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Jonathan Barlow
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Jonathan Barlow ran for election for Mayor of Detroit in Michigan. He lost in the primary on August 5, 2025.
Barlow completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jonathan Barlow was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Renaissance High School and attended Wayne State University. His career experience includes working as an activist and consultant.[1]
Barlow has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Let’s Talk Roundtable
- Black VC
- National Business League
- Arise Detroit!
- Invest Detroit
- Detroit Homecoming
- Mack Alive
- Supermajority
- African American Leadership Institute
- BUF of Michigan
- M.O.S.E.S.
- Black Tech Saturdays
- Wayne County Economic Development
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) | |
| ||||
 = 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. | ||||
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 | |
| 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 | |
| Danetta Simpson (Nonpartisan) | 0.6 | 538 | ||
 | Joel Haashiim (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 349 | |
| Arnold Boyd (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 42 | ||
| Rogelio Landin (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 10 | ||
| Kristopher Carter (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 2 | ||
| Joyce Jennings-Fells (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 2 | ||
| Angelo Brown (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Oneita Jackson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Winnie Imbuchi (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Jeremy Conn (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Lucinda Darrah (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Doris Anderson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Jonny Myles (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Lakeita Norwood-Brown (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 169 | ||
| Total votes: 86,020 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jonathan Barlow completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Barlow's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I’m Jonathan Barlow, a lifelong Detroiter, entrepreneur, and public servant running for Mayor of Detroit. My work has spanned business, community development, and policy leadership—from crafting legislation and championing community benefits agreements to launching national initiatives for equity and economic growth. I’ve helped founders scale businesses, brought national investments into local neighborhoods, and led affordable housing efforts across the country. Through my “Let’s Talk Roundtable,” I’ve brought real people together—residents, business owners, and leaders—to solve real problems. My campaign is about execution, not empty promises. Detroit doesn’t just need another politician—we need a Winner. And I’m ready to finish the job.
- Detroit needs more than hope—it needs results. I’m running to deliver real outcomes: jobs, homes, and investment. I will secure over $500M in national investment and created policies that protect legacy Detroiters. I will ensure that city resources actually reach families and neighborhoods that have been overlooked for too long.
- Leadership means action. While others talk about change, I’ve already done the work—passing legislation in 2017 without institutional support, funding youth programs, and helping launch small businesses. I know how to move systems and bring people together to win. My campaign is powered by people, not politics.
- Let’s build a future where every Detroiter wins. From affordable housing and education access to digital inclusion and job creation, I have the vision—and track record—to scale city services like a successful business. That means accountability, innovation, and a city government that finally works for everyone.
I’m most passionate about economic justice, equitable investment, and modernizing city infrastructure. I believe Detroiters should directly benefit from public dollars—through family-stabilizing policies, safe housing, and local business growth. I’m also deeply focused on workforce development, youth opportunity, digital access, and transparent city leadership that uplifts residents instead of sidelining them.
I look up to my grandfather. He was a renowned pastor who never missed a day and still found time to mentor young pastors and uplift his community through the creation of M.O.S.E.S. He showed me that true leadership starts with responsibility, integrity, and action—no matter your title.
Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky is a definite go read for anyone in community organizing. “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond explains how systems fail people and why direct support is essential. “The Wire” season four illustrates the consequences of failing schools and failed leadership. For a bold civic vision, “The Color of Law” reveals how cities were structured to disadvantage—and why rebuilding must be intentional.
An elected official must embody integrity, transparency, and courage. They should listen before speaking, serve before leading, and act with conviction to protect and uplift the people they represent. True leadership demands discipline, accountability, and the willingness to confront systems that don’t serve the people.
Vision, grit, and follow-through. I understand how to bring people together, turn ideas into action, and build systems that last. I’m not afraid of hard problems—and I never stop until the job is done.
The mayor must ensure efficient city services, foster economic opportunity, and deliver tangible improvements for residents. That includes stabilizing neighborhoods, driving job growth, holding agencies accountable, and ensuring Detroiters benefit from public investments. A mayor must build coalitions and remove barriers—not just manage processes.
I want to be remembered as the mayor who put dollars in people’s pockets, built a city that worked for everybody, and brought back a culture of execution and trust in government. I want people to say, “Detroit started winning when we bet on ourselves.”
Teacher Union strikes in Detroit during the 90s. War in the 80’s. I remember 9/11 vividly. I was in high school, and although I didn’t grasp the full magnitude at the time, I felt the energy shift in our school and across the city. That moment shaped how I viewed national unity and crisis leadership.
My first job was cutting grass and shoveling snow for neighbors in my community—an early lesson in entrepreneurship, consistency, and service. I did it throughout middle and high school. From there I worked in the school during the summer in the office and as a classroom assistant.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It’s a powerful reminder that the journey to our purpose is not always straightforward, but with faith and persistence, we arrive exactly where we’re meant to be.
T’Challa from Black Panther. A visionary leader who honors legacy, builds the future, and uplifts his people with courage and compassion. Or probably Iron Man but I found a few people that match that profile in real life so i would allow them to be that character first.
Don’t Stop Believing by Journey
One of my biggest struggles was watching brilliant people in my community lose hope—despite their work ethic and talent—because systems failed them. That pain pushed me to step into leadership and build solutions from the ground up.
It means owning every challenge and being accessible to every resident. A mayor is not just a figurehead—they are the first line of defense for residents and the lead architect of their city’s future. Leadership means showing up, solving problems, and finishing the job others left undone.
The mayor must set the vision, ensure the city manager implements it effectively, and remain accountable to residents. Even with a manager in place, the mayor must be visible, decisive, and focused on outcomes—not processes.
It should be collaborative but not complacent. The mayor must lead with clarity, while respecting council’s role in oversight and budget. I will establish a working council coalition to ensure bold action—not political gridlock—drives every decision.
Detroit is unmatched in resilience. Our people build, rebuild, and rise again no matter how many times we’re counted out. I love our creativity, our hustle, our humor, and our fight. We’re a city that doesn’t quit—and I’m one of us.
Reversing population loss, increasing mobility, protecting housing affordability, and ensuring that legacy Detroiters are not priced out of their own city. We must also reimagine education access, digital equity, and economic opportunity for a rapidly evolving world.
We need partnership, not paternalism. Detroit must receive its fair share of state dollars and policy support—but also be empowered to lead solutions that match our local reality. As mayor, I’ll actively engage state leadership to protect Detroit’s interests and co-create real progress.
We must be aggressive in securing federal funding while ensuring it gets to residents—not stuck in bureaucracy. The mayor’s office should coordinate with federal agencies to maximize infrastructure, housing, climate, and workforce programs. We must ensure national resources reach Detroit’s front porches.
Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field.
The mayor must demand both safety and accountability. That means working with law enforcement to reduce crime—but also ensuring officers respect the community. Transparency, fair discipline, and a relentless focus on trust-building will guide my relationship with DPD leadership.
Dr. Rev. James Minnick
Detroiters deserve to know how every dollar is spent. I will establish a public-facing dashboard tracking investments, outcomes, and service quality. No resident should have to guess where the money goes. I’ll also strengthen internal audits, ethics enforcement, and make budget processes truly participatory.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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