Today, we just published the last in our series of previews of the Flint City Council and Mayoral races on the August 4 primary ballot. If you missed any of those stories, you can check out our 2026 election coverage in our archive.
First and foremost, I am grateful to Kate Stockrahm of East Village Magazine for her partnership and leadership in this election series. Local news resources are scarce. Flint has several independent publications that all do our best to fill in news gaps left by corporate media aggressively disinvesting here, but speaking as a publication that is a team of one, I know that I wouldn’t have been able to pull off this series without Kate’s willingness to come up with a creative cross-publishing partnership between our two publications to give votes information on candidates and share the workload between the two of us.
Here’s a quick snapshot of what we accomplished: between four Council races and the Mayoral race, there are 20 total candidates hoping to advance to the general election on November 3. Overall, 18 of them responded and participated in these previews (two first ward candidates, Cynthia Haynes and Debra Coleman, did not respond).
As we wrap up, I have two competing thoughts as a voter and resident in Flint and as a journalist writing about the city: it is great to have information and background provided by the candidates, and I also still acknowledge that it is not comprehensive. These are glimpses of who candidates are and where they stand on a few key issues. This election in the city is hugely consequential, and I hope that people who have read these previews follow-up by reading candidate websites and social media, going to any candidate forums that get scheduled in the next two weeks (there’s currently a fifth ward forum scheduled for 6 p.m. on July 27 at Calvary United Methodist Church), and even go meet the candidates directly — many are easily accessible, frequently out in the community, and willing to talk with and meet with voters. The beauty of local elections is that it is truly easy to get access to candidates and elected officials in a way that is just not feasible with most officials in state or federal positions. I hope more people start taking advantage of that accessibility.
I also have a few other sentiments that are on my mind as a voter, and are hopefully helpful organizing thoughts for residents considering who to vote for.
On Data Centers
The questions we put in front of candidates were strategic. We wanted to have candidates articulate, in their own words, where they stand on key issues for voters. Our question about the recent data center moratorium in Flint was an interesting example, and here’s how I hope voters can use it. I believe all 18 candidates expressed support for the moratorium. Not every response was the same, but they ranged from hardline “no data centers ever” sort of responses to “we need more time and need to be cautious” pragmatic approaches. Contrast that uniformity in responses to the question with the number of candidates who are using A.I. to create campaign materials. As a voter, I am hoping for consistency. I have no problem with a candidate positioning themself as anti-data center. There are certainly a number of voters who are adamantly opposed to them. However, taking that position while also using the very tool that is causing the boom in data center requests is inherently hypocritical. I hope more voters notice that and candidates become more conscious of aligning their positions with their actions.
On People
We asked a question about recent discussion of a Pride Month resolution by the City Council for a simple reason: we wanted to see how candidates feel about all of their constituents. Protecting rights of marginalized people, honoring their contributions to our community, and coming up with ways to make people who have historically been excluded from political power to be included are important. This is a nonpartisan issue. Elected officials are responsible to ALL of their constituents, not just the ones who vote for them or the ones whose personal views align with theirs. Not all of the answers to that question were ones I am satisfied with as a voter, but that was the point: to provide real records of candidate positions on key topics and let voters decide from there. I was glad to see a number of thoughtful, compassionate, and people-focused responses from candidates who value inclusion.
On Doing Fun Things in Flint
Flint is a city full of serious, complicated challenges. In politics, where elected officials are put in place to theoretically solve those problems, it is easy to understand why conversations are often relentlessly heavy. But it is also important to remember that there’s beauty in the city, there are good reasons that people live here, there are amazing assets here. So asking candidates why they do in Flint in their spare time might seem like a bit of a superficial question considering the scope of the challenges here, I also think it is important for candidates for office to also be able to articulate how they find joy here, have fun here, and participate in community outside of political positions or causes.
There’s a clear message that I hope resonates with anyone running for office: there are clearly big problems. But overwhelmingly, people in Flint are clamoring for government to just do the basics well and efficiently. My neighbor has had a sinkhole right in front of her driveway for nearly two months. She put a cone by it, and it eventually swallowed the cone. The city eventually game and put a caution barricade up, but that’s the extent of the maintenance it has received. It is hard to find a Flint resident who doesn’t have a story like that — a relatively low-hanging problem that could be solved with modestly efficient government. And yet those are the problems that stack up: lack of responsiveness from blight or other offices; slow response times for shorthanded police staff; lack of low-level traffic enforcement that creates speeding and other safety hazards in neighborhoods. Those are all small problems that escalate into bigger problems, but they’re also all fixable.
Flint has always had leaders who love the city and can articulate grandiose visions. I don’t think anyone disputes the immense potential that exists in Flint. But government leadership is about predictability, fixing the small things, and letting positive momentum from those things build toward bigger things. I am simply hoping we come out of this election cycle with leaders who help our local government become functional, transparent, and responsive to the needs of our residents.
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