Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says he won't seek fourth term in office
(CBS DETROIT) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced Wednesday that he will not seek a fourth term in office.
Duggan did not discuss his political future during Wednesday's announcement but said he would talk more about his future plans in the coming weeks.
His current term ends in January 2026.
Duggan is the city's 75th mayor. He is serving his third four-year term and is the second longest-serving mayor behind Coleman Young, who was elected to five terms and 20 years.
Duggan first took office in January 2014, and the city emerged from its historic bankruptcy in December of that year.
"Detroit's story of resurgence is one of Detroiter's who never game up on their city," Duggan said. "It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as mayor over the past 12 years and I am incredibly proud of what we've accomplished — from emerging out of bankruptcy to becoming a vibrant, healthy city that is a model of resilience and transformation. This last year is about continuing the work we started and ensuring Detroit's success remains rooted in opportunity for everyone."
In May, a report from the U.S. Census Bureau showed Detroit's population was finally growing again. The city, which had been declining in population since 1958, saw its population grow by 1,852 residents between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, bringing its population to 633,366.
"I stood here in January of 2014 and said I want to be judged by one thing: Is the population of the city of Detroit going up or is it going down? And I had a lot of people say, 'That's crazy; don't do that.' But I didn't actually run to fix streetlights and pave roads," Duggan said. "I wanted to change the direction of this city. I watched with pain as everything was taken away from us over those decades. And so this April, when 750,000 people poured into Detroit for the NFL Draft ... and saw Detroit get the kind of national celebration it deserved. And then one month later, the Census Bureau released a report, and for the first time since 1957, the population of the city of Detroit is officially growing again.
"As I thought about it, I realized that I had done what I set out to do. This really is what I wanted to contribute."
According to the city, when Duggan took office in 2014, Detroit had 47,000 vacant or abandoned homes. As of now, 3,000 abandoned homes remain.
Duggan previously served as Wayne County Prosecutor for three years before becoming CEO of the Detroit Medical Center in 2004. Duggan left the DMC in 2013 to run for office on a successful write-in campaign, defeating former Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon. He also spent 14 years as Wayne County's deputy county executive.
