Big city mayor who left Democrats blasts ex-party’s ‘entirely negative’ messaging

Outgoing Independent Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan blasted the Democratic Party’s “negative” messaging strategy in an interview with Politico published on Friday.

Duggan, who previously was a longtime Democrat, announced in December 2024 that he is running as an independent to succeed term-limited Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He told Politico that his former political party has become “entirely negative in its messaging.”

“Everything the Democrats have to say is terrible about Republicans,” Duggan said. “‘Republicans want to cancel your hot lunches. Republicans want to cut your health care. Republicans can’t be trusted.’ I am waiting for the Democratic Party to step forward and say, ‘Here’s our affordable housing proposal. Here’s our mental health treatment proposal.’”

“It’s just been so frustrating to watch the Democratic Party lose its way,” he continued.

When asked by Politico about his independent gubernatorial bid, Duggan said, “the reason I am doing so well is because both parties’ messaging is to make you hate the other party more.” He later said that the best way for political candidates to win in 2026 is to “run against the negative partisan tone of their parties.”

Duggan also told Politico “it turns out that no matter where you go in this state, people are angry at both parties.”

“I’m not running to be the Democrats’ Governor or the Republicans’ Governor,” Duggan wrote in a December 2024 post to X announcing his candidacy to lead Michigan, which has emerged as a key battleground state in recent election cycles. “I’m running to be your Governor. Join me in putting politics aside to put progress first.”

Duggan told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in August he believes Democrats disagree on everything besides hating the GOP and President Donald Trump, who narrowly won Michigan in 2024.

“The identity of the Democratic Party is we hate Republicans in general and we hate Donald Trump specifically,” he told the WSJ. “That is the only unifying principle of the Democratic Party today. They disagree on everything else.”

The Washington Post editorial board wrote in a piece published on Wednesday that Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, a self-avowed socialist, “could learn a lot” from Duggan’s leadership during his time as Detroit’s mayor. The editorial board later wrote that “a lot of the credit for Detroit’s turnaround goes to Mayor Mike Duggan.”

In response to a question about Mamdani, Duggan told Politico that he thinks New Yorkers “want authentic change.”

“I think it shows people want change, and people want authentic change,” he told the outlet. “I think it shows you how badly people want change. I’m not sure his policies are driving it.”

Duggan is notably the second-longest serving mayor in Detroit’s history, according to his office’s website. He also holds the record for the largest back-to-back landslide wins ever in the city, winning his reelection bid in 2017 with 72% of the vote and again in 2021 with 75%, his office’s website says.

Republican candidates running in Michigan’s 2026 gubernatorial race include U.S. Rep. John James, state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former state House Speaker Tom Leonard and former Attorney General Mike Cox. Democratic candidates include Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Lieutenant Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.

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