Mike Duggan Projected to Win Detroit Mayoral Election
More: Mike Duggan Projected to Win Detroit Mayoral Election
DETROIT, MI - Mike Duggan defeated Benny Napoleon to become Detroit’s next mayor on Tuesday night.
The city and county clerk’s offices had not posted results by 10 p.m. Tuesday, but numbers tracked by the Detroit Free Press have Duggan leading, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, 55 percent to 45 percent. The newspaper, along with WXYZ, projected Duggan to win.
Duggan overcame perceptions of a racial divide and being kicked off the ballot in the primary election to overtake Napoleon, the Wayne County sheriff.
He’ll be the first white mayor to lead the city since Roman Gribbs, who left office in 1974.
About 82 percent of Detroit residents are black, but Duggan’s history of turning around struggling organizations won over even the leader of Detroit’s Black Panther Party.Race was a non-factor for many voters, with Duggan working his way through the city’s neighborhoods, delivering his message in more than 200 intimate house parties held across Detroit in a year of campaigning.
Duggan is a former county prosecutor who went on to lead the Detroit Medical Center and SMART suburban bus system, engineering financial comebacks in both organizations.
The office of Mayor is non-partisan, but Duggan is a Democrat.