Candidates battle for two at-large council seats
The big picture: It's notoriously tough to beat incumbents like council members Mary Waters and Coleman Young II, but a total of eight candidates are battling for City Council's two at-large seats that represent the whole city.
The four who get the most votes in the Aug. 5 primary will face off in the November general election.
Here's a quick look at their backgrounds and some priorities:
Levan Adams spent 25 years as a Detroit police officer and detective.
He wants to bring transparency and trust back to politics and focus on public safety, including mental health and youth programs. He also wants residents more involved in the budget process.
Janeé Ayers, a former City Council member, has a history in union leadership and the city's parks and rec department.
Her planned focuses include fiscal responsibility, making affordable housing truly affordable, and improving the rights of citizens returning from incarceration.
James Harris, the Detroit Fire Department's community relations chief, has worked to modernize fire services and improve emergency response efforts, per his website.
Harris' site says his priorities include funding for entrepreneurs and improving public safety through community policing and better resources for first responders.
Shakira Lynn Hawkins is an attorney whose experience includes the city's law department and time as a former domestic violence shelter director.
Her priorities include addressing housing instability, as well as economic empowerment that creates jobs and lifts small businesses.
Gary Hunter has been a preacher and community services provider, as well as owning a publication called Shot News and working as a photojournalist.
As a City Council member, he says he would work to establish a parent-and-child mentoring program and make affordable housing more accessible to families.
Valerie Parker is an educator and youth activist, as well as a Republican in the majority Democrat city.
Her priorities for City Council include intervening in the regulation of charter schools and adapting vacant, historic school buildings for new use.
Waters, seeking a second term, is a former state representative, previous candidate for Congress and former union activist.
Her plans include supporting home repair grants and working to reform the Detroit Land Bank Authority.
Young, also running for a second term, is a former state legislator, as well as a former mayoral candidate and the son of former Mayor Coleman Young.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
9 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
It's a year of rapid change, except when it comes to Trump's approval numbers, poll finds
WASHINGTON — Eric Hildenbrand has noticed prices continue to rise this year with President Trump in the White House. The San Diego resident doesn't blame Trump, however, his choice for president in 2024, but says Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats who control the state are at fault. 'You can't compare California with the rest of the country,' said Hildenbrand, 76. 'I don't know what's going on in the rest of the country. It seems like prices are dropping. Things are getting better, but I don't necessarily see it here.' Voters like Hildenbrand, whose support of the Republican president is unwavering, help explain Trump's polling numbers and how they have differed from other presidents' polling trajectory in significant ways. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in March found that 42% of U.S. adults approved of Trump's job performance. That is a lower rating than those of other recent presidents at the beginning of their second terms, including Democrat Barack Obama and Republican George W. Bush. The most recent AP-NORC poll, from July, puts Trump at 40% approval. While that is not a meaningful change from March, there is some evidence that Trump's support may be softening, at least on the margins. The July poll showed a slight decrease in approval of his handling of immigration since earlier in the year. Some other pollsters, such as Gallup, show a downward slide in overall approval since slightly earlier in his term, in January. But even those shifts are within a relatively narrow range, which is typical for Trump. The new AP-NORC polling tracker shows that Trump's favorability rating has remained largely steady since the end of his first term, with between 33% and 43% of U.S. adults saying they viewed him favorably across more than five years. Those long-term trends underscore that Trump has many steadfast opponents. But loyal supporters also help explain why views of the president are hard to change even as he pursues policies that most Americans do not support, using an approach that many find abrasive. Trump has not had a traditional honeymoon period in his second term. He did not in his first, either. An AP-NORC poll conducted in March 2017, two months into his first term, showed that 42% of Americans 'somewhat' or 'strongly' approved of his performance. That is largely where his approval rating stayed over the course of the next four years. The recent slippage on immigration is particularly significant because that issue was a major strength for Trump in the 2024 election. Earlier in his second term, it was also one of the few areas where he was outperforming his overall approval. In March, about half of U.S. adults approved of his handling of immigration. But the July AP-NORC poll found his approval on immigration at 43%, in line with his overall approval rating. Other recent polls show growing discontent with Trump's approach on immigration. A CNN/SSRS poll found that 55% of U.S. adults say the president has gone too far when it comes to deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally, an increase of 10 percentage points since February. 'I understand wanting to get rid of illegal immigrants, but the way that's being done is very aggressive,' said Donovan Baldwin, 18, of Asheboro, N.C., who did not vote in the 2024 election. 'And that's why people are protesting, because it comes off as aggression. It's not right.' Ratings of Trump's handling of the economy, which were more positive during his first term, have been persistently negative in his second term. The July poll found that few Americans think Trump's policies have benefited them so far. Even if he is not a fan of everything Trump has done so far, Brian Nichols, 58, of Albuquerque is giving him the benefit of the doubt. Nichols, who voted for Trump in 2024, likes what he is seeing from the president overall, though he has his concerns both on style and substance, particularly Trump's social media presence and his on-again, off-again tariffs. Nichols also does not like the push to eliminate federal agencies such as the Education Department. Despite his occasional disagreements with Trump, though, Nichols said he wants to give the president space to do his job, and he trusts the House and Senate, now run by Republicans, to act as a safeguard. 