With the election right around the corner, things are heating up for the municipal elections in Detroit as the offices for mayor, city clerk and city council are all up for re-election. There are nine members on Detroit’s city council and they all sought re-election, with only one incumbent being eliminated from the primary election. The race for the offices of city clerk and mayor are also getting a lot of traction as Election Day draws near on Nov. 7, 2017.
Rolling out talked to several of the candidates running for city office, including the offices of clerk, state representative district 1, and a city council seat. Take a look at these fresh faces that may soon grace the offices in the city of Detroit.
Garlin Gilchrist. With endorsements from the Detroit Free Press, Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist Stephen Henderson, and former local NAACP director Heaster Wheeler who recently lost the primary election against Gilchrist for the same seat on Aug. 8, 2017, Gilchrist is a proven problem solver who knows how to use new tools and methods to transform broken systems into high-performing operations. He’s “someone Detroiters can trust to stand tall and make it easy for their voices to be heard and votes to count.” He’s a husband, a father, a problem solver and an innovator. With two degrees from the University of Michigan College of Engineering in computer engineering and computer science, Gilchrist’s former career as a software engineer at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, prepared him for his upcoming race. There, he helped to build the fastest growing business in the company’s history, SharePoint, by taking it from zero to $1B in revenue in nine months. He also worked on the Obama campaign as the social media manager, organizing and mobilizing more supporters via SMS during the last month of the election than in any other state. All of his experiences helped shape him into the candidate he is today.
Visit www.gilchristforcityclerk.com for more information.
Mary Sheffield made history as the youngest person ever elected to Detroit’s city council in 2013 at the age of 26. Following in her father, Rev. Horace L. Sheffield’s, footsteps, Sheffield is seeking re-election for her seat in District 5. She prides herself on standing on the shoulders of giants, such as her civil rights activist grandfather Horace Sheffield Jr., who was the founder of the Detroit Trade Union Labor Council (TULC), an important organization integral to ensuring the inclusion of African Americans in the United Auto Workers. Sheffield was appointed the chair of the Neighborhood and Community Services Standing Committee and also serves as a member of the Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee. She’s a board member of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and the Continuum of Care and is also a member of the National Network to Combat Gun Violence and People for the American Ways Young Elected Officials. She is committed to fighting for the continued growth of Detroit and has remained steadfast in keeping the inner neighborhoods as the center of the conversation.
For more information on Sheffield, visit https://www.detroitmi.gov/Government/City-Council/Mary-Sheffield.
Tenisha Yancey was born and raised on the east side of Detroit. Yancey has a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the juvenile division. Last year, she was appointed to the Harper School Board and retained her seat on the school board after being elected by the citizens. Yancey is running for state representative, District 1 and has garnered a plethora of experience and endorsements, which include the UAW Region 1 and Region 1A; Jimmy Settles, VP, UAW Ford; Warren C. Evans, Wayne County executive; Benny Napoleon, Wayne County sheriff; Eric Sabree, Wayne County treasurer; and Kym Worthy, Wayne County prosecutor. Yancey is currently running because she values and knows the importance of a good education. She will go to Lansing, Michigan, to fight, not only for education but also for insurance and seniors.
For more information on Tenisha Yancey, please visit https://www.voteyancey.com/.
Rolling out talked to each candidate to see where they stand on a number of issues, including what their current vision of Detroit is, why they chose to lead a public servant’s role, and the first three things they’d do if they were to be elected or re-elected. Check out what each has to say after the cut.
