Councilman Fred Durhal and council president Mary Sheffield stand outside In Harmony Cafe after Durhal endorsed his former opponent. Photo: Sam Robinson
Councilman Fred Durhal III is the second former mayoral opponent to endorse city council president Mary Sheffield for Detroit mayor.
Durhal announced he was backing Sheffield Monday at In Harmony Cafe Sweets & More, a coffee shop on the city’s west side along Dexter Avenue within District 7, the council district he represents. Sheffield’s campaign said the business was chosen because of its location on the boundary line of both leaders’ districts.
Former candidate Saunteel Jenkins announced her support of Sheffield’s campaign last week.
“I knew if it wasn’t me, I wanted to make sure Detroit was in the best possible place to have experienced leadership,” Durhal told reporters Monday outside the coffee shop. “You heard me talk about it on the campaign trail. Council president has been down there the past 12 years pushing ordinances forward, ensuring that our neighborhoods are taken care of. And so, for me, it’s a no brainer.”
Durhal, a former state representative, said the city can’t afford to put a rookie to at the top spot of the largest city in the state of Michigan, saying the wrong leadership could send the city in the wrong direction.
He said the venue for the endorsement announcement Monday, In Harmony Cafe, was an example of how businesses away from downtown in the city’s commercial corridors can thrive.
“I grew up not too far from here in the Russell Woods area, blocks away from here, and when I grew up, it was a strong middle class neighborhood,” Durhal said. “Somewhere along the line, we started to see a little bit of the decay in our neighborhoods. We started to see foreclosures, we started to see our neighborhoods have a lot of challenges. Over the past 12 years, what we’ve begun to see is our revitalization here, right here in this neighborhood, right here on Dexter Avenue.”
Durhal told the room full of supporters and District 7 residents that it’s crucial Sheffield is elected the next mayor.
“I am honored to receive the endorsement of my colleague and friend, Council Member Fred Durhal,” Sheffield said in a statement. “Fred has been a strong advocate for his district and the city as a whole, and we share a commitment to uplifting our neighborhoods and ensuring Detroit’s growth benefits everyone. I look forward to continuing our work together and building a future that all Detroiters can be proud of.”
Durhal finished sixth out of nine candidates running for mayor during the primary election on Aug. 5. The city saw 85,971 total voters in the Aug. 5 election.
Detroit residents will return to the polls on Nov. 4 to choose their next mayor and council members. Sheffield faces Triumph Church pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch in the general election.
Durhal is the first council member to endorse a candidate running for Detroit mayor.
District 4 council member Latisha Johnson said earlier this summer she did plan to endorse a mayoral candidate, but thus far has not. District 6 council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero has also said she expects to endorse a candidate, but has not yet done so.
Sheffield acknowledged speaking about an endorsement with Johnson but isn’t actively seeking support from current council members, because they’re in their own races, she said.
“I think our colleagues are focused on their own races,” Durhal said. “I’m not going to be on council in January, so I can step out there adn support from colleague, someone who I’ve had a pleasure working with.”