Former deputy mayor Anthony Adams to join 2021 race for Detroit mayor

Detroit — Former deputy mayor Anthony Adams is expected to formally announce his intention to run for mayor.

Adams, an attorney who served in disgraced former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration, "Maintains there is a dramatic need for a mayoral change in the city of Detroit," according to a Monday news release.

The former Detroit school board president is the first prominent challenger to incumbent Mayor Mike Duggan, who announced last month his bid for a third term.

The announcement is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday on Facebook Live. 

Adams in December told The News he was still mulling the prospect of running but "A lot of people approached me about running for mayor."

The Monday release notes Adams is aiming to "Create a city that works for all Detroiters" and "Return transparency to the mayoral office."

A former executive assistant to the late former Mayor Coleman A. Young, Adams also has held roles with Detroit's public school system, including as the district's corporation counsel. 

Adams, a principal at Marine Adams Law, P.C. in Detroit, said he's been attending virtual community meetings during the pandemic to hear from residents and neighborhood organizations. 

"Listening to the plight of people who feel as though they are not connected to the city, that it's not really working for everybody," he said in December. 

Former candidate Myya Jones and northwest Detroit resident Cheryl Webb also have candidate committees for the 2021 August primary, Wayne County elections records show. 

Jones ran for mayor in 2017. She could not be immediately reached Monday for comment. 

Webb is an advocate for seniors and at-risk youth. The home health care worker said she wants to improve conditions and safety in city neighborhoods and energize voting in Detroit. 

"I have my ear out here to the streets," Webb told The News. "I'm with the youth, I'm with seniors and I'm in the neighborhoods. It's not something I'm just doing because I'm running for mayor. It's something that is my life."

Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, a term-limited state representative who recently was elected to Detroit's school board, considered a run for the city's top office. 

Gay-Dagnogo on Monday noted she hosted a fundraiser in January 2020 to explore the potential of a mayoral run. But the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted her family member's lives and made the task more challenging, she said. Subsequently, she was elected in November to the Board of Education for the Detroit Public Schools Community District. 

"My first 24 days have proven how demanding this new role is, and as always I am committed to doing the will of the people," Gay-Dagnogo said in a text message. "Unless there is a massive cry for me to reconsider, I am very focused on keeping my promise to the 50,000 DPSCD schoolchildren."

Duggan has signaled the focus of his third term will be jobs and opportunities for residents.

"If you hire me for four more years, I will work every single day to continue to make sure every neighborhood has a future and every Detroiter has a true opportunity to achieve your dreams," Duggan said during a virtual announcement last month. 

cferretti@detroitnews.com