Detroit, MI
Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate decided not to run for Detroit mayor
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- Michigan State Rep. Joe Tate decided against running for mayor of Detroit
- He initially scheduled a campaign announcement on Monday.
Former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate is no longer running for mayor of Detroit.
Tate filed an exploratory committee on Nov. 21, 2024, but has not announced his intentions to run for the seat. Tate had scheduled a campaign announcement for Monday, Feb. 25 at the Corner Ballpark in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. But Friday announcement, first reported by Crain’s Detroit Business, seems to dash any hopes of him joining the campaign trail.
“After careful consideration, I have decided not to run for Mayor of the City of Detroit,” Tate wrote in a text message to Crain’s. “I am grateful for the feedback and support I received while exploring this decision. Throughout this process, I have been continually impressed and inspired by the people of Detroit.”
Last year, Tate became the first Black man to serve as speaker of Michigan’s House of Representatives. He went to Southfield-Lathrup High School and later received a scholarship to play football at Michigan State University. Tate spent two seasons in the NFL, served as a Marine, and later later dove into economic development though his MBA and a Master’s of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning from the University of Michigan.
His decision comes shortly after The Rev. Solomon Kinloch of Triumph Church announced his plans to run for mayor Wednesday evening at the Fox Theatre. The race for the seat has grown to include ther candidates who have formed committees to run for Detroit mayor or announced their intentions. They include City Council President, Mary Sheffield; former City Councilwoman and current THAW (The Heat and Warmth Fund) CEO Saunteel Jenkins; Detroit City Councilman Fred Durhal III; businessman Joel Haashiim; attorney Todd Perkins and businessman Jonathan Barlow.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.