Detroit Mayor Duggan running for Michigan governor as an independent

Canadian MPs Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, left, and François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Kirsten Hillman, Canada's Ambassador to the United States visit the Gordie Howe International Bridge in Detroit on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is departing from the Democratic party after 40 years as he steps out on his own to run for Michigan governor as an independent.

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Duggan, a three-term mayor first elected in 2013, announced his plans on Wednesday to launch a campaign for governor in 2026.

“What would happen if we upended the system and gave Michigan voters a new choice?” Duggan, 66, asked in a campaign video. “A governor who didn’t run as a candidate of either party, but went to work every day with no goal except to get people to work together for all of Michigan.”

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Duggan, Detroit’s second-longest serving mayor, led the city through its bankruptcy years and the transformation back to a vibrant world-class city. He announced last month he will not run for a fourth term as mayor of Windsor’s American neighbouring city.

Duggan’s decision to run for governor as an independent comes after the Democrats suffered several stunning defeats in the latest U.S. federal elections that also returned Republican Donald Trump to the White House.

“I’m not running to be the Democrats’ governor or the Republicans’ governor,” Duggan said in his video. “I’m running to be your governor.”

Duggan hopes to replace current Democratic Gretchen Whitmer. She was first elected as the state’s 49th governor in 2019 and re-elected in 2022. The governor of Michigan is limited to two terms.

While several states have elected independent governors since 1990, an independent candidate has not yet served as Michigan governor.

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Similar to his first run for mayor, Duggan said his campaign for governor will include attending living room meetings around the state, listening to peoples’ concerns.

“The political fighting and the nonsense that once held Detroit back is too often what we’re seeing in Michigan today,” he said.

“The current system forces people to choose sides, not find solutions. I want to see if I can change that.”

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