What to expect in Detroit on Election Day

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit voters will choose a new mayor Tuesday in the city’s first open mayoral race in more than a dozen years.

City Council President Mary Sheffield and Triumph Church Pastor Solomon Kinlock, both Democrats, will compete for the city’s top job after finishing first and second in the Aug. 5 nonpartisan primary. The winner will replace outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running for Michigan governor as an independent.

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The city faces a vastly different situation than it did when Duggan was first elected in 2013. In July of that year, it became the largest American city ever to file for bankruptcy. The city now has a budget surplus, balanced budgets for 12 years and projected economic growth over the next five years. Homicide and violent crime decreased, while the city’s population increased for the second year in a row, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

However, the next mayor will face many challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing and massive economic disparities along racial lines.

Sheffield led the field in fundraising throughout the campaign. As of the August primary, her campaign funding has more than doubled that of her eight challengers combined.

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In the general election, she achieved a significant increase in support and outspent Kinloch. As of October 19, her campaign had spent more than $1.8 million on her campaign and had nearly $772,000 in the bank. By that same moment, Kinloch had spent about $160,000 on the race and had less than $11,000 left in the bank.

Since receiving more than 50% of the vote in the August primary, Sheffield has received key endorsements from Duggan, as well as from two of her former primary opponents, former City Council President Sauntelle Jenkins and City Councilman Fred Durhall. Jenkins received 16% of the primary vote, narrowly losing his place on the general election ballot to Kinloch, who received about 17%. Durhal received about 3% of the vote.

The majority of voters in Detroit are overwhelmingly Democratic. In the 2024 presidential election, voters in the city backed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump by nearly 9-1.

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The election is taking place as the nation’s largest cities face an unprecedented level of federal interference, with President Trump deploying or threatening to deploy National Guard troops and federal officers to at least 10 US cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, Baltimore, Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago and Portland, Oregon, among others.

At a September rally in Howell, Michigan, Vice President J.D. Vance sent a public message to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that the administration was “happy” to send the National Guard to Detroit. “All you have to do is ask,” he said.

The Associated Press does not provide projections, and will declare a winner only when it is determined that no scenario exists that would allow the late nominees to close the gap. If the race is not called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or announcements of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet announced a winner and explain why.

Read more: How and why does the AP announce winners on election night?

Michigan’s mandatory recount law does not apply to the Detroit mayoral race. Alternatively, candidates can request and pay for a recount, with a refund if the recount changes the outcome. The AP may declare a winner in a race subject to a recount if it can determine that the lead is so large that a recount or legal challenge cannot change the outcome.

Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday.

How long are the polls open?

Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will present the voting results and announce the winner in the Detroit mayoral race.

Who is entitled to vote?

Any registered voter in Detroit may participate in the general mayoral election.

What does turnout and advance voting look like?

There were more than 518,000 registered voters in Detroit as of the mayoral primary in August.

Turnout in those primaries was about 17% of registered voters. About 32% of mayoral primary voters cast their ballots in person, while the remaining 68% voted early in person or by absentee ballot.

Turnout in the 2021 municipal general election was approximately 19% of registered voters, with approximately 67% of voters casting early or absentee ballots.

As of Monday, nearly 45,000 votes had been cast in Detroit before Election Day.

How long does it usually take to count votes?

In the August primary, the AP first announced results at 8:32 p.m. ET, or 32 minutes after polls closed. The tabulation of votes ended overnight at 4:30 a.m. ET, with 100% of the votes counted.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.

Find live voting results for 2025