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Attorney Todd Perkins (left), Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr.
Two mayoral candidates — Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. and attorney Todd Perkins — who recently moved back to Detroit before announcing their bids for mayor in 2025, were asked by Deadline Detroit whether they would remain in the city even if they lose the election.
Dan Lijana, a spokesman for Kinloch, appeared on Monday to dodge the question, saying:
"We're going to win the race; we're not going to engage in hypotheticals."
Perkins vowed to stay.
Kinloch, 52, became a registered voter in Detroit with a city address in March 2024, according to records obtained by Deadline Detroit. Kinloch, who grew up in Detroit, previously listed his address at a home in Oakland Township in northern Oakland County before moving back to the city. He still owns that home.
Since returning to Detroit, Kinloch's address has changed multiple times, and he currently resides in a Greektown area apartment, according to the Detroit News.
He oversees seven churches in Southeast Michigan, two of which are in Detroit.
The city charter requires that a candidate be a resident of Detroit for one year at the time they file for office.
Perkins, 55, sold his home in Grosse Pointe Shores in late 2023 and moved back to Detroit. He said he currently resides in the two-family flat he grew up in, located in Detroit's North End. He runs a law firm, Perkins Law Group, which operates out of the Ford Building on Griswold in downtown Detroit.
"Detroit is my home. I love residing in the home where I was raised, the home that my great-grandfather worked tirelessly to purchase and pass on to his children and now it rests in my hands," Perkins said in a statement on Monday night. "While I am confident that I will be the next Mayor of the City of Detroit, I will remain in this home. I recognize that my city needs me in any capacity, and it will be my goal to bring back as many Detroiters who left and others who will pledge allegiance to the Spirit of Detroit. This city needs leadership, and I will give all that I have to it. So, yes, I will stay."
Residency issues — particularly for Kinloch — have been raised in the media during the campaign.
This is not the first time the issue has come up in a mayoral race.
Mike Duggan moved from Livonia to Detroit to run for mayor in 2013. He was elected to three terms. Dave Bing moved from Franklin to Detroit shortly before announcing his bid for mayor. He was elected in 2009 and served until Jan. 1, 2014.
The primary election is Aug. 5. The two top vote-getters will square off in the general election on Nov. 4.
Duggan, who will finish his term this year, is running for governor as an Independent. He's indicated to supporters that he plans to find a home in the city, possibly in Palmer Woods or elsewhere.
