Tuesday night’s final political debate between mayoral candidates Mike Duggan and Benny Napoleon at WXYZ studios in Southfield, may have marked a turning point in one of Detroit’s most spectacular and hotly contested mayoral races in decades. Detroiters who viewed the live broadcast at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History were unable to contain their enthusiasm while viewing the debate, and supporters of both candidates frequently erupted in applause and cheers.
In case you missed the live Detroit mayoral debate, you can watch it in full in the video player…CLICK HERE
Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon came prepared to deliver damaging blows to Mike Duggan’s campaign and close the gap in his 2-1 lead with Detroit’s voters, which Napoleon said was in large part due to the media’s favorable treatment of his opponent. “The media has been grossly unfair. They have forgotten everything they have ever written about Mike Duggan — bribes, fraud, kickbacks, no-bid contracts, ghost employees. Mike’s just not right for Detroit,” Napoleon said in closing remarks.
In a heated exchange the candidate called Duggan’s much touted financial turn-around of DMC “a fallacy” Duggan replied with disbelief to Napoleon’s accusations of lining his pockets while at the helm of Detroit’s world renowned medical center, saying “I can’t believe you said that,” and told Napoleon he was “dead wrong” in his statement regarding the mayor’s ability to get public lighting working again on city streets and the prosecutor’s ability to address abandoned housing in the city of Detroit. I got to the Supreme Court with the abandoned housing issue and there are public nuisance inducements, which means any official who represents the public can [make] that case. It was upheld by the Supreme Court, and I’d do it again.”
Duggan and Napoleon did agree that the appointment of an emergency manager for Detroit was an unwanted and unwarranted intervention on the part of the state.
On the question of insurance redlining posed by Bankole Thompson of the Michigan Chronicle, Duggan suggested that radical change was necessary for Detroiters to get fair and affordable insurance rates. “I believe the most effective way to deal with the way we’re being gouged on insurance rates is the city of Detroit needs to form its own insurance company. When I get elected I intend to form a new insurance company we call D Insurance, which will be available to Detroiters … all I ask is that if you have an accident you take your vehicle to a Detroit shop for repairs.”
The debate which ironically comes in the shadow of former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s sentencing to 29 years in prison on racketeering charges, was marked by hard hitting questions from influential panelists: Carolyn Cliford, Channel 7; Mary Kramer, Crain’s Detroit Business, Bankole Thompson, Michigan Chronicle and moderator, Chuck Stokes .
Duggan and Napoleoon appeared surprised when Thompson asked each of them if there was anything in their backgrounds which might pose problems for them if elected to office. Both repsonded that there was not.
Both candidates made persuasive arguments in their closing remarks, but audience members and Napoleon supporters leaped to their feet when the would-be-mayor concluded, “While Mike was sleeping in Livonia, I put on a bullet proof vest. While Mike was sleeping in Livonia I was taking criminals off the street like Young Boys Incorporated, Pony Down and the Chambers Brothers.”
Polls open in the city of Detroit at 7 a.m. for the Nov. 7 General election. Pollsters predict that low voter turn-out will adversely affect Napoleon’s election chances.
Read more: https://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/video-full-detroit-mayoral-debate-between-mike-duggan-and-benny-napoleon#ixzz2jAcTuOUJ