Copyright WDIV ClickOnDetroit
DETROIT – Detroit voters will head to the polls on Nov. 4, 2025, to choose their next mayor of the city. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. won the August primary election and are the two candidates on the November ballot for Detroit’s next mayor. Here’s what to know about Sheffield and Kinloch: Mary Sheffield Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield received over 50% of the votes in the primary election. She has served in the city of Detroit since 2013 and made history in 2022 by becoming the youngest person to be elected as council president. According to her campaign website, her vision for Detroit’s future includes public safety, affordable housing, reliable transportation, neighborhood restoration and more. Her main goal for the city in her 100-day plan is to continue Detroit’s progress and set new city hall standards. She has faced criticism directed at her work on the City Council, which was highlighted during the debate hosted by Local 4 back in June. One of her opponents at the time, Saunteel Jenkins, said in her closing argument, “If you want a mayor who shows up on Instagram but doesn’t show up for meetings, then follow Mary.” Following the debate, Sheffield acknowledged the criticism and said, “We’re going to continue to focus on the work that I’ve done. We know that there is still more work to do. But we have made tremendous progress, and we’re going to continue to try and move Detroit forward in a positive direction.” She also faces criticism over accepting free concert tickets from Comerica Bank to a Jeezy performance at the Fox Theatre. In response, Sheffield campaign spokesperson Brittni Brown cited specific provisions of the city’s ethics ordinance, explaining that “Section 2-106.4 of the ethics ordinance specifically prohibits a public servant from accepting gifts, gratuities, or honoraria from any entity or person seeking official action from the city of Detroit.” Brown added, “This is not applicable with respect to Comerica Bank because they are not a business partner with the city of Detroit.” Sheffield joined Local 4 Live on Aug. 6, the day after the primary election, to talk about her vision for the city. You can watch the full interview below: Solomon Kinloch, Jr. Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. passed candidate Saunteel Jenkins for the second spot with about 1,100 more votes, securing his name on the ballot for the general election. Kinloch has served as senior pastor of Triumph Church for the last 27 years, growing it from 40 members to more than 40,000, making it one of the fastest-growing churches in the country. Before becoming a pastor, he worked at the Chevy Gear and Axle plant and was a member of UAW Local 235. According to Kinloch’s campaign website, his vision for Detroit’s future includes improving public safety, building affordable housing, creating an inclusive economy and ensuring business prosperity. The main question voters have been asking Kinloch is if he will remain a full-time mayor even though he is a senior pastor at Triumph. He said the church has an executive team to take over during his absence if he were elected mayor. Kinloch faced some backlash after his assault conviction resurfaced. In response, Kinloch said he preaches about second chances, forgiveness and accepting that no one is perfect. He also faces criticism that two out of the seven Triumph Church locations in Michigan owe nearly $30,000 to the water and sewage department. The church responded, saying, “Like many residents and businesses across Detroit, the church participates in the City’s Affordability Plan to manage water bills responsibly. Pastor Kinloch understands firsthand the strain caused by soaring water costs and, as mayor, will put measures in place to help Detroiters address the burden of excessive fees—particularly those driven by the drainage tax." Kinloch joined Local 4 following the primary election results in August. You can watch the full interview below: He also appeared on Flashpoint with Jason Colthorp on Oct. 26. You can watch the full interview below: WDIV/Detroit News poll results Detroit voters were asked during a recent poll who they would vote for in the mayoral race in the 2025 general election. Here’s the exact wording of the question, which was asked over the phone: If the election for mayor of Detroit was held today, would you vote for Mary Sheffield or Solomon Kinloch Jr. to be the next mayor of Detroit? Participants were then asked: Would that be definitely vote for Sheffield/Kinloch or probably vote for Sheffield/Kinloch? Here are the results: Definitely Kinloch -- 9.5% Probably Kinloch -- 4.6% Definitely Sheffield -- 52.2% Probably Sheffield -- 12.7% Other -- 0.6% Don’t know/Refused -- 20.4% Poll methodology WDIV and the Detroit News commissioned a survey of likely November 2025 general election voters within the city of Detroit. The poll was conducted by The Glengariff Group, Inc. It was a 500-sample, live-operator telephone survey conducted from October 16-18, 2025. The margin of error is +/- 4.4%, and there is a 95% level of confidence. Of the respondents, 10.3% were called via landline telephone, and 89.7% were called on a cellphone.
