Sheffield Made History as first Black woman elected as Detroit’s mayor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) announced that Mayor Mary Sheffield will be her guest at the 2026 State of the Union. A lifelong Michigander, Mayor Sheffield served on the Detroit City Council for 12 years and was elected president from 2022 – 2026. In January, she became the first woman to be sworn in as the 76th mayor in Detroit’s 300-year history.
Last year Slotkin delivered the response to President Trump’s joint address to Congress. You can watch that speech here.
“Detroit is back and Mayor Sheffield represents the next generation of leadership that is working to strengthen the middle class and continue to grow our city’s economy,” said Senator Slotkin. “Her election was historic, and I am thrilled to have her as my guest to the State of the Union. Mayor Sheffield and I are committed to working together to ensure Washington is delivering for Detroit.”
“I’m honored to be Senator Slotkin’s guest at the State of the Union, representing the people of Detroit. Senator Slotkin is the real deal: a CIA analyst who did three tours in Iraq, who came home to Michigan and introduced the National Housing Emergency Act to build four million homes. Her tenure in Congress has proven bold ideas and common ground aren’t mutually exclusive. What we need from Washington is straightforward: real investment in housing, safe streets, and good jobs for working families. Those aren’t partisan priorities; they are kitchen table priorities. I’m hopeful we’ll hear a plan that meets this moment,” said Mayor Mary Sheffield.
President Trump will deliver the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, February 24, to a joint session of Congress and their guests.
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