Former House Speaker Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, has endorsed House candidate Arthur Harrington to replace him for the state’s 9th House District, which covers all of Hamtramck, Detroit’s downtown, Midtown and New Center.
Harrington, a 24-year-old law student at Wayne State, interned with U.S. Senator Gary Peters while attending college at Hampton University in Virginia. He currently works as a policy analyst for Detroit Council Member Mary Waters.
“I have a lot of respect for Joe Tate, and I deeply appreciate the trust he and so many other leaders have placed in me to carry this mantle forward,” Harrington told Michigan Chronicle Thursday. “Joe made history as Michigan’s first Black Speaker of the House, and he used that platform to deliver real, tangible wins for working people…”
Harrington has received endorsements from local officials including Detroit City Council president James Tate, pro tem Coleman Young II, members Angela Whitfield Calloway and Scott Benson.
State Reps. Helena Scott, D-Detroit, Amos O’Neal, Peter Herzberg, D-Westland and Jimmie Wilson, D-Ypsilanti have also endorsed Harrington, as has Wayne County Executive Warren Evans.
Tate broke the news that he would be leaving the Legislature after the end of the current term in an interview with Michigan Chronicle last month.
The ex-Democratic leader could have served another term in the Legislature, under changes to term limits approved as part of Prop 1 in 2022.
Tate, who lives in Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood, led the Democratic caucus during its once in a generation legislative trifecta from 2022-24. In its first year, Democrats scored major wins under Tate’s leadership.
Democrats expanded the state’s earned income tax credit, repealed Michigan’s right to work law and pension tax, enacted safe gun storage and red flag laws, repealed the state’s still-on-the-books abortion ban and ended the practice of holding back third graders who failed a reading proficiency test.
“Joe built something real in this seat, a record of showing up and delivering for working families, and I intend to build on it,” Harrington said.
Harrington is running against former Detroit Board of Police Commissioner Willie Burton and Darryl Ervin, a former state legislative staffer. At a community meeting last month, former redistricting commissioner Anthony Eid also indicated he was considering launching a campaign for Michigan’s 9th state House district.
The primary election is August 4, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. The filing deadline for candidates is April 21.
In a statement, Harrington said he wants to go to Lansing to focus on property taxes, revenue sharing and infrastructure.
“I will be (Mary Sheffield’s) partner in the state House to get the changes made that our community deserves,” Harrington said.
It’s unclear what’s next for Tate, who backed out of a campaign for U.S. Senate shortly after announcing it last year, plus considered running for Detroit mayor before dropping his bid prior to a formal announcement.
The final days of Tate’s leadership in the state Legislature in December 2024 ended in chaos, as several pieces of legislation advocates thought would be passed were never brought to the floor.
The slim Democratic majority meant the caucus needed every member to vote in favor of legislation being voted on.
State Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit joining Republicans in protesting session was the final nail in the coffin to some of the Democratic legislation that never passed in the House.
Activists from Detroit were upset a water affordability plan and bills to allow noncitizen migrants weren’t brought to the floor for votes. Other bills that were left behind include police accountability measures, voting rights and government transparency measures.
