Biography
Mary Sheffield assumed office as mayor of Detroit, Michigan on January 2, 2026, the first woman ever elected mayor of Detroit. Sheffield previously served as president of the Detroit City Council, the youngest person in the city’s history to hold that role.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 9, 1987, Sheffield was raised on the city’s west side. She is the daughter of civil rights activist and pastor Horace Sheffield III and the granddaughter of Horace Sheffield Jr., founder of the Detroit Trade Union Labor Council (TULC) and the Detroit Association of Black Organizations (DABO). Sheffield earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Wayne State University in 2008 and later received a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Central Michigan University.
While in college, she was recruited by Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon to work as a disciplinary hearing officer in the county jail system. By 2013, she was serving as co-pastor of New Destiny Christian Fellowship Church.
Sheffield first ran for public office in 2010, seeking the Michigan House of Representatives seat for the 4th District; she lost in the Democratic primary election. In 2013, Sheffield successfully ran for the Detroit City Council, representing the 5th District. She took office on January 1, 2014, becoming the youngest council member in Detroit history at age 26. She was re-elected in 2017 and 2021. During her tenure, she chaired the Neighborhood and Community Services Standing Committee and served on the Planning and Economic Development, Budget, Finance, and Audit Standing Committees. She also served as a board member for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the General Retirement System Pension Board, and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).