Mary Sheffield
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mary Sheffield
| image = State of the Youth with Mary Sheffield (6C5A7985) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Sheffield in 2024
| office = President of the Detroit City Council
| term_start = January 1, 2022
| term_end =
| predecessor = Brenda Jones
| successor =
| office1 = Member of the Detroit City Council
from the 5th district
| term_start1 = January 1, 2014
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Constituency established
| successor1 =
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|26|2014|1|1}}
| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| relatives = Horace Sheffield III (father)
| education = {{ubl |Wayne State University (BA) |Central Michigan University (MPA)}}
}}
Mary Sheffield (born 1987 or 1988) is an American serving as a member of the Detroit City Council since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, she has been the president of City Council since 2022, as the youngest person ever to hold that office. She is currently a candidate in the 2025 Detroit mayoral election.
Early life and career
Sheffield grew up on the west side of Detroit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metrotimes.com/news/mary-sheffield-district-no-5-2145715|title=Mary Sheffield, District No. 5|first=Brett|last=Callwood|website=Detroit Metro Times|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} She is the daughter of Horace Sheffield III, a civil rights activist and pastor at New Destiny Christian Fellowship Church.{{Cite web |last=Warikoo |first=Niraj |date=March 30, 2020 |title=With coronavirus spreading, Detroit churches struggle to keep on |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/03/30/detroit-church-fights-keep-faith-coronavirus-strikes/2924995001/ |accessdate=January 5, 2025 |website=Detroit Free Press}} Sheffield earned a bachelor's degree in public affairs from Wayne State University in 2008.{{Cite web|url=https://today.wayne.edu/news/2022/03/17/wayne-state-alumna-mary-sheffield-discusses-new-role-leading-detroit-city-council-47577|title=Wayne State alumna Mary Sheffield discusses new role leading Detroit City Council|date=May 15, 2018|website=Today@Wayne|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} She earned a master's degree in public administration from Central Michigan University.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metrotimes.com/news/mary-sheffield-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-equitable-detroit-if-she-runs-for-mayor-34017146|title=Mary Sheffield lays out vision for a more equitable Detroit, if she runs for mayor|first=Steve|last=Neavling|website=Detroit Metro Times|accessdate=January 5, 2025}}
While she attended college, Sheffield met Benny Napoleon, the sheriff of Wayne County. He recruited her to work in the county jail system as a disciplinary hearing officer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bridgedetroit.com/sheffield-lays-out-vision-for-detroits-next-chapter/|title=Sheffield lays out vision for Detroit's next chapter|first=Malachi|last=Barrett|date=December 11, 2024|website=BridgeDetroit|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} In 2010, Sheffield ran in the election to represent the fourth district in the Michigan House of Representatives, where Coleman Young II was not seeking reelection. In the Democratic Party primary election, Sheffield lost to Maureen Stapleton.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/2010/08/mary_sheffield_stacy_pugh_requ.html|title=Mary Sheffield, Stacy Pugh request recounts in closely-contested primaries for Michigan House|agency=Associated Press|date=August 26, 2010|website=mlive|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} By 2013, Sheffield was the co-pastor of New Destiny Christian Fellowship Church.
Detroit City Council
In 2013, she ran for the Detroit City Council seat for the fifth district. She defeated Adam Hollier in the non-partisan November general election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/2013/11/five_new_faces_will_join_four.html|title=Five new faces will join four re-elected Detroit City Council incumbents|first=Khalil|last=AlHajal|date=November 6, 2013|website=mlive|accessdate=January 5, 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20131105/NEWS/131109906/4-incumbents-5-newcomers-elected-to-detroit-city-council|title=4 incumbents, 5 newcomers elected to Detroit City Council|website=Crain's Detroit Business|date=November 5, 2013|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} At age 26, Sheffield became the youngest Detroit council member in history.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebony.com/standing-on-business-mary-sheffield-bid-detroit-first-woman-mayor/|title=Standing on Business: Mary Sheffield Bids to Make History as Detroit's First Woman Mayor|first=Delaina|last=Dixon|work=Ebony|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} She won reelection in 2017 against Jewel Ware, a Wayne County commissioner,{{Cite web|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/10/24/detroit-council-district-ware-sheffield/106975982/|title=Councilwoman Sheffield faces longtime commissioner Ware|first=Nicquel|last=Terry|website=The Detroit News|date=October 24, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2025}}{{cite web | url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/2017/11/07/detroit-city-council-members-james-tate-mary-sheffield-brenda-jones-track-win/838394001/ | title=Detroit City Council members Tate, Sheffield, Castaneda-Lopez, Jones keep their seats |date=November 7, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} and was reelected in 2021 without opposition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2021/11/03/detroit-city-council-six-new-members-corruption-probe/6266940001/|title=Detroit City Council newcomers say turnover signals need for change|first=James David|last=Dickson|website=The Detroit News|date=November 3, 2021|accessdate=January 5, 2025}}
In January 2022, the members of the council elected Sheffield to serve as council president over Mary D. Waters, succeeding Brenda Jones.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/mary-sheffield-selected-as-detroits-next-city-council-president|title=Mary Sheffield selected as Detroit's next city council president|date=January 4, 2022|website=FOX 2 Detroit|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} She became the youngest president of the council.{{Cite web|url=https://www.essence.com/news/detroits-youngest-city-council-president/|title=Detroit's Youngest City Council President Empowers Black Women To "Lead From Where They Are"|date=April 8, 2022|website=Essence|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} In August 2023, Sheffield set up an exploratory committee for a candidacy for mayor of Detroit in the 2025 election, hiring Nick Rathod as an advisor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2023/08/28/detroit-council-president-mary-sheffield-launches-mayoral-bid/70703092007/|title=Council President Mary Sheffield gets a head start in the 2025 race for mayor of Detroit|first=M. L. Elrick and Dana|last=Afana|website=Detroit Free Press|date=August 28, 2023|accessdate=January 5, 2025}} Following the decision of Mike Duggan, the incumbent mayor, to not seek another term, Sheffield announced her candidacy to succeed him in December 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2024/12/10/detroit-council-president-mary-sheffield-run-for-mayor-2025/76867416007/|title=Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield announces run for mayor|first=Dana|last=Afana|website=Detroit Free Press|date=December 10, 2024|accessdate=January 5, 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2024/12/10/mary-sheffield-detroit-mayoral-campaign-city-council-president-saunteel-jenkins-joe-tate-fred-durhal/76866466007/|title=Council President Mary Sheffield launches campaign to be Detroit's first female mayor|first=Louis|last=Aguilar|website=The Detroit News|date=December 10, 2024|accessdate=January 5, 2025}}
References
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Category:21st-century African-American women politicians
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century Michigan politicians
Category:Central Michigan University alumni