'We put him into office for a reason, and we should be trusting that he's doing the job for the best of America,' Nichols said. Trump has spent the last six months pushing far-reaching and often unpopular policies. Earlier this year, Americans were bracing themselves for higher prices as a result of his approach to tariffs. The July poll found that most people think Trump's tax and spending bill will benefit the wealthy, while few think it will pay dividends for the middle class or people like them. Discomfort with individual policies may not translate into wholesale changes in views of Trump, though. Those have largely been constant through years of turmoil, with his favorability rating staying within a 10-percentage point range through his widely panned handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a felony conviction and an attempted assassination. To some of his supporters, the benefits of his presidency far outweigh the costs. Kim Schultz, 62, of Springhill, Fla., said she is thrilled with just about everything Trump is doing as president, particularly his aggressive moves to deport anyone living in the country illegally. Even if Trump's tariffs eventually take effect and push prices up, she said she will not be alarmed. 'I've always had the opinion that if the tariffs are going to cost me a little bit more here and there, I don't have a problem with that,' she said. Across the country, Hildenbrand dislikes Trump's personality and his penchant for insults, including those directed at foreign leaders. But he thinks Trump is making things happen. 'More or less, to me, he's showing that he's on the right track,' he said. 'I'm not in favor of Trump's personality, but I am in favor of what he's getting done.' Thomson-Deveaux and Cooper write for the Associated Press and reported from Washington and Phoenix, respectively.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
What's Trump's approval rating? Latest polls on job performance, immigration
A string of recent polls shows President Donald Trump's approval rating has remained largely steady over the last week, even as a new Gallup survey gave him his lowest numbers of his second term. Aggregations of recent approval polling from the New York Times and RealClearPolitics place Trump's approval between 44% and 45%, respectively, with a 53% to 42% disapproval. See last week's polling: Trump approval drops in new poll as more Americans oppose immigration policies In a July 25 poll from Emerson College, the president had a 46% approval rating and 47% disapproval. That's a one-point increase on both counts from the survey's June results. "About six months into the second Trump administration, the president's approval rating has stabilized in the mid-40s," the poll's executive director, Spencer Kimball, said in statement. "While his disapproval has steadily increased about a point each month since the inauguration and now stands at 47%." In a Gallup poll released a day prior, the president's approval rating was significantly lower, coming in at 37%. The pollsters called it the lowest mark of his second term and only a few points higher than his all-time-low rating of 34% at the end of his first term. Both polls showed what has long been a deep divide between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to Trump and his policies, especially over immigration, foreign policy and the economy. Here's a round-up of some of the last week's polls. Emerson College poll Trump notched his highest single-issue approval rating on immigration, the poll said, with 45% approving and 46% disapproving of Trump's policies. The highest disapproval numbers were on the economy, with a 41% approval rating and 51% disapproval. That continued to sink with Trump's tariff policy, with 36% approving while 50% disapproved. Trump's support – both on overall job performance and on specific issues – was fueled by Republican respondents in the poll. Just 10% of Democrats said they like the president's job performance, compared to 87% of Republicans and 38% of independents. The difference support was widest by party on immigration, with 12.9% of Democrats approving compared to 80% of Republicans. More: 16% of voters approve of Trump's handling of Epstein files, poll shows The survey of 1,400 registered voters was conducted July 21-22 and has a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points. Gallup poll The poll marks a 10-point drop from the 47% approval rating Americans gave Trump at the beginning of his second term in January. About 29% of independent voters said they're pleased with Trump's job performance in the new survey, the lowest Gallup has tracked with the group in either of Trump's two terms. It's a 17-point decline from the 46% the president enjoyed among independents at the start of his second term earlier this year. Trump's ratings on some of the most significant issues facing the country also faltered, according to Gallup pollsters. He received the strongest support for his handling of the conflict with Iran, at 42% approving, followed by foreign policy at 41%. The president's handling of Iran – where U.S. troops bombed three nuclear sites last month – earned Trump the greatest support from independents, at 36%, while the federal budget gave him the lowest at 19%. The survey of 1,002 Americans was conducted July 7-21, and has a margin of error of ±4 percentage points. Fox News poll Trump's support was lowest on issues of inflation and tariffs, with 36% of respondents backing the way Trump has approached two central forces in America's economy. He received his highest ranking for border security, with 56% of respondents approving and 44% disapproving. Along party lines, support was highest among Republicans, with 88% backing the president. Thirty-seven percent of independents and 7% of Democrats agreed. The survey was conducted by Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research. 1,000 registered voters were surveyed July 18-21, and the poll has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Trump this time is trying to help GOP avoid messy primary fights
