Twelve years have passed since Detroit voters had a chance to select a new mayor. The seat is open. The moment holds weight. Eight candidates are on the ballot. All Black. All bringing different lanes of experience and leadership. Every one of them stepping forward at a time when the stakes feel urgent.
Council President Mary Sheffield. Councilman Fred Durhal III. Former Police Chief James Craig. Former Council President Saunteel Jenkins. Triumph Church Pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. Entrepreneurs Joel Haashiim and Jonathan Barlow. Civil rights attorney Todd Perkins. Each one says they are ready. Each one knows the city demands more than recycled promises.
Detroit holds stories from decades of disinvestment, survival, brilliance, and rebuilding. Leadership must understand that. Not from a report. From experience. From living through the water shutoffs, the school closures, the evictions, and the missed opportunities. From standing with people long before asking for their votes.
The Michigan Chronicle sat down with each candidate. One-on-one. No fluff. Eighteen questions. Every issue that touches Detroiters daily. Public safety. Affordability. The future of jobs. Education. Development that respects people. Sustainability. Technology. Federal funding losses. Not one candidate could afford to dance around the real.
These interviews gave space for accountability. No campaign trail filters. Just answers. Just priorities.
This isn’t a moment to guess where a candidate stands. Detroiters deserve to see and hear them—uncut, uncoached, and unbothered by spin.
The full interviews are available below. Watch them. Share them. Use them. Because Detroit’s future is not a slogan. It’s a decision. And the city that birthed resilience is ready to decide.
