EMILYs List Names Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield As A New Rising Star In Political Leadership

Michigan Advance

March 23, 2026

The recently elected mayor of Detroit is one of several nominees for the annual EMILYs List “Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award,” which honors trailblazing women in the Democratic Party across state and local government.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield was nominated for the award this year, along with Georgia state Rep. Tanya Miller, Indiana state Rep. Carey Hamilton, Minnesota state Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, and New Mexico state Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta.

Previous winners include former Georgia State Rep. Stacey Abrams, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes.

“EMILYs List is proud to name Mary Sheffield a 2026 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award nominee,” said EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler in a statement. “Since becoming the first woman elected as Detroit mayor, Mayor Sheffield has delivered powerful results for Detroit’s working families, and she is dedicated to providing affordability and accessibility for her constituents. She fought hard to ensure city workers earn livable wages and introduced groundbreaking financial support for moms and infants.”

Mackler went on to say that Sheffield is “a bold leader who consistently puts her community first and works hard to improve the lives of Detroiters, and we are thrilled to recognize her with this nomination.”

Sheffield, who was previously president of the Detroit City Council, is the daughter and granddaughter of renowned pastors and civil rights leaders and an accomplished politician in her own right, having won election as mayor in a November 2025 landslide.

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