Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Regional Chamber is set to host a mayoral debate at the upcoming Mackinac Policy Conference, scheduled for May 27-30 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Details regarding which of the nine candidates will participate have not been disclosed. The chamber plans to determine and invite select members from the candidate pool.

"We’re considering a number of factors right now, and when we announce the actual plan, we’ll communicate what metric we used to decide who was invited to be on stage," said chamber officials regarding participant selection.

The candidates vying for leadership include two current city councilmembers, a former council president, a former police chief, two entrepreneurs, a pastor from Detroit’s largest church, an attorney, and a community advocate. This diverse group underscores the need for Detroit's leadership to reflect its resilient community.

Candidates who have submitted petitions for ballot inclusion are City Council President Mary Sheffield, City Councilman Fred Durhal III, former Police Chief James Craig, former City Council President Saunteel Jenkins, Pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., entrepreneur Joel Haashiim, attorney Todd Perkins, entrepreneur Jonathan Barlow, and criminal justice advocate Dean Evans. Their certification by the city clerk’s office is pending before their appearance on August's primary ballot can be confirmed.

Recently, seven out of these nine candidates participated in an initial forum on April 26 at Riverside Marina in Detroit. This event was organized by the African American Leadership Institute and Supermajority and moderated by Michigan Chronicle Executive Editor Jeremy Allen. It drew over 200 attendees with additional viewership online.

As election activities intensify with more forums and debates planned ahead of the primaries in August, this debate during the Mackinac Policy Conference will provide significant exposure for candidates before key policymakers.

In addition to public forums and debates, Michigan Chronicle’s editorial board has conducted one-on-one interviews with eight candidates. These interviews are expected to be available soon on MichiganChronicle.com.