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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Detroit mayoral candidate Solomon Kinloch pleaded guilty to 1993 assault involving ex-wife, records show
The Brief A Detroit mayoral candidate was previously convicted of assault and battery after an incident involving his then-wife in 1993. Solomon Kinloch threatened the woman with a knife and struck her in the head, court records and testimony from Southfield police show. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Solomon Kinloch, a candidate running for Detroit mayor, was previously convicted of assault and battery after an incident involving his then-wife more than three decades ago. The church pastor pleaded guilty after the 1993 incident that included allegations of domestic violence. Big picture view According to court records verified by the Oakland County Prosecutor, Kinloch assaulted his wife multiple times in the couple's Southfield apartment during an evening in 1993, leading to charges before an eventual plea deal. Testimony from the responding Southfield police officer includes details that Kinloch threw a glass at the victim, threatened her with a knife, and eventually struck her in the back of her head with the handle of the weapon. When the police arrived, the victim was bleeding from a cut she suffered on her hand, had scratches on her face, and could not walk because of injuries she suffered from the thrown glass, according to observations from the responding officer. Kinloch was charged with felonious assault before pleading guilty to the lesser charge of assault and battery. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation. Oakland County court records also show he violated his probation and had his sentence extended. Kinloch and the victim remained married for several more years before the two divorced in 2004. The other side FOX 2 reached out to Kinloch's campaign for comment. A spokesperson with the campaign responded with a statement saying: "More than thirty years ago as a nineteen-year-old, Pastor Kinloch made a mistake. He's never attempted to hide it or run from it. Rather, he has discussed it as part of his ministry and used it to help put countless others on the path to redemption. Pastor Kinloch preaches about second chances, forgiveness, and accepting that no one is perfect. Political rivals bringing this thirty-year-old incident up while people are voting is poli-tricks, but we will remain focused on delivering for Detroit, investing in neighborhoods, not just Downtown, attacking poverty, and creating opportunity for all Detroiters." State of the race While Detroit's mayoral primary is scheduled for Aug. 5, voting is already underway in the nonpartisan race. Absentee ballots have already been mailed out and early voting begins on July 26. Over several months, nine candidates who filed to run have jockeyed for the position. They include members of the city council, the business community, those with legal and police backgrounds, and others. The backstory Kinloch has positioned himself as a political outsider in the campaign to be Detroit's next mayor. Characterizing himself as a community leader with humble roots, he has led the Triumph Church in Detroit for decades. Serving at the helm since 1998, he helped grow the congregation into the tens of thousands with members across Metro Detroit. Kinloch has also scored significant endorsements during the campaign, including one from the United Auto Workers Union. The Source Details of this story were confirmed following a Freedom-of-information request made by Robert Davis, a community activist. He is not affiliated with any campaign. FOX 2 verified the story through Oakland County court records. Kinloch's identity in the police report was verified using his date of birth and the affidavit he signed when he announced a run for mayor.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit mayoral candidates battle for a spot in Mike Duggan's shadow
MACKINAC ISLAND ― When Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan took part in his first mayoral debate, in 2013 on Mackinac Island, he was fighting for a spot in the shadow of state-appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, who led the city through bankruptcy before handing control back to elected leaders in 2014. Last week, five leading candidates for mayor took the island debate stage to battle for a spot in the shadow of Mike Duggan. In 2013, the city was shedding its paralyzing debt in bankruptcy court and preparing to usher in a new era of investment, service restoration and hope. That era, financially, is coming to a close, with long-deferred pension payments coming due, stimulus money drying up and the specter of dramatic federal funding cuts looming under President Donald Trump. Each of the five candidates debating at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference sought to ride a precarious line ― promising to maintain the trajectory of economic progress fostered by Duggan, who is stepping down at the end of this year to run for governor as an independent, and pledging to deliver more direct results to the neighborhoods most in need of investment. 'We're that phoenix that has been rising from the ashes. We need to make sure that it doesn't crash into a window,' said mayoral candidate Fred Durhal III, a Detroit city councilman whose father, Fred Durhal Jr., was a candidate on that 2013 debate stage. 'The next mayor will face a completely different financial reality than the current mayor,' mayoral candidate and former council president Saunteel Jenkins said during Thursday's debate. For Solomon Kinloch, pastor of Triumph Church ― the only candidate at the debate without government experience ― it's particularly important to establish himself as the candidate who could best take Duggan's ball and run with it. 