Democratic Party Targets Former Mayor with Ads Along Major Detroit Highways

Drivers across Michigan are now seeing large red billboards criticizing former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan for his handling of contaminated soil at demolition sites.

The Michigan Democratic Party has placed digital billboards along I-75, I-96 and I-94 for the next two weeks, accusing Duggan of leaving Detroit with toxic waste pits. The ads read "Mike Duggan broke his promise and left Detroit with toxic waste pits."

The billboards are part of a broader digital ad campaign launched by the Michigan Democratic Party to criticize Duggan, who is running as an independent candidate for governor in the 2026 midterm election.

Investigation Revealed Contaminated Demolition Sites

Near the end of his tenure as mayor, Detroit police and state environmental regulators opened investigations into two companies believed to have used contaminated soil to backfill hundreds of demolition sites while Duggan was in office.

Chemicals such as lead and arsenic have been found at some sites when tested by the city. Replacing the dirt at sites found to be contaminated could cost Detroit millions in cleanup.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said children across Detroit are now exposed to dangerous and cancerous chemicals that pose serious health risks. Hertel told MLive that Duggan allowed lead and arsenic to be dumped across the city and taxpayers are now footing the bill to clean up his toxic mess.

Duggan Defends His Record

Duggan's campaign spokesperson Andrea Bitely said after 12 years, Detroiters know Mike Duggan and they know that he always put Detroiters first. Bitely told MLive that no amount of billboards will change that.

Bitely said Duggan acted decisively to address the contamination issue by ordering immediate testing and removal of all contaminated soil and ordering a police investigation into those responsible.

The Broader Demolition Program

The Detroit demolition program has demolished over 30,000 homes since it began in 2021. Since the 2021 bond proposal, the city has demolished over 8,500 homes and spent just over $210 million.

Duggan said the program was largely federally funded during his tenure, with a first phase focused on densely-populated neighborhoods covered by $265 million. Since 2021, the city's taxpayers have covered the cost of demolitions through a $250 million voter-approved bond.

Duggan announced on Dec. 22 that a little over 400 residential demolition sites were potentially backfilled with toxic dirt, following a report from the Detroit Office of the Inspector General that found 42 of 47 home sites it reviewed had dirt unsafe for direct human contact.

The city is now in the process of testing hundreds of demolition sites, amid plans to replace the dirt at all sites found to be contaminated.

Political Implications

Duggan is considered a solid frontrunner in the governor's race, according to recent polling, a rare position for an independent in Michigan. He won't compete in a primary, instead facing off against Democratic and Republican nominees during the Nov. 3 general election.

Pollster Bernie Porn of Epic-MRA told MLive earlier this year that Duggan hurts the Democrats more than the Republicans because he was sitting as an office holder in the heart of Democratic land.

Early polls found Duggan receiving a higher percentage of Democratic votes than Republican ones. Republican leaders, like Michigan GOP chair Jim Runestad, have dismissed him as another Democrat.

Bitely said this is exactly the kind of campaign Democrats expect after a divisive and angry convention, saying it's clear the only message the party can agree on is that they hate Republicans and now they hate independents.

Campaign Filing Deadline Looms

With a little under four months left before the primary, candidates are beginning to ramp up their advertising using everything from TV ads to campaign songs to promote themselves and dig at their opponents.

Candidates are turning in their required signatures to the Secretary of State's office this week, ahead of the Tuesday, April 21 filing deadline. While candidates must submit at least 15,000 valid petition signatures, they can turn in as many as 30,000.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, running as a Democrat, turned in her signatures last week. So did her primary opponent, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

Former state House Speaker Tom Leonard, running as a Republican, also turned his signatures in last week.