Mary Sheffield, First Woman Mayor of Detroit
Mary Sheffield (born June 9, 1987) is an American politician who is serving as the 76th mayor of Detroit since January 2026. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman to serve as mayor of Detroit. She previously served on the Detroit City Council from 2014 to 2026, and was president of City Council from 2022 to 2026, as the youngest person ever to hold that office.
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The early years
Sheffield grew up on the west side of Detroit. She is the daughter of Horace Sheffield III, a civil rights activist and pastor at New Destiny Christian Fellowship Church. Sheffield earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Wayne State University in 2008. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Central Michigan University.
While she attended college, Sheffield met Benny Napoleon, the sheriff of Wayne County. He recruited her to work in the county jail system as a disciplinary hearing officer. In 2010, Sheffield ran in the election to represent the fourth district in the Michigan House of Representatives, where Coleman Young II was not seeking reelection. In the Democratic Party primary election, Sheffield lost to Maureen Stapleton. By 2013, Sheffield was the co-pastor of New Destiny Christian Fellowship Church.
In 2013, Sheffield ran for the Detroit City Council seat for the fifth district. She defeated Adam Hollier in the non-partisan November general election. At age 26, Sheffield became the youngest Detroit council member in history. She won reelection in 2017 against Jewel Ware, a Wayne County commissioner, and was reelected in 2021 without opposition.
In January 2022, the members of the council elected Sheffield to serve as council president over Mary D. Waters, succeeding Brenda Jones. She became the youngest president of the council.
First Woman Elected as Detroit City Mayor
In August 2023, Sheffield set up an exploratory committee for a candidacy for mayor of Detroit in the 2025 election, hiring Nick Rathod as an advisor. Following the decision of Mike Duggan, the incumbent mayor, to not seek another term, Sheffield announced her candidacy to succeed him in December 2024.
During her mayoral campaign she campaigned on investing in underserved neighborhoods, saying in her primary election victory speech, “I do believe that our neighborhoods need more investment without a doubt. We are going to elevate issues and ensure that we’re bringing more attention to our communities.”
Sheffield placed first in the primary election, and advanced to the general election in November. She defeated Solomon Kinloch Jr., becoming the first woman to be elected mayor of Detroit. She was sworn into office on January 1, 2026.
All content Wikipedia contributors. (2026, January 10). Mary Sheffield. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:20, January 27, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary_Sheffield&oldid=1332202611