DETROIT — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, says he will run for governor of Michigan in 2026 as an independent.
“It’s clear to me that there are a lot of people in this town who are tired of both parties and tired of the system,” Duggan said in an interview Tuesday. “And so I want to give people a chance.”
Duggan, 66, is believed to be leading Detroit from bankruptcy to a more prosperous and vibrant city. He formally announced his intentions in a video released Wednesday morning, but discussed his future with The Associated Press beforehand. He hopes to succeed the popular Democratic government. Gretchen WhitmerLimited by Michigan law.
The mayor’s decision comes in the middle of a debate among Michigan Democrats, among a few. They helped propel former President Donald Trump to victory in swing states in November. The Democratic Party, which two years ago claimed majorities in both chambers of the Legislature for the first time in decades, suffered setbacks at the polls, leaving state Democrats confused about explanations and a path forward.
However, few would have predicted that the mayor of the state’s largest city and biggest Democratic stronghold would completely abandon his party.
Duggan said he believed he could govern more effectively as an independent.
“You have an almost evenly divided (state) legislature, and it raises the stakes on every issue,” he said. “It’s getting harder and harder to deal with things as the partisan climate has become more toxic.”
Duggan could also be looking to avoid what is shaping up to be a crowded Democratic primary. Potential contenders include Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Garlin Gilchrist III and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
US Secretary of Transportation Pete ButtigiegThe move to Michigan in 2022 has also fueled speculation about a possible Democratic gubernatorial run. Asked by the AP on Nov. 3 about a potential run, Buttigieg left the door open, saying, “Right now, it’s hard to see past Election Day. After that I will figure out how to make myself useful. But what I do know is that I really care about what happens in this situation.’
On the Republican side, possible candidates include Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former state attorney general Mike Cox, former state representative Tom Leonard and US representative John James. 2022 Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon is also considering another run.
Gov. Whitmer’s office and the state Democratic Party declined to comment Wednesday.
“This changes the dynamic of gubernatorial campaigns,” said Adolph Mongo, a former Detroit political commentator and political consultant. “People have said we need a third party, a real one.”
“This is a delicious move. This is a good move,” Mongo continued. “It hurts the Democratic Party. There is no doubt that he will take a bunch of Democrats with him. It will also free those moderate republicans who don’t buy MAGA.”
Mongo said Duggan investigates.
“I’m sure the numbers didn’t have to look very hot to secure the Democratic nomination,” Mongo said. “You have Jocelyn Benson. You have Garlin Gilchrist, Pete Buttigieg. He is thinking outside the box. When he presented himself as a candidate for the mayor’s office, he thought outside the box.”
Democrat Mark Bernstein, a University of Michigan regent, says running as an independent will allow Duggan to “eliminate the partisanship that has paralyzed Lansing for so long.”
“Voters don’t care about political parties. They care about results and Mayor Duggan gets results,” Bernstein said.
“I think a lot of voters, like me, feel homeless right now,” Bernstein continued. “Many Republicans feel alienated from the Republican Party and many Democrats feel alienated from the Democratic Party.”
Brian Calley, a Republican and former Michigan governor, said in X that Duggan checks the boxes to be a “credible, independent candidate with the ability to raise money.”
“But having a political party behind it has great advantages,” Calley wrote. “And being targeted left and right will be intense. 2026 is already very interesting.”
Duggan said he believes he can appeal to both Democrats and Republicans. “I hope to get the votes out of both of them that have given me a chance to win,” he said. “That’s the only scenario I can think of.”
A Duggan run as an independent, while further fracturing a Democratic state still reeling from Trump’s victory in November, could win over voters looking outside the party for answers.
There is precedent. Then-U.S Sen. Kyrsten Sinema The people of Arizona went to independence in 2022. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin he did the same thing last spring.
Several states have elected independent governors since 1990, Duggan noted, among others Angus King Maine, now a US senator.
“It’s a pattern you’ve seen time and time again when the Democratic Party moves too far to the left or the Republican Party moves too far to the right, a candidate comes in and says I want to represent the entire state,” Duggan said. “This is not. It’s not something that hasn’t happened before. We’ve looked at all those races.”
But an independent has never served as Michigan’s governor, and third-party candidates typically don’t fare well in elections for the state’s top seat. Libertarian Party candidate Mary Buzuma received a scant 0.9% of the vote in 2022.
“If you think the two-party system serves you well, you can vote for your Republican or Democratic candidate,” Duggan said. “But if you think the only way to change the quality of life in Michigan is another way, I’m going to give people an alternative, an independent who will go to Lansing and work with responsible leadership in both parties.”
Last month, Duggan announced that next year would be his last as Detroit’s mayor. His current term ends in January 2026. Duggan said then that he plans to “go to communities across the state that are forgotten and sit in neighborhood restaurants and farms and downtowns and listen to people.”
“And I’m going to start doing that and I’m not going to take the view that some people don’t matter,” he added. “I’m not going to get rid of anyone.”
Duggan spent about eight years as CEO of Detroit Medical Center. He served three years as Wayne County Prosecutor and 14 years as Deputy County Manager.
He was the top vote-getter in Detroit’s 2013 mayoral primary, despite a write-in campaign due to a ballot challenge. Duggan, who is white, was elected in November 2013 mostly taken that summer to carry black Detroit The largest municipal bankruptcy in US history by a manager appointed by the state.
Long-term debts of $18 billion or more and hundreds of millions of dollars in annual budget deficits left Detroit broke and nearly broke. Crime was high and neighborhood destruction abounded. Unemployment and poverty rates were among the highest in the nation.
Duggan, who took office in January 2014, led the city, but initially had no control over spending. That December, Detroit emerged from bankruptcy with about $7 billion of debt written off or restructured.
Over the past decade, Detroit has had balanced city budgets and surpluses. Violent crime is down and neighborhoods are mostly cleaner. Detroit’s population increased slightly in 2023. It was the first increase since 1.8 million people called the city home since the 1950s.
“I’m sorry I did what I did” Duggan told the AP last month “I was born here. I grew up here. I saw the decline and felt I could help. Today, we are in a very different place in the city.”
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Associated Press reporter Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan contributed to this story.
