Danetta Simpson

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Danetta Simpson

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Independent

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 5, 2025

Contact

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Danetta Simpson (also known as Vanilla) ran for election for Mayor of Detroit in Michigan. She lost in the primary on August 5, 2025.

Elections

2025

See also: Mayoral election in Detroit, Michigan (2025)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Mayor of Detroit

Solomon Kinloch and Mary Sheffield are running in the general election for Mayor of Detroit on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Solomon Kinloch (Nonpartisan)
		Mary Sheffield (Nonpartisan)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Detroit

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Detroit on August 5, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Sheffield (Nonpartisan)	50.7	43,597
✔		Solomon Kinloch (Nonpartisan)	17.3	14,900
		Saunteel Jenkins (Nonpartisan)	16.0	13,738
	Submit photo	Todd Perkins (Nonpartisan)	5.4	4,603
		James Craig (Nonpartisan)	5.2	4,458
		Fred Durhal III (Nonpartisan)	3.4	2,902
		Jonathan Barlow (Nonpartisan)	0.8	707
	Submit photo	Danetta Simpson (Nonpartisan)	0.6	538
		Joel Haashiim (Nonpartisan)	0.4	349
	Submit photo	Arnold Boyd (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	42
	Submit photo	Rogelio Landin (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	10
	Submit photo	Kristopher Carter (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	2
	Submit photo	Joyce Jennings-Fells (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	2
	Submit photo	Angelo Brown (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	1
	Submit photo	Oneita Jackson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	1
	Submit photo	Winnie Imbuchi (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	1
	Submit photo	Jeremy Conn (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Lucinda Darrah (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Doris Anderson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Jonny Myles (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Lakeita Norwood-Brown (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	169

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	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 86,020
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2021

See also: Mayoral election in Detroit, Michigan (2021)

General election

General election for Mayor of Detroit

Incumbent Mike Duggan defeated Anthony Adams and Cheryl Webb in the general election for Mayor of Detroit on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Duggan (Nonpartisan)	75.3	69,353
		Anthony Adams (Nonpartisan)	24.3	22,384
		Cheryl Webb (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	24
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	384

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 92,145
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Detroit

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Detroit on August 3, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Duggan (Nonpartisan)	72.4	50,853
✔		Anthony Adams (Nonpartisan)	10.0	7,014
		Tom Barrow (Nonpartisan)	6.0	4,237
		Myya Jones (Nonpartisan)	5.0	3,536
	Submit photo	Kiawana Brown (Nonpartisan)	1.9	1,303
		D. Etta Wilcoxon (Nonpartisan)	1.3	894
		Jasahn Larsosa (Nonpartisan)	1.1	797
	Submit photo	Art Tyus (Nonpartisan)	0.9	600
	Submit photo	Danetta Simpson (Nonpartisan)	0.7	476
	Submit photo	Charleta McInnis (Nonpartisan)	0.6	389
		Joel Haashiim (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	3
	Submit photo	Winnie Imbuchi (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	2
		Cheryl Webb (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	2
	Submit photo	Tyrone Perry (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	1
	Submit photo	Jacob Johnson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	1
		Articia Bomer (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Stefany Washington (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Doris Anderson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	William Watson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Jerome Cobb Jr. (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Carolyn Huff (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Michael Harris (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	124

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3	Total votes: 70,232
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Curtis Greene (Nonpartisan)
• Emanuel Shaw (Nonpartisan)

Campaign finance

Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Wayne County Clerk's office. Click here to access those reports.

Endorsements

This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Primary endorsements
Endorsement	Duggan	Adams
Newspapers and editorials
Detroit Free Press	✔
Elected officials
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D)	✔
Individuals
Former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D)	✔
Organizations
13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization	✔
Wayne County Black Democratic Caucus	✔
The Original East Side Slate	✔
Fannie Lou Hamer PAC	✔
Detroit Regional Chamber PAC	✔

2020

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 2

Incumbent Joseph Tate defeated Mayra Rodriguez and Danetta Simpson in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 2 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Tate (D)	74.1	28,196
	Submit photo	Mayra Rodriguez (R)	23.8	9,043
	Submit photo	Danetta Simpson (Independent)	2.1	804

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 38,043
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 2

Incumbent Joseph Tate defeated Taylor Harrell in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 2 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Tate	68.9	9,775
		Taylor Harrell	31.1	4,402

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,177
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 2

Mayra Rodriguez advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 2 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Mayra Rodriguez	100.0	2,626

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,626
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018 regular election

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District election, 2018

Jim Casha, David Dudenhoefer, John Conyers III, Royce Kinniebrew, Kimberly Hill Knott, Douglas Gardner, Danetta Simpson, Brenda Jones, and Jonathan Pommerville ran as write-in candidates.

