Detroit Free Press Editorial Board

Voters in Detroit's Aug. 8 primary will choose four at-large City Council candidates, and two candidates for each of the seven City Council districts, to compete in the fall general election. In November, Detroiters will elect two at-large council members, and one each for the seven districts.

The Free Press offers endorsements, based on questionnaires and interviews, for the top candidates in each race.

Read more:

Detroit Voters Guide: Vote in the August 8 primary election

Endorsement: Duggan has earned another shot at mayor

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Free Press Endorsements: Sossi gets nod in House race to replace Banks

At-large

In three terms on the Detroit City Council, Brenda Jones has steadily served the city, focused on improving the lives of residents and workers. For the last four years, she has held one of two at-large seats on the council, and has also served as council president. And over the last four years, she has run the city’s most professional, least controversial council in recent history.

Under Jones’ leadership, the council has shied away from the kind of flamboyant sideshow indulged in previous terms, when the antics of a few members at times dominated council’s deliberations, distracting from hardworking, serious members’ efforts to fulfill their charter-mandated role of legislative and fiscal scrutiny. Jones has shown willingness to cooperate with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on important initiatives, but also to push back when she’s not satisfied that Detroiters’ best interests are being served — that’s the kind of leadership Detroit needs.

Because of her steady service, and her capable leadership, Detroiters should place BRENDA JONES on the fall ballot for City Council.

Detroiters should also put JANEÉ AYERS, one of two at-large council members, on that ballot, which will be her first chance to win a full term. Ayers was appointed in 2014 to fill the seat of departing Detroit City Council member Saunteel Jenkins, and won the seat in a special election last year. Ayers has shown she is able to work well with her colleagues and the Duggan administration, an important factor for a city whose executive and legislative branches have not always enjoyed a collegial working relationship. Collegial, however, does not mean uncritical; Ayers has a nuanced view of development, and when and how the city should use its limited capital to bolster projects, and she should use that knowledge to thoroughly vet deals proposed to council.

District 1

Detroit’s 1st district should advance JAMES TATE to the fall ballot to stand for re-election. Tate, 44, has shown he can work both legislatively and creatively on the ground to support constituents. In 2015, he introduced legislation to regulate where medical marijuana dispensaries are located in the city, keeping them away from schools and parks, and stopping too many from popping up on the same block.

In his district, Tate has done an impressive job of highlighting small businesses, with an online directory and interactive map that offers information on more than 600 small businesses in the district, and events to encourage people to shop on the city’s northwest side. Tate, who seeks a third term on council, rightly sees the big picture in these efforts — recognizing that building a critical mass of shoppers will help encourage investment. Tate takes the long view on many issues, which makes him a strong advocate for the constituents of District 1 and Detroiters as a whole.

District 2

Detroiters in District 2 should send ROY MCCALISTER JR. to the fall ballot for Detroit City Council. McCalister, a former Detroit police homicide commander and a 2003 Iraq War veteran with deep neighborhood roots, will better represent District 2 than incumbent George Cushingberry.

McCalister is keenly aware of the challenges District 2 faces, and understands what tools council can use to support struggling neighborhoods, and hopes to showcase the assets of District 2 — like businesses, educational institutions, and strong communities — that prompted investment in downtown and Midtown. He offers the right combination of institutional knowledge and grassroots experience to best advocate for Detroiters.

District 3

Detroiters should choose ADAM MUNDY to represent District 3 on the fall City Council ballot. Mundy’s early career was spent at American Axle, where he served in his union’s local elected leadership. Most recently, he has worked as a community liaison and then policy analyst to former Detroit City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr., City Councilman Scott Benson and at-large Councilwoman Janee Ayers.

Mundy believes council should work together and with Duggan to achieve goals that benefit the city, but also understands council’s responsibility to vet and scrutinize proposals and deals brought to council by Duggan. His experience in the unionized workforce and as a policy analyst should offer valuable insight for the challenging years ahead. He promises thoughtful consideration of proposals brought to council.

Benson’s background in urban planning and business development offered great promise, but his first term on the council has been overshadowed by his personal problems.

Mundy is the better choice for residents of District 3.

District 4

In Detroit’s 4th District, which covers the city’s far-east side, primary voters should advance incumbent ANDRE SPIVEY to the November ballot. Spivey has a solid track record of presenting effective ideas and seeing them through. He introduced an ordinance to require video cameras at gas stations to improve safety — a precursor to the Detroit Police Department’s successful Green Light project. Spivey hopes to expand those efforts with an ordinance that requires cameras for businesses open past 10 p.m.

He also is pursuing an ordinance that would require landlords to register with the city and ensure their certificate of compliance is up to date and their taxes are paid. Spivey has shown both energy for the job and patience for the process, attributes that have spelled success in his two previous terms.

Among the candidate for the District 4 seat, Latisha Johnson is also an impressive candidate with extensive experience in community organizations and a record of leadership. We encourage her to continue to pursue elected office.

District 6

Among the crop of new Detroit City Council members, RAQUEL CASTEÑADA-LÓPEZ has emerged as a thoughtful but decisive legislator, and Detroiters in District 6 should send her to the fall ballot to compete for a second term.

Casteñada-López has proved one of the most vocal critics of tax incentives like those offered to the Detroit Pistons, in aid of their move downtown, and as a staunch advocate for community benefits in development deals. Casteñada-López’s district contains sharp contrasts — District 6 includes half of downtown, where development is booming, but also encompasses southwest Detroit, a diverse community with strong neighborhoods and businesses that’s also one of the most polluted areas in the nation. Detroiters in District 6 deserve a council member who’ll speak up. Casteñada-López is that member.

District 7

Educator Regina Ross, 49, and community activist Joanna Underwood, 34, are challenging incumbent Councilman Gabe Leland in an underpowered primary contest for the District 7 seat.

Leland, 34, is a former state legislator whose first term on the Detroit City Council was blemished by ethical sloppiness when he voted to renew a series of city contracts without disclosing that they promised to benefit the family of a woman he was dating.

Any further ethical lapses would disqualify Leland from continuing to serve on council, but for now GABE LELAND remains the most qualified candidate in a weak field to send to the November ballot.

