Duggan Exploits School Cell Ban Flop

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/07/2025) Within days of the House batting down an attempt to ban cell phones in schools, independent gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan was standing in front of a camera, hands in his pockets on a downtown Detroit sidewalk, using that rejection as exhibit A that "Lansing is broken" and voters should "deliver a message that they are fed up with both parties."

The Instagram video, running just a little more than two minutes, recounted the story for those 561 "likes" he has gotten to date.

The Detroit mayor begins by saying a million kids are getting ready to return to school, and with "student performance the worst in America," the House had a chance to do something about that by banning cells during classroom work. Up to now, phones are "a consistent distraction."

The Mayor continues that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed the ban, but it “failed by three votes.” He explained why. He blames the House Democratic leadership for being "so obsessed" with defeating swing district Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester) that they blocked the ban "because they didn't want Tisdel to get any credit."

And he notes that Democrats who thought about voting yes were allegedly threatened with loss of voting lists, campaign money and staff.

"When you send them to Lansing, you think they work for you. You'd be wrong," he suggested.

Then, to even the score, he noted that "It's not that the Republicans are any better." He recounted what they did to defeat efforts by then-Democratic Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) to pass legislation when the D's were in control.

He concluded by repeating something he often uses on the stump. That is: He is not running to be a Democratic and Republican governor, but "I'm running to be your governor. Together let's make November 3rd, 2026, Independence Day in Michigan."

Fade to black as he perhaps waits for the next legislative example he can use to make his point again.

Democrats Suggest Duggan Donor Has Conflict Of Interest

Sparked by news reports, the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) is raising questions about whether there's a conflict of interest with JPMorgan Chase & Co. Vice President Peter Scher serving on the governing board of a pro-Duggan nonprofit, “Put Progress First,” despite Scher and his bank having significant business interests in the city of Detroit.

“Mike Duggan needs to answer tough questions on his connections with Peter Scher and any promises or city favors that he’s made to major corporations in exchange for political support,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman. “Every day it becomes more clear that Mike Duggan cannot be trusted to put Michiganders first.”

To that, Duggan spokesperson Valerie Pesonen said, “Democratic candidates have been early accepting the support of nonprofits for years. Michigan Democrats have truly become the party of hypocrisy.”