Wayne County campaign finance records. Last year, Tate became the first Black man to serve as speaker of Michigan's House of Representatives. He joins at least four other possible candidates for mayor.

With Mike Duggan telling the city he won't be running for mayor again, the political vacuum in Detroit is fast filling with interested candidates eyeing the executive seat.

Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) has formed an exploratory committee to run for mayor of Detroit next year.

State House Speaker Joe Tate, a Detroit Democrat, last week registered the "Joe Tate for Detroit Exploratory Committee" for the purpose of running for mayor, according to records in the Wayne County Campaign Finance Information System. Such committees allow potential candidates to begin raising money without formally launching an all-out campaign.

Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate has formed an exploratory committee for mayor of Detroit, according to Wayne County campaign finance records. The Detroit Democrat, who filed paperwork Nov. 26, becomes at least the fifth person to form an exploratory committee to possibly pursue a run to lead Michigan's largest city.