New mayors to be elected in Warren, Eastpointe in November contest

The biggest election to hit Warren in years is coming in less than two weeks — with hit pieces and campaign finance complaints slamming voters at the same time as friendly neighborhood door-knocking efforts — in a city known for its rough-and-tumble politics.

The top of the ticket pits mayoral candidates George Dimas, a former city councilman, deputy mayor and current city human resources director, against State Rep. Lori Stone.

Macomb County Commissioner Michelle Nard, who finished fourth in the August mayoral primary, is a write-in mayoral candidate who also is seeking to become the next leader of Michigan's third most populous city.

Missing from the ballot is longtime city politician Mayor James Fouts, who is term-limited but is fighting in a federal appeals court for a special primary election with his name on the ballot.

Warren voters also will elect a city clerk, with the race pitting incumbent Clerk Sonya Buffa against Macomb County Commissioner Mai Xiong, as well as the entire City Council, which has two at-large and five district seats up for grabs.

Warren City Council race

Four incumbent City Council members are on the ballot seeking re-election against challengers, many of whom Fouts endorsed along with Dimas.

There are also three write-in candidates for City Council including Councilman Eddie Kabacinski, who lost in the primary and is seeking to retain his District 5 seat. Other write-ins as of Tuesday were Jocelyn Howard for an at-large council seat and Mohammed Islam for the District 1 council seat, according to the Macomb County Elections Department.

All the elected positions up for grabs in the city are nonpartisan and four-year terms.

More: After campaign finance complaint against Fouts, city attorney files against council foes

Dimas won the mayoral primary with 6,099 votes, or 33.6%. Stone came in second with 5,023 votes or 27.7%. Nard finished fourth with 969 votes or 5.3% of the vote.

Stone is one of two Democratic state representatives vying for a mayoral seat in their respective cities. The other is in Westland. If both win in November, it would leave the Democratic-majority House temporarily split with 54 Democrats and 54 Republicans.

Mayoral candidates' priorities

Stone, 43, who is in her third term as a state representative and is a former elementary school teacher in Fitzgerald Public Schools, said she decided to run because when she looked at the field of candidates "I didn't see anyone who reflected my values. And I knew that I had the experience and qualifications, and I care about my community, and there are things that I know we can do to improve what we have to offer already as a city."

If elected, she said she would work together with the City Council, residents and city leaders and restore "trust and faith in local governments and government, in general." She said she would continue her tradition of town halls, if elected.

Stone said she also wants to make sure residents feel their leaders are responsive; make sure parks are up-to-date and reflect what the community wants to use them for, such as making sure bathrooms are accessible and play structures are safe, accessible and inclusive.

She said she would like to see a proposed downtown development reimagined with input from residents and economic development improved, with a plan in each corner of the city of what's working and what's needed.

Dimas, 77, who said he retired from Chrysler human relations and did some substitute teaching in the past, said his history with the city goes back prior to 1971.

He said he's been "very upset" with the last four years, particularly with the conflict between Fouts and the City Council, including lawsuits that caused both sides to tumble into court. He said that lack of support helped him decide to run.

"It's time for a new mayor coming in. We want to make sure we've got someone who would be willing to work hard for this city, and the petty politics that were being played have to come to an end. We're here to serve the residents of the city, continue improvement of the city," he said.

Dimas said he would sit down with every city council member and seek their advice and opinions. He said he would like to resurrect and take a fresh look at the downtown city center idea, as well as update parks and improve services, such as water and sanitation, as well as streets.

Dimas said he's "not gonna live in the shadow of any previous mayor" but will bring his own approach to decisions and problem-solving. He said he does not see Fouts wanting a position in his administration.

Nard, 62, said she represents the city from 8 Mile to 12 Mile as well as Center Line as a county commissioner, where she has served for three years. She is the CEO and director of Zhanre’ Opportunity Enterprise Inc., a nonprofit that mentors young people.

She said residents called her saying they were unsatisfied with the primary results and since Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan won the Detroit mayoral primary as a write-in in 2013, she thought she, too, could have a chance at winning. If she doesn't, she will continue to serve city residents on the county board.

Nard, a vice chairperson with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, said if voters "want change, I'm the change," touting herself as a different candidate and independent thinker.

If elected, Nard said she would conduct a forensic audit of every city department to determine where the money is and what it has and is intended to be spent on. She also wants to find ways to get businesses back to the city. She said she believes the city needs a downtown, and she would like to see an international, cultural convention center and find grants to help people fix up their homes.

Eastpointe voters also electing new mayor

In neighboring Eastpointe, voters also will elect a new mayor after incumbent Monique Owens lost in the primary.

Last month, Owens pleaded no contest and agreed to pay restitution in a criminal case in which she was accused of misusing COVID-19 relief money, and she also is being sued by residents in a separate controversy.

Michael Klinefelt and Mary Hall-Rayford are vying for the four-year Eastpointe mayoral seat. Six people also are running for two, four-year seats on the City Council.

Klinefelt, a former council member, lost to Owens by just 19 votes in the November 2019 mayoral election and served as mayor pro tem from 2015-19. He is a Wayne County assistant prosecutor. His mother is state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, who defeated Owens in the Democratic primary in August 2022 for state senate.

Hall-Rayford is an Eastpointe Community Schools board member and one of four residents who sued Owens and the city in federal court in November, alleging Owens was abusing her power and silencing her critics, even cutting them off during public comment at a September meeting that ended abruptly when the other city council members left.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Warren, Eastpointe voters to elect new mayors in Nov. 7 election