Who’s funding the mayoral race? Not Detroiters.

July 30, 2025

The article discusses campaign finance disclosures for Detroit's mayoral race, revealing that candidates have collectively raised $3 million, with only 28% coming from Detroit residents while 72% comes from outside the city. Council President Mary Sheffield leads in fundraising with nearly $800,000 raised this year, giving her a significant financial advantage over rivals Solomon Kinloch Jr. and Saunteel Jenkins.

Who is affected

Detroit residents and voters whose local elections are being influenced by non-resident donors
Parents and minors in Detroit subject to the updated parental responsibility ordinance and curfew enforcement
Residents of the Ravendale neighborhood dealing with alleged crime from the Travel Inn hotel
The nine mayoral candidates whose campaigns rely on fundraising
Low-income Detroit families who may struggle to pay the increased parental responsibility fines

What action is being taken

Detroit mayoral candidates are raising funds for their campaigns, with significant amounts coming from outside the city
The City Council voted 7-1 to update a parental responsibility ordinance with increased fines for parents whose children violate curfew
Police have issued 86 tickets to parents and 234 curfew violation notices since July 4
Police are conducting monitoring operations at the Travel Inn hotel in response to neighborhood complaints
The city is working to provide youth activities through recreation centers and planning e-sports expos

Why it matters

The heavy reliance on non-Detroit donors raises questions about whether policy focus might shift away from Detroit neighborhoods and what favors donors might expect
Sheffield's substantial financial advantage ($451,478 cash on hand) gives her a major edge if she advances from the primary
The updated parental responsibility ordinance aims to address recent youth violence and shooting deaths of children
Some residents and council members are concerned the increased fines will disproportionately impact low-income families
Ongoing crime issues at the Travel Inn hotel are affecting quality of life in the Ravendale neighborhood, with 488 emergency calls connected to the site in the past year

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article, though it mentions the City Council is going on recess in August and will return the first week of September.

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com