President Trump is using his influence to help Republicans avoid messy primary fights as the party prepares for the midterms. Trump recently waded into both Michigan's Senate race and the New York gubernatorial contest in an effort to convince notable candidates — Rep. Bill Huizenga (R) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R), respectively — to opt out of the contests. In both cases, the candidates bowed to pressure. The president's moves underscore how Republicans are already seeking to coalesce around candidates in some of next year's most high-profile races, as they look to buck historical trends that suggest the president's party will lose congressional seats and other contests. 'He's clearly far more involved in this round than he was in 2017 and 2018 but at the same time it's a totally different situation,' one national Republican operative said of Trump. The different situation is the narrow House GOP majority. It leaves Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dealing with very tight margins on crucial votes. The president's political operation is effectively being led by Chris LaCivita, a Republican operative who served as co-campaign manager on Trump's 2024 presidential bid. One source close to the White House said Trump and his team would like to avoid messy, drawn-out GOP primaries in state-wide races that could damage candidates for the general election or divide the resources and attention of Republicans. The source pointed to the contentious Pennsylvania Senate primary in 2022 between now-Sen. Dave McCormick and Mehmet Oz, who prevailed in the primary but lost in the general election. Trump spoke directly with Huizenga earlier this month and urged him not to launch a Senate bid, a source familiar with the meeting confirmed to The Hill. NOTUS first reported that Trump had directly asked Huizenga to stay out of the race, effectively clearing the field for former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), whom Trump endorsed Thursday. In North Carolina, Trump is backing Michael Whatley, who is expected in the coming days to announce his campaign to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). The source said Whatley would not have entered the race without Trump's blessing to leave his position at the Republican National Committee. 'They're also at the same time trying to do a balancing act where they want to be supportive of people who have been loyal to the president and drive who and what they think is in their best interest,' the national Republican strategist said. The strategist said those two criteria are 'not a perfect match,' pointing to Trump's backing of Whatley. The strategist argued that a candidate like Whatley is a riskier bet in the swing state. 'He essentially sacrificed Tillis who was a much safer bet than Lara Trump would have been or Whatley today,' the strategist said. 'If I were drawing a map, I would shade North Carolina in light blue.' Other Republicans push back on the notion, pointing to Whatley's deep ties to the state's grassroots from his history as chair of the North Carolina GOP. 'No polling has indicated that Thom Tillis was going to be a better candidate than a pro-Trump Republican,' said a second national Republican operative, noting that Trump has won North Carolina three times in the past. Republicans are also seeking to put a bow on Georgia's GOP Senate primary as the party looks to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff, arguably the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent up for reelection in the upper chamber. One other race to watch for Trump's influence is the Kentucky Senate campaign to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R). Trump has so far not weighed in as multiple Republicans have announced their candidacies. In Georgia, Fox News reported Friday that Trump's political operation and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) had butted heads over their preferred candidates, with Kemp pushing former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. Businessman Nate Morris has been building his pro-Trump resume. He announced his candidacy on Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast and has already scored endorsements from Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), both staunch Trump allies. Morris is also close with Vice President Vance. Trump also has not waded into the Texas Republican Senate primary, where state Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking on incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Both Republicans are considered Trump allies, with Paxton being popular with the president's base and Cornyn a key GOP voice in the Senate. Most polls show Paxton with a considerable lead over Cornyn, but hypothetical general election polling shows Cornyn performing better than Paxton against Democratic candidates. Last week Cornyn said Trump has relayed to him that he is not ready to endorse in the race. Democrats argue that their chances at flipping Texas at the Senate level are boosted with a Paxton nomination. 'Paxton can't win a general but Cornyn probably can't win a primary,' the GOP strategist said. 'There's very complicating factors, but I think they're trying to balance their MAGA loyalties with the practicalities of making sure they keep the Senate comfortably and try to find a map that gives them a House majority that includes redistricting.' Redistricting has become a major topic of conversation in national political circles as Texas Republicans pursue redistricting ahead of the midterms. Trump spoke earlier this month with Texas Republicans, where he urged leaders in the state to redraw congressional maps to boost the GOP. The president has also made clear he would support other red states doing the same. 'Just a very simple redrawing, we pick up five seats,' Trump said of Texas. 'But we have a couple of other states where we'll pick up seats also.' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) floated 'middecade' redistricting to reporters Thursday, noting that he has spoken to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the matter. 'They said they were going to redo the count in time for 2026,' the governor said, referring to the census. 'They would have to do that relatively soon because you need time to draw maps and you need time to get that done.' Population shifts in states like Florida could benefit House Republicans, particularly in south Florida, where Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz and Lois Frankel could be negatively impacted. 'Any advantage you can get the better,' the GOP strategist noted. 'That gives you a lot of breathing room even if you lose some tough races.' Trump's poll numbers have wavered in recent surveys, a result largely attributable to independents souring on his handling of key issues like the economy and immigration. But Trump allies argued the president's endorsement is still a make-or-break factor in primaries because of his enduring popularity within the party. 'His numbers are stronger than ever before with the Republican base,' one Trump ally said. 'Republican voters are happier with him now than ever before.' The second national Republican operative called Trump's popularity 'a huge asset' in the midterms. 'If you are trying to run a campaign that wants to win you need to replicate the pro Trump coalition,' the operative said, referring to the president's general election win last year.
