DETROIT – Mike Duggan is dropping out of the race for Michigan’s next governor.

The former Detroit mayor announced his withdrawal as an Independent candidate from the 2026 gubernatorial race on Thursday, May 21, on his campaign website.

You can read his full statement below:

Dear Friends,

I am so disappointed to have to write you this letter.

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For the last 18 months I’ve worked every day to try to change Michigan’s toxic party politics.  I’ve been supported by hundreds of volunteers who believe deeply that years of constant Democratic-Republican conflict in Lansing have led to our schools declining, our housing costs rising, and our young people moving out of Michigan in record numbers.

We knew the Independent route was filled with challenge. Even against those odds, the excitement for real change carried this campaign upward for more than a year.  In every one of the 5-10 town halls a week I was holding across Michigan, we hosted Democrat, Republican, and Independent neighbors all mixed together in lively and positive discussions.  It was a remarkable experience.

But by April, the mood of the country had shifted suddenly and dramatically.  Democrats (and many Independents) were unified in anger as Trump’s war in Iran dragged on and gas prices rose above $5 a gallon.  On May 5, the Democratic State Senate candidate in Saginaw won 60% of the vote in a seat Republicans thought would be very competitive.

Against the Democratic headwinds, we worked twice as hard.  We continued to pile up huge numbers of union endorsements, once the unions learned that Michigan election law allowed voters to vote both straight ticket Democrat and also vote Duggan as an Independent. 

But for the public in general, our internal polling showed the intense anger over gas prices and Iran was boosting Democrats in every office nationally.  The Chamber poll last week showing we’d fallen 11 points behind the Democratic candidate reflects that reality.

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Being down 11 points in May wouldn’t discourage me – I’ve been down worse than that in the past.  But this time it’s compounded by our inability to build serious national fundraising support.  Michigan donors have been extraordinarily generous in supporting this campaign – 94% of my donors come from Michigan.  We raised more in-state than any other candidate. 

But Governor’s campaigns are today funded overwhelmingly from well-established networks of national party money, which is why I’ve been all across America meeting with national groups to try to build a competitive fundraising network for Independents.  There is much interest, but we’ve finally concluded the national fundraising for these groups is too much in its infancy to be of great help to our race in 2026.   As generous as our Michigan donors have been, we will be strongly outspent by the national Republican and Democratic parties this fall.

If we were even in the polls and behind in fundraising, we have a path to winning.  If we were behind in the polls and even in fundraising, we have a path. But we’re behind in both.   It’s just not right to ask our volunteers, faith leaders, unions, elected officials and donors to continue in a campaign that, in my heart, I no longer feel good about our chances to win.

I got into this race to try to change our politics, not to be a spoiler.  I’m still hopeful our campaign will prove to have a real long-term impact.  23% support in the last poll means more than 1.6 million Michigan voters are today looking for a Governor candidate serious about reducing the toxic partisan politics.  If the candidates on the ballot this year take that message to heart and truly reach out to those voters, we will have accomplished something important.

I will never be able to express the gratitude I feel for all your support and encouragement.  I wish I could have done better for you.

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Mike Duggan

Duggan was the first candidate to announce his bid for governor, as he made the announcement after he finished serving as Detroit’s mayor.

The once-Democrat was credited by many for leading Detroit out of bankruptcy into a thriving city.

He was elected mayor in 2013, running a write-in campaign after a ballot challenge.

Since Duggan was in office, violent crime decreased, and Detroit’s population increased slightly in 2023. That was the first uptick in population since the 1950s.

Current candidates running for Michigan’s next governor include Democrats Jocelyn Benson and Chris Swanson, and Republicans John James, Aric Nesbitt, Mike Cox, Perry Johnson and Ralph Rebandt.

Benson, in response to Duggan’s announcement, released the following statement:

“I want to thank Mayor Mike Duggan for what he brought to this race and for his years of service to Detroit. At a time when politics can feel divided and cynical, we need more civility, more listening, and more people willing to work together to move our state forward. I welcome Mayor Duggan’s ideas, his supporters, and everyone who believes Michigan’s future is bigger than division — and that it can be a place where anyone can afford to live, work, and thrive. We may not always agree on everything, but we share a commitment to building a stronger Michigan. And that work continues in this campaign.”

Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State and Democratic candidate in Michigan gubernatorial race

James also released the following statement in response to Duggan’s announcement:

“I want to thank Mike Duggan for his years of service to the people of Michigan and Detroit. I respect anyone willing to step into the arena and serve something bigger than themselves. While we have real disagreements on policy, we both recognize Michigan is headed in the wrong direction.

Our state has endured too much decline and political dysfunction. I’m ready to work with anyone willing to deliver real solutions, reject the politics of division, and fight for safer communities, stronger families and economic growth. Our state’s future is too important for anything less.”

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John James, representative for Michigan’s 10th district and Republican candidate in Michigan’s gubernatorial race

An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit, Michigan, was forced to divert to Montreal, Canada, on Wednesday due to U.S. flight restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak after it was determined that one of the passengers was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, federal officials said.

Air France boarded the passenger “in error on a flight to the United States,” a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CBS News in a statement.

“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” the CBP spokesperson said. “CBP took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada.”

CBP did not say when the person had last been in the Congo or whether they were showing symptoms of the virus. It wasn’t immediately clear if the passenger was a Congolese national or had been traveling there.

When reached about the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration directed CBS News to CBP. 

CBS News has also reached out to Air France and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comment.

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, Air France Flight 378 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport landed at Montreal Trudeau International Airport at 5:15 p.m. ET. The status of the passenger from the Congo was unknown. It was also unclear whether the flight, with the rest of the passengers, would continue on to Detroit.

On Monday, the CDC announced that people without U.S. passports who had traveled to Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past three weeks would be restricted from entering the country.

Earlier Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of CBP, confirmed that beginning Thursday, it would require all U.S.-bound flights carrying foreign travelers who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan at any point in the previous 21 days to fly into Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

The rule, according to its language, is designed to funnel those travelers to an airport “where the U.S. government is focusing public health resources to implement enhanced public health measures.”

It’s unclear how the DHS rule impacts the CDC’s earlier order.

An Ebola outbreak centered in eastern Congo was confirmed May 15 by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday there were at least 600 suspected Ebola cases so far, including 139 suspected deaths from the virus. 

Health officials say the new outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments, according to CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Céline Gounder. 

Some of the city’s top music stars will headline the new Hart of Detroit Summer Festival set for June 19 at Hart Plaza. 

The riverside party is 12 hours of hip-hop music, DJs, gospel karaoke, food trucks and a chance to shop small businesses. Headliners include Detroit rappers Kash Doll, Babytron, Icewear Vezzo, Trick Trick, Bruiser Wolf, Babyfxce E, 1UpTee and more, plus New Jersey’s Fetty Wap and Atlanta’s Boldy James.

The concerts will start at 5 p.m. and span two stages.

“Expected to draw attendees from across the Midwest, the festival blends music, culture, entrepreneurship and community into one of Detroit’s defining summer experiences,” reads a press release announcing the event. 

The festival runs from noon to midnight. General admission tickets start at $75.63 with VIP access ranging $139.49-$239.40.

Tickets and a full schedule can be found at 313summer.com.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

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