{"id":45,"date":"2026-05-21T16:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=45"},"modified":"2026-05-21T16:08:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:08:36","slug":"former-detroit-mayor-mike-duggan-ends-independent-bid-for-michigan-governor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=45","title":{"rendered":"Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan ends independent bid for Michigan governor"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Thursday ended his independent campaign for governor in Michigan, citing national headwinds that are boosting Democrats.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Paid the price\u2019: Matthew Perry\u2019s mother condemns assistant who enabled his fatal addiction<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we were even in the polls and behind in fundraising, we have a path to winning. If we were behind in the polls and even in fundraising, we have a path. But we\u2019re behind in both,\u201d Duggan wrote on his campaign website. \u201cIt\u2019s just not right to ask our volunteers, faith leaders, unions, elected officials and donors to continue in a campaign that, in my heart, I no longer feel good about our chances to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The former mayor served in Detroit as a Democrat, but in 2024 launched an independent bid for governor, promising to push back against \u201cthe political fighting and the nonsense that once held Detroit back.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the letter on his campaign website Thursday, Duggan told his supporters that he worked every day for 18 months, \u201cto try to change Michigan\u2019s toxic party politics.\u201d<\/p>\n

But in April, amid a backdrop of rising prices and increasing disapproval nationally of President Donald Trump, \u201cthe mood of the country had shifted suddenly and dramatically,\u201d Duggan wrote.<\/p>\n

He added that in the spring, \u201cour internal polling showed the intense anger over gas prices and Iran was boosting Democrats in every office nationally. The [Detroit Regional] Chamber poll last week showing we\u2019d fallen 11 points behind the Democratic candidate reflects that reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Duggan added that he lagged behind the leading Democrat in the race, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, in national fundraising.<\/p>\n

The recent that Duggan cited was commissioned by the Detroit Regional Chamber, a business group that had endorsed his candidacy. The poll, which surveyed 600 likely general election voters, found Benson leading a hypothetical November race at 34%, followed by Rep. John James, one of the Republican candidates, at 29% and Duggan at 23%.<\/p>\n

In a statement after Duggan\u2019s announcement, Benson said that she welcomes, \u201cMayor Duggan\u2019s ideas, his supporters, and everyone who believes Michigan\u2019s future is bigger than division.<\/p>\n

Benson effectively cleared the Democratic primary earlier this year, while several Republicans, including James, former state attorney general Mike Cox, state Sen. Aric Nesbitt and businessman Perry Johnson, are vying for their party\u2019s nomination. Michigan\u2019s primary takes place Aug. 4. <\/p>\n

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cannot run again for re-election because of term limits. <\/p>\n

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Shortly after Duggan\u2019s announcement, the Michigan Democratic Party thanked the former mayor and encouraged his supporters to coalesce behind Democrats in the fall.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re grateful to Mayor Mike Duggan for his service to the city of Detroit and our entire state. While we\u2019ve had disagreements, the Mayor brought crucial ideas to this race and we appreciate his commitment to bringing people together. As we look ahead, we welcome Mayor Duggan\u2019s supporters into our growing coalition as we work to elect a Democratic governor this November who will continue to move Michigan forward,\u201d Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Following Duggan\u2019s announcement, Republican Governors Association communications director Kollin Crompton slammed Benson. <\/p>\n

\u201cMike Duggan is right on one thing: Democrat leadership is not serving Michiganders. Education is in decline, housing costs are rising, and young people are leaving in droves,\u201d Crompton said. \u201cJocelyn Benson represents toxic partisan politics to its core.\u201d <\/p>\n

Duggan in his campaign had railed against both parties, especially the Democratic Party to which he once belonged. His criticism was that Democrats spent too much time focused on Trump. <\/p>\n

Duggan\u2019s candidacy, and the prospect that it could siphon Detroit-area votes away from their party, had emerged a major tension point with Michigan Democrats. The state party frequently sent out statements blasting the former mayor and accusing him of going too easy on the president.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy biggest help has been Curtis Hertel,\u201d said Duggan, name-checking the state Democratic chair in a January interview with NBC News and suggesting that the party, by fixating on the absence of Trump from his message, were inadvertently boosting his name recognition and above-the-fray brand. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re all talking about my campaign, and the Democrats attack me, saying I\u2019m not attacking Trump,\u201d Duggan said. \u201cAnd I come back and say the reason the Democratic Party is failing is because that\u2019s the only message they have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Duggan\u2019s decision to drop out comes after a super PAC backing him, Put Progress First, spent over $9.8 million on advertising backing his campaign, according to AdImpact. Duggan\u2019s campaign, meanwhile, spent over $220,000 on ads so far this year.<\/p>\n

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Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Thursday ended his independent campaign for governor in Michigan, citing national headwinds that are boosting Democrats.\u201cIf we were even in the polls and behind in fundraising, we have a path to winning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2026-election"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan ends independent bid for Michigan governor - Trusted Moving Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=45\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan ends independent bid for Michigan governor - 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