Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s decision to run as an independent candidate in the Michigan gubernatorial race may throw a wrench in Democrats’ plans to hold on to the office in 2026.
Duggan, who has been a Democrat throughout his career, became the first major candidate to enter the race last week and took most observers by surprise by spurning both parties and running as an independent.
The decision could allow Duggan to stand out in the race, making life tougher for Republicans and Democrats.
“That’s given him a lot of attention, and his message surrounding that is precisely ... that he wants to break the partisan polarization, and so absolutely that’s a chance for him at this point in time to get his name out there, to define himself,” said Jonathan Hanson, a political scientist at the University of Michigan.
The Michigan governor’s race was already expected to seize headlines. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who easily won reelection in 2022, is term-limited and cannot run again.
Michigan went red in last month's presidential race, narrowly voting for President-elect Trump even as voters also elected Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin to the U.S. Senate.
As a result, the race to succeed Whitmer is seen as an opportunity for both parties.
Duggan became the first white mayor of majority-Black Detroit since the 1970s with his election in 2013, following a successful write-in campaign. He came into........