2009 Detroit mayoral election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2009 Detroit mayoral election
| country = Michigan
| type = presidential
| flag_image = Flag of Detroit.svg
| previous_election = 2009 Detroit mayoral special election
| previous_year = 2009 (special)
| next_election = 2013 Detroit mayoral election
| next_year = 2013
| election_date = {{Start date|2009|2|24}} (first round)
{{Start date|2009|5|5}}
| 1blank = First round
| 2blank = Runoff
| image1 = David Bing 3928ded5aacd10b21cded561668a0444 (1).jpg
| candidate1 = Dave Bing
| party1 = Nonpartisan
| 1data1 = 68,754
73.90%
| 2data1 = 70,166
56.22%
| colour1 = c0c0c0
| image2 = File:3x4.svg
| candidate2 = Tom Barrow
| party2 = Nonpartisan
| 1data2 = 10,321
11.09%
| 2data2 = 50,785
40.69%
| colour2 = c0c0c0
| image3 = File:3x4.svg
| candidate3 = Jerroll Sanders
| party3 = Nonpartisan
| 1data3 = 9,337
10.04%
| 2data3= Eliminated
| colour3 = c0c0c0
| title = Mayor
| before_election = Dave Bing
| before_party = Nonpartisan
| after_election = Dave Bing
| after_party = Nonpartisan
}}
{{ElectionsMI}}
The 2009 Detroit mayoral election took place on November 3, 2009, following a primary on August 12, 2009. Incumbent Mayor Dave Bing, who was elected Mayor in a May special election, ran for a full term. Bing placed first in the primary by a wide margin, winning 74 percent of the vote. Accoutnant Tom Barrow, a 1989 candidate for Mayor, narrowly beat out business consultant Jerroll Sanders for second place, 11–10 percent, and advanced to the general election against Bing. Despite Bing's landslide victory in the primary, he defeated Barrow in the general election by a considerably reduced margin, winning 56 percent of the vote to Barrow's 41 percent. Barrow subsequently filed a legal challenge to the results, but the claims were ultimately dismissed.{{cite news|title=Barrow loses appeal in '09 mayoral loss|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=November 11, 2010|location=Detroit, Michigan|page=6A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/175753076/|access-date=July 2, 2025}}
Primary election
=Candidates=
- Dave Bing, incumbent Mayor
- Tom Barrow, accountant, 1989 candidate for Mayor{{cite news|last1=Patton|first1=Naomi R.|last2=Schmitt|first2=Ben|title=Coleman Young's rival could join race|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=May 7, 2009|location=Detroit, Michigan|page=4A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/175752079/|access-date=July 2, 2025}}
- Jerroll Sanders, business consultant, 2009 candidate for Mayor{{cite news|last=Gorchow|first=Zachary|title=Bing likely set for next win|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=May 13, 2009|location=Detroit, Michigan|page=5A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/175752195/|access-date=July 2, 2025}}
- Duane Montgomery, engineer, 2009 candidate for Mayor{{cite news|last=Gorchow|first=Zachary|title=Bing likely set for next win|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=May 13, 2009|location=Detroit, Michigan|page=5A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/175752195/|access-date=July 2, 2025}}
- Dartagnan M. Collier, city water department employee{{cite news|last=Hackney|first=Suzette|title=Bing and Barrow headed for Nov. 3 face-off|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=August 5, 2009|location=Detroit, Michigan|page=4A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/175752276/|access-date=July 2, 2025}}
- Bob Allman, entertainment consultant
=Results=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2009 Detroit mayoral primary election{{cite web |title=City of Detroit - Elections - August 4, 2009 - Primary Election|date=August 12, 2009|url=https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2018-05/official_summary_total_report_08-04-09.pdf|access-date=July 2, 2025}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Dave Bing (inc.)
| party = Nonpartisan candidate
| votes = 68,754
| percentage = 73.90%
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Tom Barrow
| party = Nonpartisan candidate
| votes = 10,321
| percentage = 11.09%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jerroll Sanders
| party = Nonpartisan candidate
| votes = 9,337
| percentage = 10.04%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Duane Montgomery
| party = Nonpartisan candidate
| votes = 1,916
| percentage = 2.06%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Dartagnan M. Collier
| party = Nonpartisan candidate
| votes = 1,268
| percentage = 1.36%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Bob Allman
| party = Nonpartisan candidate
| votes = 874
| percentage = 0.94%
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change |
|party =
|candidate = write-ins
| votes = 566
| percentage = 0.61%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 93,036
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
General election
=Results=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2009 Detroit mayoral general election results{{cite web |title=City of Detroit, Michigan - City General Election - November 3, 2009|date=2009|url=https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2018-05/official_nov_gen_09_summary_reports_combined.pdf|access-date=July 2, 2025}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Dave Bing (inc.)
| party = Nonpartisan candidate
| votes = 70,166
| percentage = 56.22%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Tom Barrow
| party = Nonpartisan candidate
| votes = 50,785
| percentage = 40.69%
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change |
|party =
|candidate = write-ins
| votes = 3,851
| percentage = 3.09%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 124,802
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
Aftermath
Despite originally conceding the race to Bing,{{cite news|last1=Wisely|first1=John|last2=Hackney|first2=Suzette|last3=Angel|first3=Cecil|title='We can now put Detroit back on the right path,' Bing says|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=November 4, 2009|location=Detroit, Michigan|page=3A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/175752674/|access-date=July 2, 2025}} Barrow sought a recount of the election and then formally contested the results, arguing that "there are too many things wrong here" in the administration of the election.{{cite news|last=Patton|first=Naomi R.|title=Barrow to challenge Detroit mayoral recount|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=December 24, 2009|location=Detroit, Michigan|page=5A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/175752816/|access-date=July 2, 2025}} Barrow's legal challenge was dismissed by the trial court in 2010, and he subsequently appealed to the Michigan Court of Appeals. On November 9, 2010, the Court of Appeals unanimously dismissed the challenge, holding that Barrow's allegations were "conclusory" and his lawsuit lacked "specific, precise, definite or clear and positive factual allegations."{{cite court|litigants=Barrow v. Detroit Mayor|vol=802|reporter=N.W.2d|opinion=658|pinpoint=669|court=Mich. Ct. App.|date=2010|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=14860572307869024682&hl=en&as_sdt=80000006}}