Detroit,
USA — November 3, 2025. City Council President Mary Sheffield holds a decisive
lead, marking a milestone for women — and Black women — in Michigan politics.
Detroit
voters may be on the verge of electing the city’s first-ever female mayor after
more than 75 men have held the position since 1824. According to new polls,
City Council President Mary Sheffield, 36, leads by a wide margin against the
Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., signaling a turning point for gender and racial
representation in Michigan’s largest city.
From
McPhail to Sheffield
The
last time a woman appeared on a Detroit mayoral ballot was in 1993, when
attorney Sharon McPhail lost to Dennis Archer. More than three decades later,
Sheffield’s campaign embodies the culmination of progress in women’s political
participation — from city councils to state executive offices.
Since
Michigan’s historic 2018 election of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney
General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the state has
remained at the forefront of female leadership in the U.S. Midwest. Now,
Detroit could join that legacy.
Polls
Show Commanding Lead
An
October Detroit News–WDIV-TV poll found Sheffield with 65% of likely voters’
support, compared with 14% for Kinloch and 20% undecided. The survey of 500
voters had a margin of error of ±4.4 percentage points, reflecting Sheffield’s
substantial advantage heading into Election Day.
Political
consultant Mario Morrow said Sheffield’s years in office have allowed her to
overcome early gender bias:
“She can talk the talk and walk the walk … people aren’t looking at her as a ‘woman candidate’ anymore,” Morrow told The Detroit News.
The
Gender Equation in 2025
Experts
note that female candidates continue to face higher scrutiny around
“likability” — a factor less often applied to men.
Jean
Sinzdak, associate director of the Center for American Women and Politics at
Rutgers University, said:
“Voters tend to want women to be competent and likable — which is an unfair double standard.”
Pamela
Aronson, sociologist at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, cautioned that the
backlash against diversity and inclusion policies since 2024 has created
uncertainty:
“We may not be as far along as we thought in normalizing women’s leadership.”
A
Legacy of Service and Name Recognition
Sheffield,
first elected to Detroit’s City Council in 2013 at age 26, is the daughter of
civil rights leader Rev. Horace Sheffield III and granddaughter of union icon
Horace Sheffield Jr. That legacy, combined with her tenure as council
president, has built deep roots in the city’s political landscape.
In
campaign filings, Sheffield outraised Kinloch $1.2 million to $138,000,
underscoring her organizational advantage and donor confidence.
Detroit’s
Political Evolution
Detroit
has never elected a woman mayor, but nearby cities such as Warren, Livonia, and
Pontiac are already led by women — many of them Black women.
Nationally,
37 of the 100 largest U.S. cities are headed by women, and eight by Black
women, according to Rutgers’ 2025 report on women in local government.
Still,
seven in ten local offices remain occupied by men — proof, analysts say, that
gender parity in politics remains unfinished business.
Support
and Skepticism
Outgoing
Mayor Mike Duggan, in office since 2014, endorsed Sheffield after her August
primary victory, praising her for “finding real solutions” on housing and
neighborhood revitalization.
Kinloch
responded that Detroit “needs fresh leadership,” questioning Sheffield’s record
during her 12 years on the council.
Political
observers say Sheffield’s challenge has been to balance toughness with empathy
— traits that often define successful female leaders like Governor Whitmer.
Broader
Implications
Sheffield’s
likely victory would position Detroit among major U.S. cities such as Los
Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., led by Black women mayors. For
many, it would symbolize the resilience of Detroit’s electorate and a
generational shift in its politics.
If
elected, Sheffield would also become the youngest mayor in modern Detroit
history, signaling a new era of leadership grounded in both heritage and
innovation.
Detroit’s
story is one of transformation — from industrial heartland to a laboratory of
civic renewal. If Mary Sheffield takes office, her administration will not only
break a 200-year gender barrier but also redefine what inclusive leadership
looks like in one of America’s most storied cities.
By:
María Pérez | Editor-in-Chief, CRN Times
Publication
date: 03/11/2025
Transparency
note: This article was produced with verified sources (The Detroit News,
WDIV-TV, Rutgers University, University of Michigan) and reviewed according to
CRN Times editorial standards.