Anthony Adams, a former deputy mayor under Kwame Kilpatrick, announced on Tuesday that he will run for mayor of Detroit against incumbent Mike Duggan who is seeking a third term.
In an announcement on Facebook Live, Adams listed off the local businesses he frequents — from shoe shiners to jazz clubs — and his record in public office, which includes serving as the Executive Assistant to Former Mayor Coleman Young and as President of the Detroit Public School Board.
"We have a shared experience,” he said in an appeal to fellow city residents. “I understand your plight. I've been in the struggle with you. I know how public policy can negatively impact the lives of Detroiters."
Adams served under former Mayor Kilpatrick who was released from federal prison last week after serving about seven years. In his waning days in office, former President Donald Trump commuted Kilpatrick’s 28-year sentence citing support from prominent Detroiters and positive behavior in prison.
Now seeking the city’s highest post, Adams laid out a four-point policy agenda in which he committed reducing crime through community engagement, addressing the needs of senior citizens, restoring pride in Detroit, and boosting economic development.
Adams is the first candidate to formally announce his campaign against Mayor Mike Duggan, although former 2017 mayoral candidate Myya Jones and home healthcare worker Cheryl Webb have formed committees for the 2021 August primary, according to Wayne County elections records.
Mayor Duggan, who became the first white mayor of majority-black Detroit since the 1970s when he was voted into office through a write-in campaign in 2013, is seeking a third term.
His campaign expects a number of people to enter the race, but claimed strong support from across the city, according to a statement.
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