Detroit — Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan ended his independent campaign for governor Thursday, resetting the race for Michigan’s highest political office.
In a letter to supporters posted at 11 a.m., Duggan said he no longer felt good about his chances to win because of shifting the political winds and struggles to establish a national fundraising base.
His decision came 23 weeks ahead of the November general election and nine days after the Detroit Regional Chamber, a group that endorsed Duggan, released a poll showing him in third place in a potential November matchup behind U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat from Detroit.
In his announcement Thursday, Duggan, a former Democrat, cited growing anger and polarization over the war in Iran and rising gas prices, which he says make it difficult for his message of unity and bipartisanship to break through.
“We knew the Independent route was filled with challenge,” Duggan wrote. “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 Duggan said in the letter that things changed sharply this spring, with the war in Iran and the resulting soaring gasoline prices. That, he indicated, turned the advantage toward his former party and made it far more difficult for his message of bipartisanship to break through.
”Democrats (and many Independents) were unified in anger as Trump’s war in Iran dragged on and gas prices rose above $5 a gallon,” he wrote. “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.”
His announcement came the week before the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference, where Duggan was to be given center stage for touting his candidacy. Likewise, Duggan had participated in a forum for gubernatorial candidates on Monday hosted by the United Auto Workers.
The former mayor enjoyed considerable support in southeast Michigan and had picked up a host of union endorsements, but suffered from low name recognition outstate.
Duggan also cited the challenge to raise funds in an environment in which Republicans and Democrats are so motivated.
“Being down 11 points in May wouldn’t discourage me – I’ve been down worse than that in the past,” Duggan wrote, “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.
“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.”
This is a developing story. Check detroitnews.com later for updates.
