Polling front runner council president Mary Sheffield picked up another endorsement from a council colleague for her campaign to become the city’s next mayor.
District 6 incumbent Gabriela Santiago-Romero joined Sheffield at the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership Monday afternoon at an event where both candidates spoke about their support of one another and their shared values of inclusion and equity.
Santiago-Romero is viewed by supporters as the most progressive member of Detroit City Council
“I’ve had a great relationship with Gabby,” Sheffield told Michigan Chronicle and BridgeDetroit reporters after the press conference. “I think she is a fighter for Detroit, and I think she’s what is needed in this time. I want to build that relationship as a mayor, hopefully. I think she is what is needed for District Six and for our city.”
Sheffield said Santiago-Romero has advocated for her community and has been fair in her approach. She said she hadn’t had conversations with state Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit, who is running to unseat Santiago-Romero.
Santiago-Romero said that she will work with Sheffield to ensure police officers are following city policy against racial profiling and working with federal immigration officers to detain non-citizen residents.
“In Detroit, we may not call ourselves a sanctuary, but we do have policies to protect people,” Santiago-Romero said. “I do have concerns, which makes me think, we need to make sure have an administration that really takes this seriously, that’s going to hold police accountable, because a lot of residents are feeling unsafe around police, and if you don’t call police, that actually makes us even more unsafe.”
Sheffield faces Triumph Church pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch on Nov. 4 for the city’s general election after taking just over 50% from the nine candidate field in August.
Santiago-Romero had hinted in interviews with Michigan Chronicle before the event that she would endorse a candidate. She and Sheffield have been allies on pieces of legislation on council, but have broken, most recently on a vote to expand the city’s ability to enforce its curfew.
Sheffield said she expects Santiago-Romero to push her on council as mayor.
Santiago-Romero said she has ideas to address quality of life issues affecting homeowners in the neighborhoods.
“I think the council president is willing to listen and to implement them, which is really needed — someone that takes ideas and implements them.”
Sheffield pointed to the city’s Immigration Affairs Office, which she says should be more robust.
“I take it very serious, and I know that she’s always been the eyes and the ears of this community, and can always call me and let me know if there’s something going on that should not be happening,” Sheffield said, adding that she would have conversations with police chief Todd Bettison to ensure directives already set in place are being enforced when it comes to immigration law.
Santiago-Romero has attempted to separate herself from her opponent by pledging not to take corporate PAC money, which Carter has defended.
During a candidate forum between the candidates earlier this year in June, Carter said its insulting to suggest candidates who receive money from companies owe them something in return.
Her reelection campaign has been endorsed by the SEIU of Michigan, Local 58 IBEW, and Detroit Action, a grassroots racial and economic justice organization. She’s also earned support from state office holders like Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, and local candidate Denzel McCampbell.
There was no primary for the District 6 race given there are only two candidates who made the ballot. Santiago-Romero is appearing on the ballot after an agreement between the city, county clerk and her campaign’s attorney, Mark Brewer.
The city initially denied Santiago-Romero access to the ballot because she failed to pay a late filing fee she says never should have been issued in the first place.
After the press conference Monday, Sheffield told reporters to “stay tuned” when asked whether she planned to endorse any more council candidates.
