Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced Wednesday that he will run as an independent candidate for governor of Michigan, breaking away from the Democratic Party.
“I’m not running to be a Democratic governor or a Republican governor. I’m running to be your governor,” said Duggan, a lifelong Democrat. video announcement.
The third-term mayor will be the first person to officially enter the crowded 2026 race to replace Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited and cannot run again.
Duggan, the second-longest serving mayor in city history, announced last month that he would not seek a fourth term as mayor. detroit free press At that moment, he “felt that he had done what he set out to do.”
Duggan said in the video that as mayor, he “didn’t fit neatly into the tenets of either of the two political parties.” He added: “I angered some people in my own party when calls for defunding the police grew.” Approve an increase in overtime hours Pay Detroit Police Officers in 2022.
“It’s clear that there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both parties and tired of this system,” Duggan said. told the Associated Press In an interview. “That’s why I want to give people options.”
Duggan became mayor in 2013, when Detroit was reeling from bankruptcy, and his efforts to rebuild the city are widely considered successful. he won re-election In 2021, it received 76 percent of the vote.
“The political fighting and nonsense that once held Detroit back is what we see all too often in Michigan today,” Duggan said in the video, adding, “I can make a difference by starting a movement.” I’m going to try it,” he added. They can lobby the governor by talking about whether it’s time for a completely new approach: an independent governor. ”
