As Detroiters watched the mayoral contest unfold, Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield’s momentum was undeniable, and it was evident by her decisive win that the city wanted her to be the city’s next mayor.
But even though Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. did not emerge as the next mayor of our city, his candidacy was far from a defeat in a larger sense. Instead, it was a reaffirmation of something vital about Detroit – that serious, rooted, values-driven leadership remains essential, and that the work of building community need not end with an election.
For 27 years, Rev. Kinloch has been a quiet but unshakable pillar of our city. He took the helm of Triumph Church in Detroit when it numbered fewer than 100 members. Today, it serves tens of thousands across multiple campuses, and his pastoral leadership has become a laboratory for neighborhood uplift, economic empowerment, and spiritual encouragement.
When his campaign launched, Rev. Kinloch brought forward some ideas in the race that resonated with thousands of Detroiters: building 10,000 affordable housing units, opening grocery stores in food-desert neighborhoods, expanding workforce training, and creating partnerships between philanthropy, faith communities, and government. Those ideas resonated because they were rooted in the lived experience of Detroiters. They were not pie-in-the-sky promises, but reflections of how he has lived his ministry in the city.
Yes, the vote did not go his way. But Rev. Kinloch should not hang his head. His candidacy itself carried a message that the city’s neighborhoods and the people within them demand representation from those who walk among them daily.
Consider how many Detroit residents have been uplifted or touched by his work: the daily food pantries through Triumph Church, laptop and tablet drives for K–12 scholars to bridge the digital divide, job-training and employment-support initiatives, and housing support. That combination of faith, work, community, and heart is rare.
Rev. Kinloch stepped into politics not out of ambition for ambition’s sake, but because he believed Detroit’s revival must include every resident. As he told us in a Michigan Chronicle interview: “I am at the altar on a weekly basis … I hear the deep concerns of people that they may not address in an open forum or town hall meeting.”
So even in defeat, his story is a source of encouragement to the city. It says: the work of Detroit is not just downtown, not just in headlines or skyscrapers, not just in glittering redevelopment. It is in the corner grocery, the job training class, the house-rehab effort, the youth mentorship, and the faith-led neighborhood outreach. Rev. Kinloch’s leadership reminds us that this work needs renewing, and that it requires both vision and presence. Mayor-elect Sheffield recognizes that, too, and has promised to continue that work on day one.
What’s more, the support he garnered during his campaign will surely inspire other leaders – faith leaders, nonprofit heads, community organizers, civic volunteers. Anyone who looks at Detroit and says, “I love this city,” can act on that love. The baton doesn’t pass only through elections. It passes through everyday commitments.
To Rev. Kinloch, we say: your service has been indispensable and your influence real. The campaign elevated issues that needed to be elevated. The base of support you built proves that Detroiters are ready for bold, inclusive leadership that listens. Your mission is far from over.
Now is the time to lean in and pick up where the campaign leaves off. You return to the neighborhoods. You double down on the food pantries, the job-training, the housing help, the youth intervention, the vision casting. You build on what you began in the race and turn it into ongoing power for good.
Detroit needs your voice and your presence as much now as ever. Your work reminds us that progress isn’t just adding units or building offices, but it’s making sure every Detroiter knows they belong.
Rev. Kinloch’s campaign was not simply an electoral loss, but a springboard. As Detroit watchers and participants, let us think about the ways we, too, can serve. Some may run for office, some may not—but all can act.
Rev. Kinloch’s run has made it plain that service does not stop at the ballot box. It begins in the community, and the campaign ends when the work does not. We look forward to watching and applauding what comes next: the community partnerships, the neighborhood improvements, the uplifted lives, and Detroit emerging where everyone has a chance to thrive.
To you, Rev. Kinloch: thank you. Your 27 years of faithful service have built trust. Your willingness to step into the public arena has expanded hope. The city is better because you showed up, and we know you will continue to show up. Because Detroit needs you.
