Fred Durhal III

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Fred Durhal III

| image = Fred Durhal III, 2024.jpg

| caption = Durhal in 2024

| office = Member of the Detroit City Council
from the 7th district

| term_start = January 1, 2021

| term_end =

| predecessor = Gabe Leland

| successor =

| state_house1 = Michigan

| district1 = 5th

| term_start1 = January 1, 2015

| term_end1 = January 1, 2019

| predecessor1 = Fred Durhal, Jr.

| successor1 = Cynthia A. Johnson

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|4|1}}

| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = Briaunna Buckner

| relatives = Fred (father)

| education = Eastern Michigan University (BA)

}}

Frederick Durhal III{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Sam |date=2025-05-05 |title=Detroit elections 2025: Unofficial candidate list |url=https://www.detroitonemillion.com/p/detroit-elections-2025-unofficial |access-date= |website=Detroit One Million |language=en}} (born April 1, 1984) is an American politician serving as a member of the Detroit City Council since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Durhal served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019, having succeeded his father, Fred Durhal, Jr., in the seat.{{Cite web| title = Rep. Fred Durhal III's Biography| author = | work = Michigan House Democrats| date = | accessdate = 2015-01-07|url=http://005.housedems.com/biography}}{{cite news |url=http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/11/2014_live_michigan_election_re_3.html | title=2014 Live Michigan election results: State House Districts 1-110 | work=MLive | date=November 4, 2014 | accessdate=November 28, 2014}} He is currently a candidate in the 2025 Detroit mayoral election.

Early life and career

Durhal was born in Detroit to his parents, Fred and Martha Durhal. He is the second eldest of six children.{{Cite web| title = About Fred Durhal| author = | work = Friends for Fred Durhal| date = | accessdate = 2015-01-07| url = http://www.durhal4rep.com/#!durhal/c1ktj| archive-date = January 8, 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150108072624/http://www.durhal4rep.com/#!durhal/c1ktj| url-status = dead}} Durhal attended Detroit Public Schools, including Guyton Elementary, Spain Middle School, and graduated from Detroit School of Arts. He later attended Eastern Michigan University, where he studied political science and music education.

Prior to his election, he served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Northwest Detroit as the director of a literacy program for young children. He has collaborated with Village Builders of Northwest Detroit and Motor City Blight Busters to help stabilize neighborhoods within Detroit. In 2011, Durhal joined other community leaders to oppose Michigan’s emergency financial manager law in Benton Harbor and across the state. Durhal has also worked with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild homes in Detroit. In 2004, he traveled to Benton Harbor with Habitat for Humanity, where he helped with the rebuilding of over 50 homes in one weekend.

Durhal has been a member of the Detroit Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and a former member of the Teamsters Local 377. He previously served on the board of the Dexter Elmhurst Community Center, and was formerly the President of Wayne County Progress PAC.

Political career

File:Durhal speaking 2.jpg

Durhal was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2014, succeeding his father. Taking office in January, 2015, he quickly found himself a leader in the Democratic caucus. He was appointed to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, serving as minority vice-chairman of the subcommittee on general government.{{Cite web|url=https://www.house.mi.gov/MHRPublic/committee.aspx|title=Committee Information|website=www.house.mi.gov|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-date=April 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416051056/https://www.house.mi.gov/MHRPublic/committee.aspx|url-status=dead}} House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel also appointed him Assistant Democratic Leader.{{cite web |url=http://housedems.com/article/rep-fred-durhal-iii-appointed-assistant-democratic-leader |title=Rep. Fred Durhal III Appointed as Assistant Democratic Leader {{!}} housedems.com |website=housedems.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209071602/http://www.housedems.com/article/rep-fred-durhal-iii-appointed-assistant-democratic-leader |archive-date=2015-02-09}}

Durhal continued the work of his father, reintroducing legislation that would prohibit employers from requiring applicants to disclose prior felony convictions on job applications, so called "ban the box" legislation.{{Cite web|url=http://legislature.mi.gov/(S(5m5hw1jvegaz2rsw45oawhs3))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=2015-HB-4208&query=on|title=Michigan Legislature – House Bill 4208 (2015)|website=legislature.mi.gov}}

In 2016, Durhal passed his first bill HB 4187, which was signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder on May 10, 2016,http://housedems.com/article/statement-state-representative-fred-durhal-iii-d-detroit-signing-his-bill-public-act-111.aspx {{dead link|date=February 2022}} and became PA 111 of 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(4wpjvfz4oelmblkd2kzsmwe4))/mileg.aspx?page=BillStatus&objectname=2015-HB-4187.aspx|title=Michigan Legislature|website=www.legislature.mi.gov}} This legislation established a misdemeanor for anyone who defaces, destroys, or dismantles any highway sign, traffic sign, structure, or railroad in the State.

After being re-elected to a second term in 2016,https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/michigan-state-house-district-5.aspx {{dead link|date=February 2022}} Durhal was appointed by Speaker of the House Tom Leonard and House Democratic Leader Sam Singh to serve as the Minority Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, making him the ranking Democrat on the committee.http://housedems.com/article/house-dem-leader-singh-names-additional-leadership-roles.aspx {{dead link|date=February 2022}} He was also elected by his Detroit colleagues to serve as the Secretary of the Detroit Caucus.

In 2021,{{cite web | url=https://detroitmi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-district-7-0 | title=City Council District 7 | date=October 29, 2024 }} Durhal was elected to the Detroit City Council to represent the 7th District. Shortly after being elected, Durhal was appointed December 1, 2021, to fill the vacancy for the 7th District. He was sworn into his second term on January 1, 2022. Durhal was appointed to serve as Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Standing Committee and Vice-Chair of the Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee. Durhal also serves as a member of the Eastern Market Partnership Board of Directors.

Election Results (2014)

Durhal was successful in winning the November 2014 General Election to be elected to his first term.

{{Election box begin no change | title= State House – 5th District
(Wayne (southwest Detroit))}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Fred Durhal III

|votes = 11,795

|percentage = 94.82

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Dorothy Patterson

|votes = 645

|percentage = 5.18

}}

{{Election box total no change

|votes = 12,440

|percentage = 100.0

}}

Election Results (2016)

Durhal was re-elected to his second term by winning the November 2016 General Election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/politics/2016/11/live_2016_election_results_sta.html|title=Live results for Michigan's 2016 state House, special Senate and Supreme Court races|date=November 9, 2016|website=mlive}}

{{Election box begin no change | title= State House – 5th District
(Wayne (southwest Detroit))}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Fred Durhal III

|votes = 17,827

|percentage = 92.52

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Dorothy Patterson

|votes = 1,443

|percentage = 7.48