The mayor of Michigan’s most populous city is leaving the Democrat Party and launching an independent challenge for Michigan governor, which is currently held by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. State law prevents Whitmer from serving another term.
“It’s clear to me that there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both parties and tired of the system,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in an interview on Dec. 3, a day before he publicly announced his bid. “And so I want to offer people a choice.”
Duggan, 66, has been the mayor of Detroit since 2014. He was previously a county prosecutor.
Whitmer, 53, won reelection in 2022 with 54.5 percent of the vote over Republican Tudor Dixon.
Duggan said he believes that he can govern more effectively as an independent.
“You have a Legislature that’s almost evenly divided that makes the stakes of each issue become magnified,” he said, referring to state lawmakers. “It has gotten harder and harder to address things as the partisan climate has gotten more toxic.”
Michigan is a swing state that went for President-elect Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024, and President Joe Biden in 2020. Democrats in Michigan enjoyed a trifecta, or control of the state legislative chambers and the governor’s mansion, starting in 2023 but in November lost control of the state House of Representatives among other setbacks.
No other rumored candidates have officially launched campaigns to succeed Whitmer. The election will not happen until 2026.
Duggan’s choice could help him avoid what might turn into a crowded Democrat primary field. Potential contenders include Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who relocated to Michigan in 2022, has also sparked speculation about a potential Democrat gubernatorial bid. When asked in November about a potential candidacy, Buttigieg left the door open.
“Right now, it’s hard to see past Election Day,“ he said. ”After that, I’ll figure out how to make myself useful. But what I know is I really care about what happens in this state.”
On the Republican side, prospective candidates include state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt and U.S. Rep. John James (R-Mich.).
Duggan is the latest Democrat to turn independent, following Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.). Both declined to run for reelection and are set to leave office in January 2025.
Several states have elected independent governors since 1990, Duggan noted. They include Angus King in Maine, now a U.S. senator.
“The pattern you’ve seen over and over is when the Democratic Party moved too far left or the Republican Party moved too far right you had a candidate step in and say I want to represent the whole state,“ Duggan said. ”This isn’t something that hasn’t happened before. We’ve studied all of those races.”
No independent has ever served as governor of Michigan.
