In what could be a major shakeup for Motown politics, James Craig, the former chief of the Detroit Police Department, has put the brakes on his U.S. Senate campaign and is mulling a bid for Detroit's mayoral seat. This announcement arrives after concerns over fundraising and the impending cost of a statewide campaign pointed to a tough road ahead for the Senate hopeful.
According to a Tuesday interview with The Detroit News, Craig confessed that the campaign's bank balance, standing at a modest $27,999 at the start of 2024, combined with a hefty $350,000 price tag to gather and validate the necessary 15,000 petition signatures proved too steep a hill for his Senate ambitions. "The reality is fundraising is a challenge right now," Craig told The News, reflecting on the financial hurdle that ultimately led to his decision to drop the Senate run.
The decision comes in the wake of a similar setback in 2022, when Craig's gubernatorial campaign was torpedoed after failing to gather a sufficient number of legitimate signatures, resulting in his and other GOP hopefuls' exclusion from the ballot amid a wave of fraudulent submissions, the Gazette Xtra reported. This history loomed over the recent bid, posing a daunting repeat scenario, one that Craig was unwilling to chance.
With the Senate race behind him, Craig’s political compass now points toward Detroit's City Hall. "That’s a pathway I would certainly take a serious look at," Craig said referring to a potential run for mayor in 2025 as told to The Detroit News. His departure from the Senate race leaves contenders such as former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers and businessman Sandy Pensler vying for the Republican nomination, while on the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is seen as a frontrunner.
Craig's shift in focus was echoed by other GOP figures, with former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer asserting that Craig would "make a fantastic Mayor of Detroit if he chooses to run," according to a social media post cited by Detroit Free Press. Craig has gained respect for his conservative commentary and his tenure as Detroit's top cop, but the allure of political donor support seems to have drifted toward others in the GOP camp, leaving Craig to consider how best to serve the city he is passionate about.
While the field for Detroit's mayoral race is still forming, and incumbent Mayor Mike Duggan remains coy about seeking a fourth term, Craig appears ready to enter the fray. Nevertheless, he isn't rushing the decision; his next steps will be closely watched by friends and foes alike as Detroit gears up for another electoral showdown.
