Wayne County Executive - Potential 2014 Candidates

[brizee]

Detroit just corrected a mistake, Wanye county gets their chance next year [[the state too but that's for another day).

Starting with the knowns.

Robert Ficano


The incumbent. Under investigation but not charged with anything. The image of alot of dirt around him, but perception is not in fact the truth. Hasn't announced reelection but he hasn't resigned in the face of so many ugly incidents over the last year either.

The new Mayor has been blasting him pretty hard in his campaign, I don't think he can expect his support.

Appearantly his donations have dried up significantly. The public might be just as cold.

Bill Wild


AFAIK the only candidate to come out and explicitly state he intends to run for the job. Mayor of Westland. I know nothing about him, good or bad.

-Not much info on him.

+An unknown who might coast on the "none-of-the-above" factor for the incumbent.


Dave Bing


Suggested/joked he would run for executive. I don't know what the fuck kind of dope he's smoking but...

One term Mayor of Detroit. Terrible at it. Could not have been more incompetent if he tried.

+Media and suburban citizens have the idea he was a dignified, frustrated leader.

-He is not good at forging connections or coalitions. He is not a leader of men. He doesn't have a blinding talent of skillset.

-$But will Wayne county outside of Detroit vote for a black man for head honcho?*

* [[I think there's a chance, but if Detroit can constantly be asked that presumptuous question so can the suburbs).

[trotwood]

Dave Bing,imo,should go out and experience the joys of retirement.

[brizee]

The maybes.

Benny Napoleon


Hasn't announced anything but shown he wants to be more than the Sheriff.

+Already been elected county wide.

-Pretty affiliated with Ficano no matter how much he doesn't like it.

+An OK, not great not terrible candidate.

-Failure to win mayorship may damage his brand. May have turned off both suburban and city voters at different points.

-Recent prisoner escapes. One injured a deputy. And that jail is gonna haunt him for the rest of his political career.

+He has a little bit of charisma.

+It never got TOO nasty with Duggan. Could he be a supporter?

Kim Worthy


Has given no indication she wants this spot at all, purely my speculation.

+Known county wide.

+Busted Ficano's balls numerous times which may drive positive opinion of her.

+Kwame guaranteed her reelection [[Full disclosure I had a cousin who was beginning to mount a campaign. She shut it down when the text message came to light, she knew there was no way the incumbent prosecuting him was getting tossed.) Suburbanites still have a hateon for Kwame, it might carry her.

-Has she really done that great a job? Crime might technically be down, but the optics are that both in the city and out, is a creeping sense of lawlessness. [[That's an honest question, I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know how to evaluate the job she's doing. My defense attorney sister has said she's...weird.) And you can be against somebody all day but what are big accomplishments she can point to.

*I'm hesitant to put this here but I just gotta be honest. Women politicians have to deal with something men don't. She's not super attractive. Mike Duggan can get away with looking like a ghoul where Michelle Duggan may not.


That's what I was able to find/speculate.

If you have more post it.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I would be ASTOUNDED if Ficano ran again. He next term will be behind bars, not in office. Should he run, he would lose anyone in the primary. I don't personally know anyone who would vote for him.

Bing. Nice guy, bad mayor. Never got his hands firmly on the wheel. Agreed on the retirement sentiments. Wish him well.

Napoleon. Won't support him for the same reason I didn't support him for mayor: not a successful track record in previous 2 big jobs. He didn't even start to reduce crime as police chief or sheriff. Didn't reorganize and modernize either department.

Worthy. To be completely honest, I have no strong opinion for or against her.

*I'm hesitant to put this here but I just gotta be honest. Women politicians have to deal with something men don't. She's not super attractive. Mike Duggan can get away with looking like a ghoul where Michelle Duggan may not.

Well, Trotwood, I see your point. But it never stopped Debbie Stabenow. She's the ugliest dude in the US Senate, followed by Carl Levin.

Personally, I would like to see Dennis Archer run. While not a highly effective mayor, I think he could clean up the stench of corruption, and be a team player with the mayor, governor, and suburban leaders.

[corktownyuppie]

I would be ASTOUNDED if Ficano ran again. He next term will be behind bars, not in office. Should he run, he would lose anyone in the primary. I don't personally know anyone who would vote for him.

Bing. Nice guy, bad mayor. Never got his hands firmly on the wheel. Agreed on the retirement sentiments. Wish him well.