'While we come from a dark place of dismal debt, (Duggan) gave us a great fiscal foundation for us to do bigger and bolder,' he said. Former Police Chief James Craig, appointed in 2013 by Orr, pointed out he's the only candidate who served directly under Duggan, arguing that practical experience gives him an edge: 'There's no book for this. You need someone who can plug in and do it right and do it the first time.' Candidate Mary Sheffield, who has been president of the Detroit City Council since 2022 and is the frontrunner in the race, according to a Target Insyght poll released last month, said she wants to keep Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison in his role, and to expand existing initiatives around youth crime diversion and robust mental health strategy. And she believes she's best positioned to maintain a business-friendly posture. 'I will make sure that Detroit is the best place in America to start a business,' she said. Kinloch and Durhal each pinpointed a key element in that upcoming election. 'A majority of the electorate is not even engaged in the democratic process,' Kinloch said. 'The question is ― who's protecting and speaking and communicating for the people who aren't in the room,' Durhal said. Those may have been the most telling comments of the week. Four other candidates ― Todd Perkins, DaNetta Simpson, Jonathan Barlow and Joel Haashiim ― weren't invited to appear. The five candidates debated the issues in front of a crowd of newsmakers and moneymakers, and faced a handful of groans, chuckles and heckles. But it was a far more muted crowd than those that await them back home. More from Freep Opinion: Democrats better hope Michigan Gov. Whitmer changes her mind about presidential run Improving the quality of K-12 education, and with it the potential for more families to stay in the city, remains the largest hurdle in Detroit's path to prosperity. Everyone agrees about that. Detroit's public schools do not fall under the mayor's purview. There's an elected school board ― once sidelined by emergency management and still sensitive to interference ― that is responsible for driving the district forward. But, everyone also seems to agree, the mayor's office has a key role to play in offering support in the areas of transportation and after school programming. 'I think it's important for the next mayor to build on that and fill gaps,' Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told the Free Press on the island Wednesday. 'The wrong leader could put us backwards. Leadership matters. Who is mayor matters … From a school district point of view, I'm hopeful that (Detroit's next) leader understands collaboration and seeking to understand problems, rather than just reacting to them.' Kinloch wants to appoint a chief educational officer to coordinate support services for the school district. Sheffield wants to expand the Community Education Commission, a Duggan-era entity that operates in northwest Detroit, to support bussing and accountability measures for both traditional and charter schools. But there was little discussion during Thursday's debate on improving overall public transit in the city, which Vitti says is a primary issue for families with children in Detroit schools, both for getting kids to school and getting parents to work. More From Freep Opinion: Medicaid cuts could drive Michigan hospitals closer to insolvency Meanwhile ― and this is a hell of a meanwhile ― Michiganders are also facing 2026 races for governor and U.S. Senate, each race with its own implications of immense proportions. Most of the candidates in those races were fiercely making the rounds on the island last week. Duggan, who is running for governor as an independent, having abandoned the Democratic Party, introduced an elaborate, statewide school improvement plan that he framed as a systemic disruption that he believes would upend Michigan's two-party political system: boosting school budgets and early reading programs, career and technical education programs and threatening to fire school principals and superintendents who don't improve student performance within five years. 'Now look at that list and tell me which thing would Republicans or Democrats disagree with. There's nothing partisan about this,' Duggan said about his plan. There is, in fact, plenty that Democrats and Republicans would debate about his plan. But the message was strong. And his opponents have their work cut out for them. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democratic candidate for governor, intends her own disruptions. She calls investing in education "the whole ballgame," and sees robust mental health support for kids as key. She wants to do away with antiquated business tax breaks and incentives. And she wants to build a vast light rail across the state. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, another Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has healthy outstate name recognition, according to a Glengariff Group poll released at the conference. As a sitting sheriff, he has the strongest public safety background in the race, promising significant reforms for both police accountability and effective crime prevention. Candidates for governor, including Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and former Republican Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, and state Sen. Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, have more than a year to stake their own claims to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who spent the week on Mackinac celebrating recent bipartisan-flavored wins with Trump backing a new fighter mission at Selfridge Air Base and efforts to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. But unlike the mayor's race, there'll be another Mackinac Policy Conference next May before those elections take place. Things generally don't change on Mackinac Island. That's kind of the point. Horse-drawn carriages, pristinely maintained historic landmarks, the faint, ever-present odor of horse manure. It's an oasis of old-timey charm, where cars are banned, isolated from Michigan's mainland, and far removed from the problems of everyday life. The annual Mackinac Policy Conference, now 45 years in ― minus a COVID-19 cancellation ― is supposed to be about progress, growth and solutions. But those solutions tend to develop at the pace of a snail making its way up the steep hill to the island's plantation-esque Grand Hotel. It all lends a sense of deja vu. Back in 2013, Detroiters were trying to figure out who to put in the mayor's office in an election of gargantuan importance. Detroiters are back in the same position. This time around, after more than a decade of debt relief, federal aid and modest-to-impressive quality of life improvements across the board and unquestionable progress, the most pressing issues are the same ― crime reduction, school improvement, affordable housing, neighborhood stability and diversifying the city's economy. In 2013, the city was approaching bankruptcy, and had nowhere to go but up. This time, Detroit has everything to lose. Khalil AlHajal is deputy editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press. Contact: kalhajal@ Submit a letter to the editor at and we may publish it online and in print. Like what you're reading? Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access witha Detroit Free Press subscription. We depend on readers like you. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit mayoral candidates vie to replace Mike Duggan | Opinion
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit mayoral candidates tackle lingering issues, plans for city's future
Five of Detroit's mayoral candidates debated each other Thursday evening at the Mackinac Policy Conference, taking questions about ways to improve the city, and being challenged over their previous roles. Moderators Stephen Henderson of Bridge Detroit and Nolan Finley of The Detroit News questioned candidates on ways they expect to lure in more businesses while managing tax credits, maintain a balanced budget and whether their past experiences transfer to the duties of the city's top position. The debate included former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Triumph Church Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr., Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, Councilmember Fred Durhal III and former City Council President Saunteel Jenkins. Todd Perkins, Joel Haashiim, Jonathan Barlow and DaNetta Simpson are also running but were not a part of the debate. Mayor Mike Duggan held a panel discussion of his own at the conference aimed at propping himself up for his 2026 gubernatorial bid, and moderators asked candidates to delve into whether he did the city right by his policies. In the debate, mayoral candidates had chances for rebuttals, which often resulted in defending themselves or their platforms. Craig and Sheffield sparred over the theft of $44 million from the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy's former CFO, William Smith, as the former police chief aimed his argument at Sheffield, who sits on the board. "I'm not saying the board did anything wrong, but I think it warrants a closer examination to find out what went wrong, because we're talking about fiscal leadership and fiscal responsibility. Something's lacking there," Craig said. Sheffield clapped back, noting she is not part of the audit or finance committees, and called his argument "disingenuous." "All of the documents were altered. The public documents that were put online and submitted to the board at public meetings were all altered. No one knew what was going on," Sheffield said. "In that situation, we now know, and for me as a leader, the importance of oversight and more control as it relates to fiscal management." Here is how candidates tackled the debate: Candidates addressed what they believed the business community's role in the city is and explained how they would manage things like using tax incentives to attract businesses. Tax incentives have been a contentious subject for residents but several developers relied on them to build major projects. Jenkins said she would partner with businesses, noting 'over half of the tax abatements will have expired' by 2030, which would require searching for ways to extend them. 'Otherwise, we'll start to lose businesses. We'll start to lose jobs, and the role of business is twofold. It's creating jobs. It's an economic driver,' Jenkins said. Durhal said the city is facing an 'abatement cliff' and expects to restructure it. 'We can utilize, as we spread out the length of that abatement, an opportunity to opt in and generate revenue earlier for our city by allowing developers, as well as those who have built there, to pay a little bit early, and that'll add more money and revenue to our general fund here,' Durhal said. Kinloch expects to convene various business and community leaders to ensure they are aware the mayor is receptive to business in the city. 'The mayoral office does not just cast vision, it also communicates that vision, and it also convenes a table. In order to bring stakeholders together, we have to make sure that businesses are not the only stakeholders at the table, that we are calling together neighborhood leaders. We're calling together the philanthropic community because we want to ensure that residents feel as much a part of the community as anyone else,' Kinloch said. Craig mainly focused on growing the middle class by building out small businesses. 'We have to focus on growing our middle class. I talk a lot about growing small businesses, but that doesn't take away from continuing to grow big businesses. We have got to raise revenues in this city,' Craig said. 