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Summary
Mary Sheffield has made history as Detroit’s first female and first Black woman mayor, winning the 2025 election with over 76% of the vote.
Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield has been elected as the next mayor of Detroit, making history as the first woman to lead the city in its 324-year history.
Mary won the 2025 Detroit mayoral election with an overwhelming 76.79% of the vote, defeating Triumph Church Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr., who garnered 22.69%.
Her campaign message centred on unity and progress. Her team’s slogan, “Mary for Everybody,” drew inspiration from Detroit’s popular phrase, “Detroit vs. Everybody.”
Speaking at her victory rally on November 4, 2025, Mary Sheffield promised an inclusive administration.
“In this administration, everyone will have a seat at the table,” she said. “Because guess what? This city belongs to all of us,” she said.
A native Detroiter, Mary Sheffield has deep roots in social justice and public service. She earned her degree in public affairs from Wayne State University and began her political career at 26, when she became the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council in 2013. She later made history again in 2022 as the youngest City Council President.
During her tenure, Mary championed property tax reform, inclusionary housing, neighbourhood beautification, and served on boards such as the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and the General Retirement System Board.
Mary Sheffield will officially take office on January 1, 2026, succeeding Mayor Mike Duggan, who chose not to seek reelection after serving since 2014. Her win also places her as the first Black woman to lead Detroit, following in the footsteps of Coleman Young, the city’s first Black mayor elected in 1974.
Women made major political gains in the just concluded U.S. elections. In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger became governor and Ghazala Hashmi was elected lieutenant governor. Mikie Sherrill won the governorship in New Jersey, Michelle Wu was re-elected mayor of Boston, Erika Evans became Seattle’s City Attorney, and Naren Briar won a City Council seat in Bellevue, Washington.
