DETROIT (AP) — Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Thursday that he is suspending his campaign for Michigan governor citing an increasingly “toxic” political climate due to President Donald Trump's war with Iran and skyrocketing gas prices.
Duggan, a longtime Democrat, was running as an independent to replace Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who can't run again due to term limits. He told The Associated Press that it was going to be “very hard to win” as the Democrats who would have supported him are galvanizing against what's going on in Washington.
“Democrat anger against Trump and Republicans is extremely high,” Duggan said. “In 60 days there’s been a huge change in the attitudes of this country. People are feeling the pain at the pump and are angry about it.”
An independent has never served as Michigan governor and third-party candidates typically don’t fare well in elections for the state’s top seat. To Duggan, who shunned partisan fighting while choosing to run as an independent, it was clear the odds were stacking against his campaign.
“As long as I knew there was a path for victory, I was going to fight,” he said. “I don’t see a likely path to win.”
Since the beginning of the war with Iran in late February, oil prices have spiked more than 50%. As of Thursday, the price of regular unleaded gas in Michigan averaged $4.74 per gallon, according to AAA Michigan. That's above the $4.56 national average. A year ago, the average in Michigan was $3.13. Nationally, it was $3.18.
Trump repeatedly has said gas prices will go down once the war ends without acknowledging when that might happen.
Nationally, Trump’s approval rating on the economy has dropped slightly since the start of the Iran war, according to AP-NORC polling. A recent AP-NORC poll conducted in May found that even Republicans are unhappier with Trump’s handling of the economy than they were a few months ago, even as they’re largely continuing to stand behind him. About 6 in 10 Republicans approve of how Trump is handling the economy, down from about 8 in 10 before the war began.
Duggan believed he was trailing Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican U.S. Rep. John James in the governor’s race. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson also is running as a Democrat, while millionaire businessman Perry Johnson is running as a Republican.
Michigan’s primary election will be held Aug. 4, while the general election is Nov. 3.
In December 2024, Duggan announced his pursuit of the state's top office surprising many when he also said he'd choose the independent route instead of sticking with the Democratic Party.
Duggan told The AP at that time that he wanted to offer Michigan voters “a choice.”
“It’s clear to me that there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both parties and tired of the system,” Duggan said then. “You have a (state) legislature that’s almost evenly divided that makes the stakes of each issue become magnified. It has gotten harder and harder to address things as the partisan climate has gotten more toxic.”
His decision to run as an independent came as Michigan was one of a handful of swing states that helped Trump in November 2024 win a second term in the White House.
“I’ve done everything I know how to do for almost a year and a half,” Duggan said Thursday. “You could feel the mood of this state wanting the toxic partisanship to end. They wanted the parties to work together.”
Duggan spent a dozen years as Detroit mayor. He first was elected in November 2013 as the city was going through its painful and historic bankruptcy while being run by a state-appointed emergency manager. The former county prosecutor and medical center executive became Detroit's first white mayor since Coleman A. Young was elected in the early 1970s as its first Black mayor.
Duggan is credited by many for leading Detroit after it emerged in December 2014 from bankruptcy to become a thriving, more vibrant city.
The city with a Black population hovering around 80% reelected Duggan twice. He announced in November 2024 that he would not seek a fourth term. He left the mayor’s office in January.
Duggan, who had been a Democrat for close to 40 years in a largely Democrat voting city, was targeted throughout the campaign by his former party, with many worried he would pull votes away from the Democratic Party's nominee.
“I was running to change politics, not to be a spoiler,” he said Thursday.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Thursday in a statement that there were “disagreements” with Duggan.
“The mayor brought crucial ideas to this race and we appreciate his commitment to bringing people together,” Hertel said. “As we look ahead, we welcome Mayor Duggan’s supporters into our growing coalition as we work to elect a Democratic governor this November who will continue to move Michigan forward.”
Following Duggan's announcement that he would run for governor, Republican and former Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley said on X that Duggan checked the boxes of being a “credible, independent candidate with the ability to raise money.”
“But there are huge advantages of having a political party behind you,” Calley wrote. “And being a target of the left and the right will be intense.”
