Highland ParkNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Highland Park Mayor & City Council Election 2026

5 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 12 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Early voting begins (Oct 24): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

The mayor and all five council seats are on the ballot, each for a four-year term. Every voter picks a mayor and up to two at-large council members, plus one council member for their own district.

Early voting begins · Oct 24

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    • Jocelyn Benson · Democratic Party
    • John James · Republican Party
    • Anthony Hudson · Libertarian Party
    • Donna Brandenburg · U.S. Taxpayers Party
    • Douglas Campbell · Green Party
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate
    • Abdul El-Sayed · Democratic Party
    • Mike Rogers · Republican Party
    • Lydia Christensen · Libertarian Party
    • Tim Long · U.S. Taxpayers Party
    • Douglas P. Marsh · Green Party
    • Walter P. Kristy · Natural Law Party
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • Also statewideSecretary of State · Attorney General · Member of the State Board of Education · Regent of the University of Michigan · Trustee of Michigan State University · Justice of Supreme Court
  • Statewide measures2 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

What the next council decides

01Water and sewer4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city is replacing lead service lines with $100 million from the state, and the council declared a 90-day pause on water shut-offs in October 2026.

What's on the tableHow to handle water bills and shut-offs, the billing dispute with the Great Lakes Water Authority, and paying for sewer repairs.

02Publishing city ordinances2 sourced facts

Where it standsCouncil members asked the mayor to publish ordinances in full; a March 2026 resolution to pause enforcement of unpublished ordinances failed 2-2.

What's on the tableWhether ordinances must be published in full before the city enforces them.

03Budget and development4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted the 2026-27 budget in June 2026 and the city's Economic Development Strategy in March 2026.

What's on the tableHow to grow the tax base, use vacant land and decide on tax exemptions for housing projects.

04Immigration enforcement3 sourced facts

Where it standsIn February 2026 the council passed resolutions to bar immigration detention facilities in the city and to limit ICE enforcement on city property.

What's on the tableWhether to put the detention-facility ban into the city's zoning ordinance.

05Public safety and events2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn July 2026 the council voted down, 2-3, a resolution to set a public safety event management policy and draft an ordinance for public events.

What's on the tableWhat rules apply to large public events, and how to fund police and fire services.

2 notes on these statements

In the August 4, 2026 primary, Glenda Maria McDonald received 717 votes and Shamayim Harris 506 votes for mayor. City of Highland Park · Aug 18, 2026

In the August 4, 2026 primary for City Council District 3, Khursheed Ash-Shafii received 49 votes, behind Koron J. Wilkerson and Franklin D. Jackson, Sr. City of Highland Park · Aug 18, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Highland Park pause water shut-offs for residents who are behind on their bills?

  2. 2. Should the city stop enforcing ordinances until their full text is published?

  3. 3. Should Highland Park follow the Economic Development Strategy the council adopted in 2026?

  4. 4. Should ICE civil enforcement be kept out of city buildings unless there is a judicial warrant or court order?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

0 stay (not up this year): 5 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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