Mike Duggan, the former Detroit mayor, said Thursday that he is suspending his campaign for Michigan governor, concluding that the odds for an independent bid have shifted against him. Duggan, a longtime Democrat who filed to run as an independent to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, pointed to what he described as an increasingly “toxic” political climate in Washington and the knock-on effect of rising gasoline prices on voters.
Duggan told The Associated Press that the race would be difficult because Democrats who might have supported an alternative to the major parties are instead galvanizing against what is happening in Washington. He said the response to the Iran-related conflict and President Donald Trump’s approach has helped intensify partisan feelings, adding that “Democrat anger against Trump and Republicans is extremely high.” He also linked the political environment to what people are “feeling” at the pump, saying that in “60 days there’s been a huge change in the attitudes of this country.”
The campaign decision also reflected Duggan’s view that the path to victory had closed. He told the AP, “As long as I knew there was a path for victory, I was going to fight,” but added, “I don’t see a likely path to win.” In assessing the field, he said he believed he was trailing Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican U.S. Rep. John James, while other candidates in the race included Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, running as a Democrat, and millionaire businessman Perry Johnson, running as a Republican.
Gas prices have become central to the political pressure point Duggan cited. Since the start of the war with Iran in late February, oil prices have spiked more than 50%, according to the AP account. As of Thursday, regular unleaded gas in Michigan averaged $4.74 per gallon, according to AAA Michigan, compared with a $4.56 national average; a year earlier, the Michigan average was $3.13 and the national average was $3.18. The AP story also noted that Trump has repeatedly said gas prices will go down once the war ends, without specifying when.
Duggan framed his move away from the Democratic ticket as a way to offer voters “a choice” when he announced in December 2024 that he would seek the state’s top office. He said then that it had become harder to work across party lines as partisan climate “has gotten more toxic,” and he described Michigan’s politics as nearly evenly divided in the Legislature, with that rivalry magnifying stakes. He said Thursday that he could sense the mood in Michigan shifting toward an end to that toxic partisanship.
The former mayor’s campaign also faced obstacles stemming from third-party dynamics in Michigan, where an independent has never served as governor and where third-party contenders often struggle in statewide races. Duggan said Thursday that his approach aimed at changing politics, not acting as a spoiler. “I was running to change politics, not to be a spoiler,” he said.
Duggan spent more than a decade as Detroit mayor, first elected in November 2013 during the city’s painful and historic bankruptcy era. He became Detroit’s first white mayor since Coleman A. Young was elected in the early 1970s as the city’s first Black mayor, and he later led the city as it emerged from bankruptcy in December 2014. Duggan, who announced in November 2024 that he would not seek a fourth term, left office in January.
During his independent bid, Duggan said his former party targeted him over concerns that he could draw votes away from the Democratic nominee. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Thursday in a statement that there were “disagreements” with Duggan, adding that the party appreciated his commitment to bringing people together and said it welcomed Duggan’s supporters into its effort to elect a Democratic governor in November.
Republican former Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, meanwhile, posted on X that Duggan checked what Calley described as being a “credible, independent candidate with the ability to raise money,” while also warning that having a party behind a candidate brings “huge advantages.” Calley said being a target from both “the left and the right” would make the campaign difficult.