Detroit attorney Todd Perkins launched his 2025 mayoral campaign as a neighborhood champion and self-made CEO who would create partnerships between corporations and communities.
Perkins, 55, drew a standing-room-only crowd to Considine Little Rock Family Life Center on a stormy Wednesday evening. Attendees described Perkins as a well-known figure in the North End, where he grew up and recently returned to.
Perkins traced his origins to the neighborhood, saying he grew his legal practice by representing people in the community. His father was a barber and mother was a library clerk. Perkins said his family struggled to pay for utilities but managed to send Perkins and his five brothers to Catholic school. Now Perkins has a “thirst for greater service.”
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Perkins said he wants to work closely with neighborhood leaders, identifying “who runs this block” and coordinating local organizations and the Detroit Police Department to address safety issues. He advocated for more affordable housing, reducing taxes for residents and businesses, supporting schools, expanding community centers and developing mass transportation networks.
He also criticized the overuse of tax breaks to attract development.
“I see tax abatements being used responsibly, not being handed out like candy to those that dangle the carrot in front of our face,” Perkins said. “I see the use of tax abatements that will benefit the neighborhood developments and those neighborhood organizations, as well as the ongoing metamorphosis that has happened in downtown Detroit.”
Perkins said he wants to drive collaboration with corporate leaders to become “community quarterbacks.”
“Why would these corporate partners do this? Well, I’ll be the one to explain to them why it makes sense,” Perkins said. “It will take negotiation, compromise and a willingness to stay committed and a refusal to not give up. These are the hallmarks of my career.”
‘Determined to win’
Perkins owns a Detroit-based law firm and is the city attorney for Inkster. He previously served the same role for Highland Park and provided legal consultation to the Detroit City Council. Perkins said he’s faced difficult trials, comparing himself to the biblical figure Job, and said he’s risen from the ashes like Detroit itself.
Guests included former clients like Josh Jemison, who called Perkins a “strong man determined to win at any cost.” Perkins is also known for representing politicians who have been entangled in legal issues. His daughter Kennedy joked that Perkins is “the person who’s going to get you off when you do something wrong.”
Jerel Smothers, a manager for entertainers and athletes, said Perkins protects the neighborhood from injustice and the community is rallying behind him.
“We’ve got to be more proactive in helping small businesses grow, we have to understand how we can stop the gentrification of the neighborhoods,” Smothers said. “He excelled in his profession, the reason I feel like Todd is a great candidate for the city is because he has been effective.”
Tyson Gersh, co-founder and president of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, said Perkins impressed members of the Lower North End Neighbors Association with his grasp of local issues.
“It was probably the most intense back and forth interaction we’ve had with a politician to date, we usually get very dodgy, politically correct, short and sweet answers that never result in any follow up,” Gersh said. “It’s a tremendous asset to have somebody with real municipal legal experience coming to the table, who has a grassroots community bottom-up understanding of the lived experiences of residents.”
Perkins is one of 32 possible mayoral candidates who requested nominating petitions and 10 who have active campaign committees needed to fundraise. Candidates have until April 22 to submit 500 petition signatures needed to qualify for the August primary ballot.
“Although others may be well intentioned, they have not shown themselves to have the ability to lead,” Perkins said. “When you have candidates spit out numbers or tell the people about a wish list of what they want to do — particularly those who have had the power to make change, demand accountability and just go along to get along — that’s not leadership. We cannot plagiarize our way into office.”
Davon Travis, a filmmaker who owns a marketing agency, said the number of candidates in the race leaves him uneasy and views it as a sign of the city’s future being rocky.
“If you picked anytime to move, this would be a good time to leave Detroit,” said Travis, who attended the Wednesday announcement. “Everybody thinks they can run for mayor.”
Detroit Attorney Lillian Diallo said she rarely endorses political candidates, but said Perkins is like a brother to her. Diallo said Perkins defended her when she faced racial discrimination from a West Michigan judge.
“Guess who was in my corner? The same person that should be in all of your corners,” Diallo said. “He is a warrior. He can talk to all people and he hears what you’re saying. We need to be heard.”
Retired Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Richard Hathaway vouched for Perkins, touting his honesty and integrity. Hathaway said he’s an old family friend, and Perkins canvassed neighborhoods “when Todd was about three feet high” when Hathaway ran for judge in the 1980s.
“We are at a crossroads, Detroit,” Perkins said. “We can’t go back. We must press forward. We must do it with aggressiveness. We must be strategic, we must be smart, and we must never give up.”
