WoodhavenNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Woodhaven Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 5 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 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 three four-year council seats have candidates. Three more council seats, with a partial term ending December 1, 2028, have no candidate on the ballot. The council has seven members including the mayor, and four are needed for a quorum.

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
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 6
  • State SenateDistrict 4
  • State House of RepresentativesDistrict 28
  • 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

01Data centers and zoning4 sourced facts

Where it standsA temporary moratorium on new data processing center approvals and permits runs through March 31, 2027 while the city reviews its zoning rules.

What's on the tableWhether and how to change the zoning rules for data centers before the moratorium ends.

02Allen Road railroad bridge3 sourced facts

Where it standsWayne County is building a railroad bridge over Allen Road in Woodhaven, with completion hoped for by the end of 2028.

What's on the tableCity agreements and approvals tied to the project, such as the engineering services agreement the council voted on in May 2026.

  • WDET reports the project would close Allen Road, lower it by about 20 feet and build a new railroad bridge over it. WDET · Mar 23, 2026
  • WDET reports the Wayne County official quoted expects the $85 million project to be finished by the end of 2028. WDET · Mar 23, 2026
  • On May 5, 2026 the council approved an agreement with Wade Trim for additional professional services on the Grade Separation project, not to exceed $118,487.68, paid from Wayne County funds allocated to the project (4-2). City of Woodhaven · May 5, 2026
03City budget and streets4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted the 2026-2027 city budgets in June 2026 and awarded 2027 street project bids in September 2026.

What's on the tableThe next city budget and property tax levy, and further street project awards.

04Open council seats4 sourced facts

Where it standsNo candidate filed for the three city council seats with a partial term ending December 1, 2028.

What's on the tableThe next council will serve with those seats open, under a rule that four members are needed to conduct official business.

05City administrator3 sourced facts

Where it standsPolice Chief Jeff Brust is serving as interim city administrator after City Administrator Jeff Harris resigned.

What's on the tableWho will hold the city administrator role after the interim appointment.

3 notes on these statements

The Wayne County Clerk's official list shows Preston L. Abadie and Jan Sikes for mayor, and Bryan Castle, Roger A. Minyard, Jr. and Darrel Penix for three four-year city council seats. Wayne County Clerk · Sep 10, 2026

The same list shows no candidate filed for the three city council seats with a partial term ending 12/01/2028. Wayne County Clerk · Sep 10, 2026

Mayor Patricia Odette is not running for re-election, the News Herald reports. The News Herald · Aug 24, 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. How should Woodhaven handle new data center projects?

  2. 2. Should the city pay for added engineering work on the Allen Road railroad bridge project?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted7 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Woodhaven is runWho runs Woodhaven, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

0 stay (not up this year): 4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

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

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