General election

Rashida Tlaib defeated Sam Johnson and D. Etta Wilcoxon in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on November 6, 2018.

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 13

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rashida Tlaib (D)	84.2	165,355
		Sam Johnson (Working Class Party)	11.3	22,186
		D. Etta Wilcoxon (G)	4.1	7,980
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	778

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 196,299
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• John Conyers III (Independent)

Democratic primary

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rashida Tlaib	31.2	27,841
		Brenda Jones	30.2	26,941
		Bill Wild	14.1	12,613
		Coleman Young II	12.5	11,172
		Ian Conyers	6.6	5,861
		Shanelle Jackson	5.4	4,853

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 89,281
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Gilmore (D)
• John Conyers III (D)
• Kimberly Hill Knott (D)
• Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D)

Republican primary

No candidates ran in this election.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• David Dudenhoefer (R)

2018 special election

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District special election, 2018

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District special election (August 7, 2018 Democratic primary)

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District special election (August 7, 2018 Republican primary)

This election was held to replace John Conyers Jr. (D). On December 5, 2017, Conyers announced his resignation from office, effective immediately. The announcement came amid sexual harassment allegations and calls for Conyers' resignation from the Democratic leadership. The winner completed the rest of the 2017-2018 term to which Conyers was elected.

David Dudenhoefer, Royce Kinniebrew, Clyde Darnell Lynch, Danetta Simpson, and Jonathan Pommerville ran as write-in candidates in the general election. David Dudenhoefer ran as a write-in candidate in the Republican primary, but he did not receive enough votes to advance to the general election.

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Brenda Jones defeated Marc Joseph Sosnowski and D. Etta Wilcoxon in the special general election for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brenda Jones (D)	86.8	169,330
		Marc Joseph Sosnowski (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	8.9	17,302
		D. Etta Wilcoxon (G)	4.3	8,319
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	42

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 194,993
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Danetta Simpson (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Brenda Jones defeated Rashida Tlaib, Bill Wild, and Ian Conyers in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brenda Jones	37.7	32,769
		Rashida Tlaib	35.8	31,121
		Bill Wild	15.2	13,174
		Ian Conyers	11.2	9,749

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 86,813
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Gilmore (D)
• Mary Waters (D)
• Kentiel White (D)

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Detroit, Michigan (2017)

The city of Detroit, Michigan, held elections for mayor, city council, city clerk, and the Detroit Board of Police Commisisoners on November 7, 2017. A primary election was held on August 8, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 25, 2017.

The following candidates ran in the primary election for mayor of Detroit.

Mayor of Detroit, Primary Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mike Duggan Incumbent	67.72%	43,519
Coleman Young II	26.72%	17,170
Donna Pitts	0.82%	528
Edward Dean	0.67%	433
Danetta Simpson	0.66%	422
Curtis Greene	0.48%	307
Angelo Brown	0.35%	228
Articia Bomer	0.31%	201
Write-in votes	2.27%	1,459
Total Votes		64,267
Source: Wayne County Clerk, "2017 Primary Official Results," accessed August 23, 2017

2014

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Michigan House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 22, 2014. Incumbent Alberta Tinsley-Talabi defeated Andrew Casazza and Bill Miller in the Democratic primary. Daniel Lamar was unopposed in the Republican primary. Tinsley-Talabi defeated Lamar in the general election. Danetta Simpson ran as an independent candidate but was disqualified before the general election.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 2 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Alberta Tinsley-Talabi Incumbent	69.4%	17,369
	Republican	Daniel Lamar	30.6%	7,664
Total Votes				25,033

Michigan House of Representatives, District 2 Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Alberta Tinsley-Talabi Incumbent	64.6%	5,413
Andrew Casazza	27.6%	2,315
Bill Miller	7.8%	654
Total Votes		8,382

2010

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2010

Simpson ran for election to the District 4 seat in 2010. She had no primary opposition and was defeated by Maureen Stapleton (D) in the general election on November 2, 2010.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 4 General election (2010)
Candidates		Votes
Maureen Stapleton (D)		15,561
Lillian Smith (R)		547
Danetta Simpson (I)		291

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Danetta Simpson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.

2021

Danetta Simpson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Danetta Simpson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

See also

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