Pretty much all other state political news this week was crowded out by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s high-risk, high-reward plan to forswear party affiliation and run for governor in 2026 as an independent. Duggan’s taking a huge gamble that voters will look past his deep Democratic Party roots and see, instead, a proven problem solver whose track record leans more bipartisan or nonpartisan.
In a conversation just hours after the announcement, Duggan told Zoe that there are lessons to be learned from Democrats’ losses this year that he will apply to his campaign. “Since the November election, I listened to reactions,” he said. “I was really surprised at how many people feel like both parties have left them and that they're fed up with the system. And I thought maybe voters would want a third choice.”
You can listen to Zoe’s full conversation with Duggan here.
Rick hears a candidate there presenting himself as the antidote for people who feel caught between ivory tower progressives and fire-breathing, right-wing populists. Rick has been asking around political circles since the news broke and the question was, who else would be taken this seriously as a non-affiliated statewide candidate? The answer: no one comes to mind. (Although Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, a Democrat, certainly likes to run in that lane.)
Duggan not only has a record as mayor but as the former Wayne County Prosecutor, Detroit Medical Center CEO, and cut his teeth as the top deputy to the late Wayne County Executive Ed McNamara. He’s been around but, not unlike Governor Gretchen Whitmer, has largely avoided the malodor of being a career politician or establishment lackey. (We’ll see if that lasts.)
Duggan is a savvy operator whose instincts should not be discounted. After all, this is the guy who won a spot on the 2013 Detroit mayoral ballot as a write-in candidate. (Of course, being a write-in candidate was made necessary after a blunder in filing his campaign paperwork – proof that he’s not infallible.)
The announcement leaves a wider opening now in the Democratic field. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson quickly tweeted some shade Duggan’s way that she remains a proud Democrat. (Let’s call it the Benson Challenge: Tell us you’re running for governor without telling us you’re running for governor.) Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, also, like Benson, a Detroiter, may see more opportunity in a less-crowded Democratic primary.
Which brings us to money. On and off the record, business leaders who we’ve talked to or heard from seem downright giddy about a Duggan candidacy and ready to pony up financial support. Count Bill Ford Jr. among the deep pockets willing to bring their financial resources and network to back Duggan. And that’s money Duggan wouldn’t have to burn through trying to win a crowded Democratic primary. That’s no small thing. He gets to go directly to running a general election campaign.
But there are also critical technical challenges. As an independent, he won’t have the statewide network of party officials from county chairs to precinct delegates to recruit volunteers, party voter records, make phone calls, knock on doors and work local events on his behalf. This will be a build-it-from-the-ground-up operation.
Michigan allows straight-ticket party voting and a lot of Republican and Democratic candidates benefit from that. The Duggan campaign will have to convince and remind voters who use straight-ticket voting to make the extra effort to find his name and fill in the box next to it.
If Duggan in the end helps split the vote between himself and whoever the Democratic nominee is, he’ll be remembered as the guy who helped elect a Republican in what on paper should be a promising year for Democrats with a Republican – and a controversial one at that – in the White House. At the same time, it’s also very unusual for Michiganders to elect two successive governors of the same party to open seats. So, maybe that also figures into Duggan’s plans.
So, how will this play out?
“Nothing is particularly close in recent history,” says Michigan State University political science professor Matt Grossmann. “I don’t know that there’s a clear basis of comparison.”
Dig deeper: Mike Duggan would not be the first Detroit mayor to go from running Michigan's largest city to the state Capitol. Progressive Democrat Frank Murphy has one of Michigan’s more distinguished political histories that includes (among many other positions) Detroit mayor, Michigan governor, U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Supreme Court justice. (He wrote a dissenting opinion in the decision that upheld the internment of U.S. citizens of Japanese dissent during World War II.) Go back even further in history and you’ll find a Detroit mayor who tried to hold both offices at the same time. In January of 1897, the legendary Hazen Pingree was sworn as governor intending to simultaneously serve his final year as Detroit mayor. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled he could not hold both offices at the same time, so he resigned as mayor.
Have questions about Michigan gubernatorial politics? Or, just want to let us know what you want more of (less of?) in the newsletter? We always want to hear from you! Shoot us an email at politics@michiganpublic.org!
What we’re talking about at the dinner table
Repealing zombie laws: The Legislature’s Democratic majorities opened this session with actions to repeal a passel of laws including the state’s 1931 ban on abortions. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed it in April of last year. Democrats wanted it off the books even though it was unenforceable under a voter-approved amendment to the Michigan Constitution. In the Legislature’s lame duck session, some Democrats are taking aim at some of the state’s technically unenforceable “morality laws.” The Detroit News’ Beth Leblanc has this explainer.
Ghosts of lame ducks past: Frequent readers of the IJP newsletter know that we’re focused a lot on this year’s lame duck session. Well, this week, The Detroit Free Press’s Clara Hendrickson’s piece about Democratic lame ducks of the past is a must-read: “In 1934, state lawmakers convened after the general election in a special session. What followed mirrors efforts to subvert the 2020 election with the partisan roles reversed and election meddling focused on statewide offices instead of the presidential race.” Chaos in the House? History says, hold my beer.
Issues & Ale: Speaking of frothy brews, we have our final It’s Just Politics Issues & Ale of the year coming up next week in Grand Rapids! The aforementioned Clara Hendrickson will join us along with Capitol reporter Colin Jackson to talk all things 2024, what to expect in Michigan politics in 2025, and to take your questions! We’ll be at Founders Brewing Company next Tuesday evening. Register to attend in person (or join us virtually) here. We look forward to seeing you!
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Yours in political nerdiness,
Rick Pluta & Zoe Clark
Co-hosts, It’s Just Politics
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IJP on the road
Zoe joined 1A’s Friday News Roundup this week: A manhunt is underway in New York City for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Despite saying that he wouldn’t do so, President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, this week for federal crimes. New reporting by Semafor revealed this week that the Trump pick to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, was the target of an Iranian hack.
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