'One of the things I have heard as chief and deputy mayor over time is many neighborhoods feel left out, the businesses feel left out. As police chief, I leveraged working very closely with small businesses,' Craig said, referring to Project Green Light, an initiative that places cameras at businesses to prevent crime. Sheffield said during her tenure on council, she tried bridging the gap between people and businesses, and credited public-private partnerships for contributing to the city's growth. 'When it comes to tax abatements, my number one issue is addressing the core of why we have to abate in the first place, and that is because we pay some of the highest property taxes in the country,' Sheffield said. 'My goal, day one, which we're laying the foundation now, is to ensure that we're addressing real structural property tax reform so that we do not have to continue to abate our way out of the issues that we have in Detroit." Candidates highlighted the Duggan administration's record of attracting businesses and manufacturers after the city came out of bankruptcy, laying groundwork for the next mayor, restoring basic city services, reducing crime, maintaining a fiscal foundation and overall rebuilding confidence for investors. But several highlighted the need to invest more in neighborhoods. 'We need to make sure that there is a commercial corridor in each of the seven districts. We have to ensure that our planning is intentional and that it is inclusive, and when we are having discussions about tax abatements, discussions about affordable housing, we have a real plan in place that is driving development and affordable housing and public transit in a way that is building our neighborhoods, and we also have to include schools,' Jenkins said. Durhal and Sheffield pointed out that Duggan's successes also stemmed from working alongside City Council. Durhal hit hard on the continuing need to change the city's high property taxes. 'What nobody's talking about when we talk about comprehensive property tax reform, all of those ropes lead through Lansing … so when we take our plans to Lansing, we're going to lower property taxes, we're going to work on preemption to give our city the ability to have the determination of our future. And I think we can have a better job of delivering from Lansing to continue Detroit's growth. You're going to need that experienced leadership to continue that growth." Kinloch credited Duggan but also pointed out that the city needs to tackle homelessness and poverty, and bring equitable jobs to help residents 'not only just survive, but thrive.' Craig critiqued the 'red tape bureaucracy,' indicating it holds back business owners from opening up their establishments due to dozens of steps they have to face, which Duggan addressed last week. Sheffield stressed that boosting the middle class and raising the income levels of Detroiters, who face a median income below the statewide average, is important to creating a pipeline of future jobs. 'Without a doubt, we have to ensure that more investment comes back into our neighborhoods and that we're activating our commercial corridors. I'm very excited for my administration to be way more hands-on as it relates to the education of our youth,' Sheffield said. Moderators questioned candidates about leaving their roles, leaning toward a political party — despite the mayoral post being nonpartisan — running a religious institution while potentially balancing public office and proving their abilities. Jenkins served on City Council amid Detroit's bankruptcy but resigned early to pursue an executive role with The Heat and Warmth Fund. She added that her last day on council was when officials announced Detroit was exiting bankruptcy. 'We had a plan in place that would not be changed for the next 10 years, no matter who was on council. So I did something that's actually very similar to what our current mayor did. I left my elected position and went to serve as CEO of a multi-million dollar organization that was serving some of the most vulnerable citizens across the state of Michigan.' Sheffield has been an advocate involved with numerous politically progressive individuals, though concerns about a deeply conservative White House do not deter the council president. 'I know how to find common ground,' Sheffield said. 'I come from a legacy of fighters. It is really about bringing resources back to Detroit, improving the quality of life for Detroiters.' Craig has publicly declared himself conservative and flexed his relationship with the White House but pointed out that he is 'a Detroiter first' and expects to draw out more federal money, if elected. Kinloch expects to run his church simultaneously with his role as mayor, if elected. He promises to serve as a full-time mayor and go to church on Sundays, preach, and leave the day-to-day responsibilities to an executive team at the church. Durhal addressed his past leadership experiences in Lansing as an assistant Democratic leader of the House, and his experience chairing City Council committees, as proof he can manage more than what his resume shows. 'You've got to have relationships up there. Folks talk about working across the aisle. We've got a proven track record of doing it,' Durhal said. The city maintained a balanced budget since bankruptcy and has since received more than $800 million in federal money. Officials are in the process of transferring any remaining federal money that must be spent by next year, along with retaining employees. Boosting revenue will require some creativity from the next mayor. 'We have to diversify our revenue streams,' Sheffield said, suggesting ideas such as an entertainment tax, but noting the city needs a 'phenomenal' chief financial officer to maintain fiscal discipline. Durhal said that an amusement tax would not generate enough, though it's projected to raise about $10 million a year. 'That's not enough funding to move this city forward,' Durhal said. Jenkins added that adopting a balanced budget, which Durhal and Sheffield touted, does not make one a good fiscal leader. Although she credited city officials throughout the years for maintaining a balanced budget, simply because it is their duty. Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@ Follow her: @DanaAfana This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit mayoral candidates debate at Mackinac Policy Conference
