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

Milwaukee ranked 14th and Madison took 21st

Milwaukee has the 14^th best parks in the country and Madison was ranked 21st, according to a new ranking from the Public Land Trust.  

The report ranked 100 U.S. cities on a variety of factors, like what amenities are avaliable, how much is invested in the park and how accessible they are. Milwaukee beat out other major cities like New York and Philadelphia.  

What did the report say about Milwaukee?  

Milwaukee scored high marks for accessibility – 96% of residents are within a 10 minute walk of a park. In total, 9.7% of Milwaukee’s area is parks. Milwaukee also spends an average of $206 on parks per resident, that’s above the national average of $154.  

The city also has an above average number of playgrounds, basketball courts, senior centers, bathrooms, splashpads and baseball fields.  

On the eve of Stephen Colbert‘s final Late Show, the host invited Bruce Springsteen to the stage for a fitting performance of his protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis.” Earlier this year, the musician and the E Street Band live-debuted the track during their politically charged Land of Hope and Dreams tour.

In a way that felt bittersweet, Colbert announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Springsteen.” As his spotlight faded and focused on the singer, Springsteen made it clear why he was there for the late-night series penultimate episode. “I’m here in support tonight of Stephen, because you’re the first guy in America who lost his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke,” Springsteen said. “And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want.”

He added, “Stephen, these are small-minded people who got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about. This is for you.”

The singer then launched into an emotional performance of “Streets of Minneapolis,” which was written in reaction to ICE’s brutal immigration crackdown in the city, and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. 

Last year, CBS announced it was cancelling The Late Show, claiming the move was “purely a financial decision.” It’s been speculated that CBS’s parent company Paramount pulled the plug to curry favor with Donald Trump — who Colbert frequently called out during his show — and the FCC to ensure a merger between Paramount and Skydance would go through. As Springsteen highlighted before his performance on Wednesday night, Paramount is helmed by David Ellison, the son of Larry Ellison, the billionaire founder of Oracle.

A procession of stars have lined up for Colbert’s closing weeks, with guests including Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and original host David Letterman, who returned to throw CBS property off the Ed Sullivan Theater roof. Recent musical guests include David Byrne, the Strokes, Michael Stipe, Chris Stapleton, and Foo Fighters, who previously served as the final musical guest of Letterman’s Late Show.

When speaking to The New York Times last month, Colbert discussed his decision to cover political topics and lean into current events, and how that often drew the ire of the Trump administration. “Comedians are anti-authoritarian by nature,” Colbert said. “And authoritarians are never going to like anybody to laugh at them. The number of newspeople who have said to me or Jon Stewart or any of the guys who do this, ‘God, I wish I could say what you say on air.’ And we can. I think that upsets them. I think it might be upsetting that we really do not live in their world of principalities and powers.”