Napoleon. Won't support him for the same reason I didn't support him for mayor: not a successful track record in previous 2 big jobs. He didn't even start to reduce crime as police chief or sheriff. Didn't reorganize and modernize either department.

Worthy. To be completely honest, I have no strong opinion for or against her.

*I'm hesitant to put this here but I just gotta be honest. Women politicians have to deal with something men don't. She's not super attractive. Mike Duggan can get away with looking like a ghoul where Michelle Duggan may not.

Well, Trotwood, I see your point. But it never stopped Debbie Stabenow. She's the ugliest dude in the US Senate, followed by Carl Levin.

Personally, I would like to see Dennis Archer run. While not a highly effective mayor, I think he could clean up the stench of corruption, and be a team player with the mayor, governor, and suburban leaders.

Not fully on board with the attractiveness issue. Margaret Thatcher was one of the most powerful women politicians in world history and not much of a looker.

Ficano is a no brainer. Even if he is never convicted or accused of anything ever again, the jail fiasco is so gigantic that he's politically poisonous.

Archer would be good. I think Worthy would as well.

[jackie5275]

Phil Cavanaugh was on the radio this morning talking about his candidacy for County Exec. I don't know if he's declared yet, but all indications seem to be that he's serious about. Some folks have told me he has alot of early support too. He has been a former County Commissioner.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Corktownyuppie, note that the original hypothesis about female candidates needing to be attractive was not mine, and I cited Stabenow as a successful unattractive woman. To be honest, I think most people subliminally prefer attractive vs. unattractive in most life choices. Good looking people have a leg up. The rest of us just have to be a little smarter. For instance, while being attractive will not make it more likely that Brad Ausmus ends up being a good manager, I bet his post-game interviews get more airtime than Leyland's did. I know I'll be watching.

[poobert]

I'd be interested with Kim Worthy or Bill Wild. The rest are dogshit. Bing needs to be taken out back and put out of his misery.

[Gistok]

I'd be interested with Kim Worthy or Bill Wild. The rest are dogshit. Bing needs to be taken out back and put out of his misery.

Hehehe.... agreed.... and as for the looks department.... the most powerful woman in the world is German Chancellor Angela Merkel... has anyone taken a gander at her lately?? It's doubtful that anyone [[except maybe Mr. Merkel) has lusted after her in a long time...

[corktownyuppie]

Corktownyuppie, note that the original hypothesis about female candidates needing to be attractive was not mine, and I cited Stabenow as a successful unattractive woman. To be honest, I think most people subliminally prefer attractive vs. unattractive in most life choices. Good looking people have a leg up. The rest of us just have to be a little smarter. For instance, while being attractive will not make it more likely that Brad Ausmus ends up being a good manager, I bet his post-game interviews get more airtime than Leyland's did. I know I'll be watching.

Sorry Mikey, I should've

put Trotwood's quotes in his own box.

I also have a mancrush on Brad Ausmus.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I also have a mancrush on Brad Ausmus.

All my crushes are mancrushes. One thing I hope about Ausmus, assuming he does a good job: I hope he falls into the Sparky-Scotty Bowman-Chuck Daly mode and stays. A strong guy at the top means long-term success [[I know some will say that the Tigers played poorly in the last years of his reign, but he was mostly fielding a AAA team).

[trotwood]

Well, Trotwood, I see your point. But it never stopped Debbie Stabenow. She's the ugliest dude in the US Senate, followed by Carl Levin.

Personally, I would like to see Dennis Archer run. While not a highly effective mayor, I think he could clean up the stench of corruption, and be a team player with the mayor, governor, and suburban leaders.

Mikey you have me at a disadvantage as I'm not sure I take your meaning about Stabenow&Levin's appearance as it relates to my remark about Mr.Bing.
ICAM with about Dennis Archer running for county executive. I think he'd be a huge asest to the county.
P.S. As I reread this I believe it's you MikeyinBrooklyn who failed to take my meaning. I said nothing of Dave Bing's,nor anyone's lol,appearance. I'm curious as to what one's physicall outward appearnce has to do with his or her ability to successful&/or competently perform the job in question here???

[eastland]

The first Wayne County Executive elected in 1982 was a black man -- Bill Lucas.