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In first candidate forum, Detroit mayoral candidates pitch plans to address loss of COVID dollars
Al 'BJ' Williams of the African American Leadership Institute, which hosted the April 26, 2025 forum for mayoral candidates at Riverside Marina. Seated from L-R: Mary Sheffield, Jonathan Barlow, Fred Durhal III, Joel Haashiim, James Craig, Todd Perkins, Saunteel Jenkins | Screenshot With Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan opting against seeking a fourth term in pursuit of the governor's seat, Detroit is in need of a new mayor. On Saturday seven hopeful candidates met at Riverside Marina to introduce themselves and make their case for why they were the best qualified to lead the city. Former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins, attorney Todd Perkins, former police Chief James Craig, businessmen Joel Haashiim, City Councilmember Fred Durhal III, entrepreneur Jonathan Barlow and City Council President Mary Sheffield each took time to flex their qualifications while taking questions on how they would work to support the city's residents and address its most pressing issues, alongside their plans to maintain vital programs when the state's American Rescue Plan Act funding expires at the end of 2026. Triumph Church Pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch, Jr. and two-time mayoral candidate Danetta Simpson have also filed to run in the Aug. 5 mayoral primary, though the two were not present at Saturday's forum. During the forum candidates were asked to name the city's biggest problem and what they would do to address it, with candidates pointing to economic opportunity, housing, public safety and empowering residents through education and opportunities within Detroit neighborhoods as the issues at the top of their mind. Several candidates also called attention to the need for affordable childcare, following a question on how they would uplift women of color within the city. 'When we talk about some of the issues that our women face, particularly here in the city of Detroit, I will tell you, as a father who drops his son off at daycare, childcare is too expensive,' Durhal said. 'Paying $2,000 a month to have childcare for your children is crazy. And so imagine if you are a single parent, mother or father, and you have to go to work, you have to take your child to daycare. You have to rush there. You gotta get there before six o'clock and they charge you a premium if you don't. This is reality,' Durhal said. The candidates were also asked how they'd maintain programs, services and jobs created using more than $800 million in COVID-19 relief funds which are set to run out at the end of 2026. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield at an April 26, 2025 Detroit mayoral candidate forum hosted by the African American Leadership Institute and Supermajority. | Screenshot Businessman Jonathan Barlow discussed his business and political connections at a April 26, 2025 forum for Detroit mayor candidates held at Riverside Marina. | Screenshot Detroit Councilmember Fred Durhal III answers questions at an April 26, 2025 forum for mayoral candidates at Riverside Marina. | Screenshot Businessman Joel Haashiim joined other candidates for Detroit mayor at Riverside Marina on April 26, 2025. | Screenshot Attorney Todd Perkins speaks at an April 26, 2025 forum for Detroit mayor candidates at Riverside Marina. | Screenshot Former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins during a April 26, 2025 forum at Riverside Marina for Detroit mayoral candidates. | Screenshot Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig alongside other 2025 candidates for mayor during a April 26, 2025 forum at Riverside Marina. | Screenshot Jenkins said the next mayor will need to dig into the numbers to make sure the city has enough revenues, alongside working with the state and the federal government — 'whether they like it or not.' Perkins called for a full scale audit of the city, as did Craig and Haashim. However, Perkins said he wasn't afraid to take Lansing or the White House to court to ensure the city receives any funding it is due. 'Whether it be the United States America versus or Perkins Law Group versus, I've been on one side of that 'v', and I'm not afraid of confrontation because out of confrontation and discord, we get understanding,' Perkins said. Craig said he would leverage his ties to the White House, with Craig previously drawing praise from President Donald Trump for his leadership amid Black Lives Matter protests in Summer of 2020. The city later agreed to a $1 million settlement after protestors filed federal lawsuits arguing the Detroit Police Department used unconstitutional and excessive force and prevented the protestors from exercising their First Amendment rights. 