Westland 2023 Mayoral Race: Londeau Faces Off Aagainst Coleman

WESTLAND, MI — Two candidates are running for Westland mayor in November's general elections. The mayor serves a four-year term and makes $121,574 annually.

Interim Mayor Mike Londeau will face state Rep. Kevin Coleman, D-Westland. The race is nonpartisan and will serve as the city's chief executive.

Londeau and Coleman were the top two vote-getters in the August primary. Londeau finished with 44 parent of the vote to Coleman's 41 percent, according to unofficial results posted by the Westland city clerk's office.

The two beat out other candidates, including City Council member Jim Godbout, who finished with 8 percent, Ali Awadi, who fished with at 4 percent. Anthony Jones, a 56-year-old truck driver and U.S. Army veteran, finished with 1 percent, while Ronald Sassak, 71, had 0.4 percent. The turnout of 15.8 percent of Westland's registered voters was slightly lower than the 16.4 percent who participated in the last mayoral primary in 2021.

Westland voters can vote in person at their local precinct anytime from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Any absentee ballots must have been requested by Nov. 3 by mail and by Nov. 6 in person.

Absentee early voting began on Sept. 28 and ends Nov. 6. All absentee ballots must be returned by Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. You can submit them by mail, or by hand-delivering the ballot to your clerk’s office or their drop box.

Here is a little about each candidate running for Westland mayor:

Londeau, 44, is a former city councilman and was appointed mayor in January after Mayor Bill Wild resigned to pursue a career in the private sector. Before serving on council, Londeau chaired Westland's Downtown Development Authority and was a member of the city's master plan steering committee. He graduated from Wayne Memorial High School.

After receiving the most votes in the August Primary, Londeau posted on Facebook that he was "deeply grateful" to residents for a "resounding victory" in the primary.

"From revitalizing our neighborhoods to fostering economic growth and enhancing community services, I have made my priorities clear and shown dedication towards accomplishing our shared goals," he said.

According to his website, Mayor Londeau’s core priorities include:

• Public Safety
• Clean and safe neighborhoods
• Creating healthier and more vibrant communities
• Exercising sound fiscal management
• Protecting the environment

Coleman, 40, is in his third term in the Michigan House of Representatives, where he chairs the housing committee. Prior to his work as a state representative, he served on Westland's city council, veteran's association and festival committee. He holds a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University.

Although satisfied, Coleman said he found the primary's results "encouraging" and indicated he intends to continue to hammer home the message that he will make neighborhoods safer and increase the number of police officers and firefighters.

"I think the results show many people voted for a change" in city leadership, he said.

According to his website, Coleman’s core priorities include:

• Safe Neighborhoods For All
• Transparency
• Improve City Services
• Public Safety
• Senior Services
• Increase Business Investment
• Veteran Services
• Westland Mall
• Westland Recreation Center

If Coleman wins the election, the victory could affect the Michigan Democrats' narrow majority in the state House. He would take office immediately and reduce the Democrats' majority to 55-54. A special election would be held to determine his replacement for the 25th District, which includes most of Westland and part of Canton, Dearborn Heights and Wayne.

If Coleman gets elected mayor, he said he would support calls for a special election to be held next year to fill his seat.