DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced he is running for governor as an independent in the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Interview: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talks about running for Michigan Governor
“I'm not running to be the Democrats' governor or the Republicans' governor. I'm running to be your governor,” Duggan said in a statement on Wednesday. “The political fighting and the nonsense that once held back Detroit is too often what we’re seeing across Michigan today. The current system forces people to choose sides—not find solutions. It’s time to change that."
Last month, Duggan announced he would not seek a fourth term as Detroit mayor, saying that being mayor "has been an honor of a lifetime."
Related Video: Watch Mayor Duggan's full speech below
Duggan said that he will host listening sessions with Michiganders this month – similar to how he launched his mayoral campaign – to make sure they are heard.
“My first priority in 2025 will be my duties as Mayor, but I wanted to start statewide conversations now and then spend full-time in 2026 visiting neighbors in every corner of this state,” Duggan said in the statement. “I welcome anyone across the state who is tired of the politics of conflict to invite me into your community to have serious, important conversations about our state’s future.”
Story below from when Duggan announced he wasn't running for mayor.
Duggan started his speech by thanking city employees, the police and fire department personnel for sticking with Detroit through tough times. He also thanked his family, block club presidents, and the people of Detroit.
Duggan reflected on the time he was first running for mayor and met with Detroit families in their homes.
“A large part of who I am today was shaped in those living rooms in 2013,” said Duggan.
He said he is very confident in the city's future, and that he's going to talk more about his future in the weeks ahead.
Related Video: Mayor Duggan speaks to reporters after the announcement
Duggan, 66, has served as mayor of the city since 2014 and worked in a variety of roles in the city and county dating back to the 1980s.
According to his bio on the city's website, he was a lawyer for Wayne County and then deputy Wayne County Executive for 14 years.
He was elected as Wayne County Prosecutor in 2000 and served for three years until he was hired as the CEO of the Detroit Medical Center.
Duggan decided to run for mayor in 2013, and launched a successful write-in campaign during the mayoral primary after he was unable to qualify for the ballot due to a residency issue.
He defeated Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon in the 2013 election, and then won 72% of the vote against Coleman A. Young II in 2017 and more than 75% of the vote against Anthony Adams in 2021.
Duggan began serving less than a year after the City of Detroit became the largest U.S. city to declare bankruptcy. This past April, Duggan celebrated 10 years of progress in the city during his State of the City speech.
“Detroit's future to me always comes back to where it started: to the neighborhoods," Duggan said back in April.
Duggan promised to cut taxes while he keeps working to enact the Detroit Land Value Tax in Lansing, pointing out a $1 million tax cut in July 2023 and another that will go into effect in July 2024. He also promised another one will go into effect in July 2025.
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While celebrating the success of Project Greenlight, Duggan announced that they would begin installing a camera network along Detroit’s freeways this summer. It will be funded by a $30 million grant from the state of Michigan.
Duggan also announced a plan to put solar fields in blighted areas of Detroit, with eight neighborhoods already chosen to compete for the first one. The plan would put the fields next to areas, which will also receive money to repair their blocks.
"Ten years ago we were in the headlines, it was "carjack city" and "murder capital." In February, President Biden called Chief James White to the White House to lead a national conference on how to reduce gun violence in the country," the mayor said.
Oakland University Dave Dulio told 7 News Detroit, “Independent runs, third party runs face tremendous hill climbs.”
Dulio said that uphill battle is often due to funding challenges which he believes Duggan can overcome.
The other challenge is appealing to Michiganders who are unfamiliar.
“He’s got very good name recognition in southeast Michigan, but beyond that he’s unknown. But entering as an independent and running against a republican and a democrat, the number of votes needed to win, shrinks and he might be able to cobble together that winning coalition of votes.”
