HIGHLAND PARK — Unofficial election results show community leader Shamayim Harris with a narrow 27-vote lead over incumbent Mayor Glenda McDonald in Highland Park's mayoral election, though McDonald plans to challenge the count.
As BridgeDetroit reported, Harris won 50 percent of the total votes cast in the 2.9-square-mile city, while McDonald earned 49 percent. The tight margin prompts an official review, though Harris spokesperson Amber Ogden told BridgeDetroit that Harris fully supports her opponent’s right to request a recount while remaining focused on serving the community.
McDonald, who reached her decision on Wednesday, Nov. 4, told BridgeDetroit by phone that she has no further comments beyond her plan to ask for a recount. McDonald added to BridgeDetroit that if the recount confirms the initial totals, she will concede the race and wish her opponent well.
McDonald previously led the August primary election by capturing 49.6 percent of the votes. She took office as mayor in 2023 after completing both a full term and a partial term on the Highland Park City Council.
The candidate currently holding the lead, known locally as "Mama Shu," is the 61-year-old founder of the non-profit organization Avalon Village. In a post-election statement, Harris expressed joy at the opportunity to expand her neighborhood work to the entire city of nearly 9,000 residents, committing to deliver visible results and regularly update the public on administrative progress.
Harris launched her campaign by emphasizing her deep local roots and professional history, pointing to her past work as a school administrator, mother, minister, and local builder. During the campaign, she pledged to build a task force specifically targeted at addressing vacant land and illegal dumping across the city. Her platform also prioritizes community-centered public safety, municipal job training programs, support for local entrepreneurship, direct economic investment for small businesses, and improved citywide communication channels to keep residents informed.
Following the vote tallies on Wednesday, Nov. 4, Harris noted that her administration intends to put citizens first in all future city initiatives.
Her work with Avalon Village began after personal tragedies in her family. In 2007, her 2-year-old son, Jakobi RA Harris, was killed in a hit-and-run crash. In 2021, her other son, Chinyelu Humphrey, was shot and killed. Harris has shared that the memory of her sons inspires her ongoing efforts to transform neighborhood spaces. She stepped down from leading Avalon Village to run for office, passing management of the non-profit to her daughters, Aziza Brent and Kafi Humphrey.
The Avalon Village project centers on a stretch of Avalon Street located between Woodward Avenue and Second Avenue. Over nearly two decades, the project has acquired more than 40 parcels of land and 5 houses. The sites have been converted into active community spaces, including an afterschool facility called the Homework House, a commercial marketplace for female entrepreneurs, and a local healing space.
Harris was born in Highland Park and spent her childhood in Detroit before returning to live in Highland Park in 2003. Her efforts with Avalon Village earned her national recognition as one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes in 2023 and a place among USA Today’s 2024 Women of the Year.
Official results for the city administration will be finalized after county election authorities process the requested recount.
