The Detroit mayoral election of 2005 took place on November 8, 2005.[1] It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to a second term.
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Background
editIn 2001, Kwame Kilpatrick, at the age of 31, became the youngest mayor ever elected in Detroit.[2]
In 2005, Kilpatrick, now seeking reelection to a second term as mayor, found himself the subject numerous scandals, had faced budget deficits as mayor, and had faced a poor city economy.[2]
Among the scandals Kilpatrick faced were allegations that he had used city funds to enrich himself and his family.[3]
Candidates
edit- Clifford Brookins II
- Angelo Scott Brown
- Stanley Michael Christmas
- Hansen Clarke, Michigan State Senator since 2003, former member of the Michigan House of Representatives (1991–1992 and 1999–2002)
- Roy Godwin
- Freman Hendrix, former Deputy Mayor of Detroit (1997–2001)
- Clayton C. Johnson
- Sarella S. Johnson
- Kwame Kilpatrick, incumbent mayor
- Sharon McPhail, Detroit City Council member since 2002, candidate for mayor in 1993
- Tiana K. Walton
Campaigning
editIn the general election, polls and media coverage showed Freman Hendrix to be the frontrunner, leading over the embattled Kilpatrick.[2] Hendrix promised to both restore dignity to the office of mayor, which he faulted Kilpatrick with having eroded, and prosperity back to the city at large.[2]
Many political pundits saw Kilpatrick as a weakened incumbent. He had become the first incumbent to place second in a mayoral primary in Detroit.[4][5]
Amid his reelection campaign, Kilpatrick made an appearance delivering an eulogy at the highly covered funeral of Rosa Parks, held shortly before the general election. This was seen as helpful to his reelection.[2] Kilpatrick was also able to garner strong support from younger voters.[2]
Polling
edit| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Freeman Hendrix (D) |
Kwame Kilpatrick (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[6] | November 4–6, 2005 | 528 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 51% | 44% | 4% |
| SurveyUSA[7] | October 25–27, 2005 | 511 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 49% | 46% | 6% |
| SurveyUSA[8] | October 18–19, 2005 | 407 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 50% | 46% | 4% |
| SurveyUSA[9] | October 15–17, 2005 | 461 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 56% | 39% | 6% |
| SurveyUSA[10] | October 1–3, 2005 | 488 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 53% | 42% | 6% |
Results
editPrimary
editThe primary was held on August 2, 2005.[11]
Freman Hendrix and incumbent mayor Kwame Kilpatrick won the top-two spots, thereby advancing to the general election.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freman Hendrix | 60,117 | 44.27 | |
| Kwame Kilpatrick (incumbent) | 45,783 | 33.72 | |
| Sharon McPhail | 15,963 | 11.76 | |
| Hansen Clarke | 12,152 | 8.95 | |
| Sarella S. Johnson | 306 | 0.23 | |
| Clayton C. Johnson | 296 | 0.22 | |
| Angelo Scott Brown | 272 | 0.20 | |
| Tiana K. Walton | 181 | 0.13 | |
| Stanley Michael Christmas | 151 | 0.11 | |
| Roy Godwin | 133 | 0.10 | |
| Clifford Brookins II | 133 | 0.10 | |
| Write-ins | 76 | 0.6 | |
| Voter turnout | 21.29% | ||
General election
edit| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwame Kilpatrick (incumbent) | 123,140 | 52.77 | |
| Freman Hendrix | 108,600 | 46.54 | |
| Write-ins | 1,630 | 0.70 | |
| Total votes | 233,370 | 100 | |
Notes
edit- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
edit- ^ a b "OFFICIAL SUMMARY REPORT" (PDF). www.detroitmi.gov. Detroit Department of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Peters, Jeremy W. (November 10, 2005). "Turnaround Leads Mayor to a Surprising Victory (Published 2005)". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ Klinefelter, Quinn (November 9, 2005). "Detroit's Kilpatrick Wins Second Mayoral Term". NPR.org.
- ^ Heming, Julia F.; Drew Philp (November 9, 2005). "Four More Years: Kilpatrick pulls ahead". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved February 19, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Clemens, Paul (November 13, 2005). "A Comeback Kid for a Dead-End Town". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
- ^ SurveyUSA
- ^ SurveyUSA
- ^ SurveyUSA
- ^ SurveyUSA
- ^ SurveyUSA
- ^ a b "OFFICIAL SUMMARY REPORT". www.detroitmi.gov. Detroit Department of Elections. Archived from the original on July 18, 2010.