'This is about the city of Detroit. It has nothing to do with the person sitting in the White House or James Craig. It has everything to do with the city of Detroit,' Craig said. Amid talk of forensic audits of the city's budget, Durhal encouraged his fellow candidates to watch him chair the city's Budget, Finance and Audit Standing Committee, where they will review audits from the auditor general. The council has already begun taking steps to convert jobs added through federal funding into permanent positions, Durhal said, but the next mayor will also need to be brave enough to tell people that they must remain fiscally prudent. Sheffield noted that under her leadership the city had passed 12 balanced budgets, and that she would work with private and philanthropic support to see how the city could continue some of its grant programs. 'Our day one intention is to join a coalition with our local hospitals — because there's a correlation between health and housing — to create a pot of money that can continue funding home repair grants here in the city of Detroit,' Sheffield said. She also said the city needed to diversify its revenues including working with the federal government and bipartisan leadership in Lansing. Barlow touted his business connections and relationships with political leaders like Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. 'No one behind me can tell you where they sit at on the yachts down in Mar a Lago or down in Miami. I'm the only one who's taking a yacht from this marina all the way down to Miami. That's because we play at a different level when we don't get involved in petty popularity politics at the local level,' Barlow said, later arguing the city could better assess its assets. Detroit residents will vote in the nonpartisan primary election on Aug. 5, and the candidates with the two highest vote totals will face off once more in the Nov. 4 general election. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Axios
10-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Detroit mayor's race sit-down: Solomon Kinloch
If the Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. becomes mayor, he says he could unite and convene powerhouse stakeholders while ensuring businesses deliver on their promises. The big picture: This is the latest in our series of interviews on mayoral hopefuls' policy priorities. More candidates are emerging in the race to replace Mike Duggan, the only mayor so far to oversee the city in its post-bankruptcy recovery. The nonpartisan race has its primary in August and general election in November. Flashback: Kinloch leads the Detroit-based Triumph Church, which had around 50 members when he began as pastor in 1998. Under his leadership, the church estimates it has grown to 40,000 members across locations in Detroit, Flint, Southfield and elsewhere. As well as usual church services, Triumph's offerings include scholarships and financial and mental health workshops. During the pandemic, the church provided free laptops for students, vaccines, groceries and care packages. Kinloch has also served on the Skillman Foundation board and the state's COVID-19 task force on racial disparities. Driving the news: Kinloch spoke with Axios Detroit about his goals as mayor, his ability to unify and why running from outside of traditional politics could be an advantage. Many people are skeptical of institutional politicians, he said, leading people like him to run for office to become the leadership they want to see instead of waiting for it. Zoom in: Housing is paramount, the pastor said. He wants to add 10,000 more housing units in the city. Some areas of focus there would be making housing affordable, using innovative materials and technology and building a bigger down payment assistance program to promote homeownership. Plus, housing construction connects with another of Kinloch's missions: job training, skilled trades and increasing economic opportunities. He wants to expand existing workforce training programs and "not just retain our middle class, but we want to continue to attract and to grow our middle class and upper classes." He also emphasized funding for small businesses, and has said he wants to add 10 more grocery stores in the city to increase access in food deserts. Kinloch also thinks his administration could do a better job leveraging private-public resources and convening philanthropic leaders, including in education. The mayor doesn't preside over public schools, but youth well-being is still their responsibility, he said. "Having a situation where our schools are not producing the best we can for our young people is no longer an option," he said. Context: If he's elected, Kinloch has said he doesn't plan to step down from leading Triumph, an avenue through which he hears from thousands of people. He also said in his announcement speech that he would be a mayor for Detroiters of all races and identities. Asked about Triumph's beliefs on its website against same-sex marriage, he said that he is not running for mayor as a pastor, and that he would defend equal protections under the law. While people have the right to their religious views, they don't have the right to impose their beliefs on others, he said. State of play: One theme of the mayor's race is going to be big business and community — balancing the varied interests and needs of those affecting and affected by how Detroit's landscape is evolving. Kinloch said the next mayor needs to be both a unifier and a fighter, and that he can and has bridged that gap. "Businesses need to know that Detroit is still open for business. … The difference is that my administration would ensure that, listen, if you make our people a promise, you've got to deliver on the promise you make." The bottom line: We asked Kinloch about a quality he would bring as mayor that is different from what other candidates and the current mayor have. He said: "Ministry is about people. And … the city's business, government ought to be about people." "I think that's what makes me rare, because I've been on the front line. I haven't been given anything … I had to build, I had to recruit, I had to lead. I had to be creative. I had to inspire hope. The next leader has to be someone who can inspire hope."