FILE - Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is interviewed, Dec. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
PARIS (AP) — The French Open begins in Paris on Sunday. This guide tells you what you need to know about how to watch the second tennis Grand Slam of 2026 on TV, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is, who the reigning champions are and more:
Play begins Sunday at 11 a.m. local time (0900 GMT, 0500 EDT).
— In the U.S.: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max.
— Other countries are listed here.
Coco Gauff of the United States and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.
Gauff won the trophy for the first time by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4. Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat top-ranked Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) for his fifth major title in as many finals. It was Alcaraz’s second straight French Open title. Alcaraz injured his right wrist this season and has withdrawn from the French Open and Wimbledon.
Sabalenka is the women's, and Sinner is the men's. They are ranked No. 1 and the tournament seedings follow the WTA and ATP rankings.
Four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek is listed by bookmakers as the money-line favorite in the women's singles. She is at +225 ahead of Sabalenka (+275). In the men's draw, in the absence of the injured Alcaraz, Sinner is the overwhelming favorite at -300, ahead of Alexander Zverev at +750.
— Sunday through Tuesday: First Round (Women and Men)
— Wednesday-Thursday: Second Round (Women and Men)
— May 29-30: Third Round (Women and Men)
— May 31-June 1: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
— June 2-3: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
— June 4: Women’s Semifinals
— June 5: Men’s Semifinals
— June 6: Women’s Final
— June 7: Men’s Final
— Jannik Sinner enters the French Open on a 29-match win streak, chasing a career Grand Slam
— Coco Gauff has a new mindset for title defense and more confidence on her serve
— Sinner opens French Open against wild card
— Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk raise trophies for war-torn Ukraine on the tennis court
— No. 1 Sabalenka calls for boycott if players don’t get bigger cut of Grand Slam revenues
— French Open players plan media protest over prize money share
— Carlos Alcaraz pulls out of Wimbledon because of wrist injury
— 45-year-old Venus Williams to play in French Open women’s doubles with Hailey Baptiste
— Three-star gastronomy is coming to Roland Garros. Organizers are launching The Jardin des Chefs, a new dining area showcasing the best of French cuisine. Some of France's top chefs and pastry chefs will take turns preparing their signature dishes, along with exclusive creations.
— Electronic devices that record players’ biometric data have been authorized on a trial basis for the first time. The initiative is designed to help players gain insights into their physical performance and recovery throughout the tournament, organizers said. Athletes will be allowed to use any device included on the “Player Analysis Technology” list approved by the International Tennis Federation. The trial will begin at Roland Garros and continue at the other Grand Slam tournaments this year.
Top players have expressed “their deep disappointment” at the French Open prize money. Open organizers announced an overall prize money increase by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million). The total amount is up 5.3 million euros from last year. But the players said their share of Roland Garros revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026. The Australian Open this year increased the players’ pay by 16%, and the U.S. Open last year went up by 20%.
Both, as you can read about in this AP story from 2019. English speakers tend to use “French Open,” although the French Tennis Federation doesn’t call it that. The French — and much of the rest of the world — go with “Roland Garros,” which is the facility that hosts the tournament and is named after a World War I fighter pilot.
The French Open is played outdoors on red clay courts at Roland-Garros on the southwest outskirts of Paris. Women play best-of-three-set matches with a first-to-10 tiebreaker at 6-all in the third; men play best of five with a tiebreaker at 6-all in the fifth. There are separate day and night sessions most days. The event lasts 15 days. There is a retractable roof on the main stadium, Court Philippe-Chatrier.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
The men's, left, and women's trophies are displayed during the draw for the French Open tennis tournament, Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
French tennis federation President Gilles Moretton, from left, United States' Coco Gauff, Roland-Garros tournament director Amelie Mauresmo and IOC member Tony Estanguet pose next to the trophies during the draw of French Open tennis tournament, Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A ballgirl stands during the draw for the French Open tennis tournament, Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, wears shoes in the Italian flag colors after defeating Casper Ruud, of Norway, 6/4, 6/4 in the final match to win the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
United States' Coco Gauff reacts as she plays against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina during their women's final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, reacts after defeating Casper Ruud, of Norway, 6/4, 6/4 in the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
