seek a fourth term, opting to run for governor in 2026. In December, he said he will run as an independent.

"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."

Sheffield will face the second-highest vote getter from Tuesday's primary in November. The winner in that election will serve a four-year term.

Here are the primary election results:

John Barlow - 706

James Craig - 4,453

Fred Durhal - 2,902

Joel Haashiim - 349

Saunteel Jenkins - 13,732

Solomon Kinloch - 14,893

Todd Perkins - 4,597

Danetta Lynese Simpson - 538

Mary Sheffield - 43,5722

Precincts reporting: 430/430

Sheffield first said she was considering a run for mayor two years ago.

"Over the last 10 years, I have devoted my life in service to the residents of Detroit," she told Patch in 2023. "While I have accomplished so much during my tenure on Council, I am constantly trying to find ways to do even more, knowing the needs of Detroiters are still great."