Detroit's District 5 will elect new representation

Detroit's District 5 Will Elect New Representation

City Council President Mary Sheffield is running for Mayor, leaving the District 5 seat open for the first time in over a decade. The candidates vying for this position are District 5 Police Commissioner Willie Burton and UAW retiree Renata Miller.

Willie Burton's Background and Campaign

Willie Burton became the youngest police commissioner in the U.S. when he assumed office in 2014. Prior to that, he spent two years on the Detroit Public Schools Police and Public Safety Oversight Committee and later worked as Director of Community Relations for Wayne County Commissioner Martha Scott.

Burton’s campaign focuses on several key issues:

Improving public transit
Lowering water rates
Advocating for more affordable housing

However, his top priority is enhancing mental health services throughout the city. Burton plans to hold a mental health symposium within his first 100 days if elected.

“Our community has to be educated as well when it comes to crisis intervention training, which is Mental Health First Aid, as well as training our officers,” Burton explained. “So we have our officers as trained, which is one thing, but our community has zero training. The business partnerships in the city has zero training.”

He envisions Detroit having a state-of-the-art triage center and more social workers actively addressing issues like domestic violence and homelessness.

Renata Miller

Renata Miller is a retiree of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and is competing for the District 5 seat against Burton.

Summary: District 5’s open seat has attracted candidates focusing on community safety and mental health, with Burton emphasizing crisis training and accessible services while Miller brings a labor background to the race.

WDET 101.9 FM — 2025-11-04