Detroit Mayoral Race: Mary Sheffield beats Solomon Kinloch to be city's next leader

(FOX 2) - Mary Sheffield will be Detroit's next mayor after a hard-fought campaign in 2025 ended with the city council president locking in victory on Nov. 5.

Sheffield won the high-stakes contest with the Associated Press calling it with 49% of votes counted.

Sheffield beat out Solomon Kinloch, the pastor of one of Detroit's largest churches who stormed onto the race and beat out several other candidates in the August Primary.

Michigan Election Results: How to track Detroit Mayor, city council, other races in Southeast Michigan

However, he came in a distant second place to Sheffield and was unable to recover from the council president's lead among voters.

Mary Sheffield on verge of overwhelming win for Detroit mayor

Mary Sheffield is poised to become the first woman in Detroit history to become mayor.

Detroit Mayoral Race

This year's race was one of the biggest in recent history for Detroit following more than a decade under the leadership of Mike Duggan.

However, when he announced he would be stepping aside from Detroit politics and would not run for a fourth term in late 2024, it set off a busy primary season that included figures from all over the city, including members of the business community, current and former city council members, as well as other department and organization heads.

The incoming mayor will pick up where Duggan left off. Detroit has shed its reputation from its bankruptcy days, which means Mary Sheffield will be faced with new issues, ranging from ensuring investment spans outside of downtown, expanding access to owning a home, and improving the city's schools.

Solomon Kinloch Jr. talks after Detroit mayoral defeat

Kinloch said that his work in the city of Detroit won't stop, and he will continue to fight for affordable housing and other improvements.

A survey released by the University of Michigan in October notes that 56% of Detroit residents believe the city is generally headed in the right direction.

Improvement in the neighborhoods and public safety were some of the biggest reasons behind the positivity.

However, those less happy with the city's direction say not enough is going toward the residents already here and too much time and attention is spent on businesses and trying to attract people to move to the city.

Other issues like high car and home insurance, crumbling roads and bridges, and public transit are also top of mind.

Mary Sheffield will have all of this on their plate when they take office next year.