-$But will Wayne county outside of Detroit vote for a black man for head honcho?*

* [[I think there's a chance, but if Detroit can constantly be asked that presumptuous question so can the suburbs).[/QUOTE]

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Sorry, Trot, it was Brizee I was responding to. I think a person's attractiveness has nothing to do with their job performance. It has something to do with their electability, but it is not determining factor. We've had physically unattractive people in both parties in both Detroit and Michigan win elections. I do wish we had more attractive politicians on the national stage, though. We are perceived as being frumpy, pudgy people.

[Neilr]

The first Wayne County Executive elected in 1982 was a black man -- Bill Lucas.

-$But will Wayne county outside of Detroit vote for a black man for head honcho?*

* [[I think there's a chance, but if Detroit can constantly be asked that presumptuous question so can the suburbs).

William Lucas may have been the 1st Black man to be elected Wayne County Executive; but Benjamin Pelham was the 1st, and only, "Czar of Wayne County."


http://www.blackpast.org/aah/pelham-benjamin-1862-1948

Benjamin Pelham, and in turn, his son Alfred, were, IMO, the most cultured, educated, and capable family to have served in the governance of Wayne County, the City of Detroit, and our various educational institutions.

[trotwood]

Sorry, Trot, it was Brizee I was responding to. I think a person's attractiveness has nothing to do with their job performance. It has something to do with their electability, but it is not determining factor. We've had physically unattractive people in both parties in both Detroit and Michigan win elections. I do wish we had more attractive politicians on the national stage, though. We are perceived as being frumpy, pudgy people.

Thank you for the clarification Mikey. Makes perfect sense to me now.

[brizee]

Phil Cavanaugh was on the radio this morning talking about his candidacy for County Exec. I don't know if he's declared yet, but all indications seem to be that he's serious about. Some folks have told me he has alot of early support too. He has been a former County Commissioner.

Heard his name and others mentioned on the radio for this job last night.


Phil Cavanagh



State rep. Son of a former Detroit mayor Jerome Cavanaugh. I can't telly you a ton about him, maybe others can.

Kevin Mcnamara


Wayne County commissioner. Don't know too much about him. Name pops him with the airport alot on Google search. Voters might not like that, and associate him [[fairly or not) with Turkia Mullin. Son of former Wayne County exec Ed Mcnamara.

[rb336]

I received a one-question poll call asking which I preferred from the following list: Phil Cavanagh; Kevin Mcnamara; Bill Wild; Dave Bing; and Robert Ficano.

I just waited until the robocall hung up

[DetroitPlanner]

Carolyn Kilpatrick
Charles Costa
Turkia Mullin
Gordie Howe
Atanas
LaVan Hawkins
Mayor Ford from Toronto

[downtownguy]

^^ Don't forget Tom Barrow

[brizee]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...forward-again-

http://www.freep.com/article/2014021...annual-address

Sounds like Ficano will be running for reelection.

Could make a boring race interesting.

[Honky Tonk]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...forward-again-

http://www.freep.com/article/2014021...annual-address

Sounds like Ficano will be running for reelection.

Could make a boring race interesting.

The guy pisses away $400 mil +, gets on the tube and does a song and dance about he knows how to make up a $200 mil deficit. The press kept saying the Fail Jail lost $400 mil, now it's down to ONLY $172 mil. And voters are totally oblivious to this B/S?

[Honky Tonk]

My favorite line:
“What really hurts Wayne County is you’ve got all these side problems,” Woronchak said. “The corruption probe, the jail debacle, loaded pensions, it’s hard to get people focused on the fact that the reason we’re having financial troubles is our property tax has fallen.”

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". Wizard of Oz

[brizee]

New to the field is:

Warren Evans


He seems pretty competent. I'm not too familiar with his time as Sheriff. I know under his leadership the department stopped assisting with foreclosure evictions. It was started back up under Benny Napoleon and the scrapping and blight that goes along with it.

During his stint as Chief of Detroit Police he seemed to be making a dent in crime. The media darling current chief James Craig in fact seems to have taken many pages from Warren Evans playbook. Including a love of the spot light. He has name recognition, but the death of an 8 year old girl is gonna be a huge anchor on him.

He seems to have a good relationship with Mayor Duggan. And played a role in his electoral campaign.

It's also confirmed Ficano is running for reelection again.

[Vic01]

Here's the current list as of Monday evening...

Wayne County Commissioner Kevin McNamara
Westland Mayor William Wild
State Rep. Phil Cavanagh
Sigmunt Szczepkowski [[not sure who he is, or where he came from)
Former Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans

sounds like a sure thing to split the vote