Detroit Mayor Sheffield Endorses Benson for Michigan Governor
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield threw her support behind Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s gubernatorial bid, calling strong Lansing leadership essential for Detroit’s future.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN — Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield endorsed Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for governor on June 15, 2026, citing shared priorities on housing, healthcare, and economic relief as the driving force behind one of her first major endorsements since taking office.
Sheffield Points to Lansing’s Role in Detroit’s Future
Sheffield, who has served as Detroit’s mayor for roughly six months, framed the endorsement around the need for a strong state-level partner to address issues that affect Detroit residents directly. She described Lansing as the gateway through which many of the city’s most pressing concerns must pass.
“In my first six months as mayor, I always knew that it was important to have a strong leader in Lansing to get things done, but serving my first six months has really reminded me the importance of strong leadership in Lansing to ensure that they’re fighting on behalf of the city of Detroit,” Sheffield said. “A lot of the issues that you all care about, whether it’s housing, reducing costs, healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, all of these things, auto insurance reform, all of these things go through Lansing.”
Sheffield emphasized that the battles she wages daily as mayor do not end at the city’s borders. “As mayor, I fight every day for a city that works for everyone, for affordable housing, for good jobs, for safe neighborhoods in a city our kids want to stay, and those fights don’t stop in Detroit, they go straight through Lansing, and we need a governor who’s going to be a true partner in that work,” she said.
Shared Policy Priorities Drive the Decision
Sheffield pointed to several specific policy positions as reasons behind her support for Benson. Among them was Benson’s plan to expand Rx Kids statewide — a direct cash support program for expecting parents and newborns that Sheffield launched in Detroit during her first days in office.
Property tax reform and affordable housing plans put forward by Benson’s campaign also factored into Sheffield’s decision to back the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, according to the Michigan Advance.
Coalition-Building at the Center of the Endorsement
The endorsement event highlighted themes of friendship and coalition-building between the two officials. Sheffield described the partnership between a Detroit mayor and a Michigan governor as essential to delivering results for city residents on issues ranging from healthcare access to neighborhood safety.
Benson, who currently serves as Michigan’s Secretary of State, is running in the 2026 Democratic primary for governor. Sheffield’s endorsement adds a prominent Detroit voice to Benson’s growing coalition of supporters ahead of that race.
