Mary Sheffield's Detroit mayoral run to be endorsed by former candidate Saunteel Jenkins

Louis Aguilar, The Detroit News on Sep 10, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DETROIT — Former Detroit mayoral candidate Saunteel Jenkins plans to officially endorse City Council President Mary Sheffield's run for mayor.

Jenkins, a former council president and nonprofit executive, finished third in the August primary, behind Sheffield and Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr.

She and Sheffield will make the endorsement official at a Wednesday press conference, according to Sheffield's campaign.

Sheffield was the top vote-getter in the August primary with 50.7% of the vote, and Kinloch finished in second place with 17.3%. Jenkins had 15.9% of the vote.

Sheffield, 38, and Kinloch, 52, face each other in the November general election to become Detroit's next mayor, setting the stage for a showdown between a millennial political veteran and a Gen X novice who says the city needs an outside voice. Kinloch has never held elected office.

Jenkins in the past has criticized Kinloch's plans to continue to remain senior pastor at Triumph Church while leading Detroit if elected. Kinloch said he'll preach "whenever the schedule will allow" on Sundays.

"But my focus and full-time attention will be serving as mayor of the city of Detroit," he told The News last week.

The Nov. 4 general election will mark the first time in more than a decade without Mayor Mike Duggan's name on the ballot. After three terms in office, Duggan announced late last year that he wouldn't seek a fourth term and is now running for governor as an independent candidate. Duggan recently endorsed Sheffield to be his successor.

Detroiters will choose between electing the city's first female leader or an active minister, which a city historian said hasn't happened for at least 125 years. Sheffield is also an ordained minister but she doesn't actively preach.

Both women supported Kinloch, saying he is the person who has real-world experience dealing with the trauma of a homicide in his own family and experience of living in neighborhoods where crime and poverty are constant challenges.

“We believe he will reform the justice system, form a connection with the attorney general and have fresh eyes and ideas,” Nahabedian said.

“He knows what it is like to have gas, lights and water cut off,” Sanders said. “He believes in housing and education.”

Sheffield: 'We are one city'Speaking to reporters at the Cambria Hotel after her victory, Sheffield rejected the narrative of "two Detroits" that Kinloch had campaigned on ― essentially downtown, Midtown and Corktown versus the rest of the city.

"My message was very clear today: We are one city. No matter where I travel throughout the city, from east to west, we all have the same issues. We want safe neighborhoods. We want affordable housing. We want access to quality education," she said.

"But I do believe that our neighborhoods need more investment without a doubt. We are going to elevate issues and ensure that we're bringing more attention to our communities."

Sheffield was the youngest person elected to the Detroit City Council when she won in 2013 at the age of 26, according to her official biography. She represents District 5, which covers parts of the city's east and west side and a portion of downtown.

A fourth-generation Detroiter, her family has a long history of civil rights activism. Her grandfather, Horace Sheffield Jr., was a noted labor activist in the United Auto Workers union. Her father, Rev. Horace Sheffield III, is executive director of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations and pastor of Detroit's New Destiny Christian Fellowship.

Caroline Kroger, 32, was a volunteer for the Jenkins campaign and attended her victory party Tuesday evening at The Enclave on West McNichols. She started researching the candidates about a month ago, and Jenkins stuck out to her for her “life of service," Kroger said.

“She’s been a CEO, a social worker, city council president,” Kroger said. “She’s the most well-rounded, and I feel she will really put the people and the businesses here first. There’s a lot of potential here, and it’s like ‘What are we going to cultivate here?’”

Sheffield and Kinloch cast their ballotsA late May poll commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV (Channel 4) of 500 likely primary voters found Sheffield leading the crowded mayoral field with 38%. She had a double-digit advantage over Kinloch at 14%.

Sheffield was greeted by a crowd of supporters and campaigners when she arrived to vote Tuesday morning at the Horatio Williams Foundation. Accompanied by her grandmother and 8-year-old cousin, Rylan Owens, Sheffield posed for pictures with supporters and cast her ballot, saying she was "fired up" for the race.