DETROIT (WXYZ) — After suspending his Republican bid for the U.S. Senate, James Craig is considering a run for the mayor of Detroit.
"Over last several months, I have had a number of city employees and Detroiters approach me and suggest that I consider running for mayor," Detroit's former police chief wrote in a statement to 7 Action News. "I will continue to explore the possibility. In my 44 years as a public safety servant, the best part of my career was serving the citizens of Detroit in the last eight years."
Detroiters have, historically, voted for Democratic candidates across the board, and when Craig left his position as the city's top cop, he made his thoughts on the Democratic party quite clear, saying they spewed "divisive rhetoric" and a "victimhood mentality."
Bernice Smith, who first became engaged in Detroit politics by helping Coleman Young become the city's first Black mayor, believes Craig is chasing the limelight.
"I was shocked and thought 'Will he ever quit?'" Smith told 7 Action News.
Soon after his departure as the chief of police, Craig launched a run for Michigan governor in September 2021 but invalid signatures led to his failed attempt to even make it to the primary.
In October, Craig then announced he was running for a seat in the U.S. Senate, but he suspended his campaign Tuesday, citing money as a factor.
Click on the video above to hear Detroiters weigh in on the possibility of Craig running for the office of mayor of Detroit.
