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Mary Sheffield has won the 2025 Detroit mayoral race, defeating opponent Solomon Kinloch Jr. with over 88,000 votes, according to poll data obtained by ClickOn Detroit. Now, the Democrat joins a long and distinguished list of Black women in politics, including Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan, who have made historic strides in American politics.
Sheffield is the first woman in history to be elected mayor of Detroit. She has served the city since 2013 and made history in 2022 by becoming the youngest person ever elected as council president.
“Detroit, you showed up, you showed out. You stood strong and raised your voices to a future we could all believe in,” Sheffield said during her victory speech held in front of a crowd of supporters on Tuesday night.
Throughout her campaign, Sheffield has vowed to improve police and community relations, provide access to jobs, education, and resources, connect neighbors and neighborhoods, and expand access to health and dental care, among other initiatives.
The native Detroiter has built an impressive résumé in the world of politics, making her well-suited for this historic role. According to her website, in November 2013, Mary embarked on her journey of service and made history by becoming the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council at the age of 26. Elected to serve in District 5, she was appointed Chair of the Neighborhood and Community Services Standing Committee and served as a member of the Planning and Economic Development and Budget, Finance, and Audit Standing Committees.
She was also appointed to serve as a board member for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), and the General Retirement System Pension Board. In January 2022, Mary Sheffield made history again by becoming the youngest person ever elected as Council President.
During her tenure, Sheffield built one of the most storied and impactful legislative careers in the history of the Detroit City Council. Among her sponsored and passed legislation, resolutions, and programs are Inclusionary Housing, Property Tax Reform, Community Input Over Government Surveillance (CIOGS), Home Repair Grant Funding, Industry Standards Board, and the Neighborhood Improvement Fund.
Her dedication to equity, economic growth, and neighborhood revitalization has made her a powerful advocate for Detroit’s residents and a model for young leaders across the country, making her the perfect fit for Detroit’s next mayor.
But Sheffield isn’t the only Black woman who has made historic strides in the world of politics. Many others have paved the way for progress and representation, helping to transform American democracy. From Shirley Chisholm to Ayanna Pressley, these 13 trailblazers have shaped history in powerful ways.
1. Shirley Chisholm
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The first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968, Chisholm was a fearless advocate for education, women’s rights, and social justice. Her 1972 presidential campaign broke barriers and inspired generations.
There, Chisholm, who gained the nickname “Fighting Shirley” for her sharp resilience and tenacious advocacy, introduced more than 50 pieces of legislation, boldly championing racial and gender equality, advocating for the poor, and calling for an end to the Vietnam War, according to Women’s History.
In 1971, she co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, which helped expand women’s participation in government and policymaking. By 1977, she made history again as the first Black woman—and only the second woman ever—to serve on the influential House Rules Committee.
2. Barbara Jordan
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The first Black woman elected to the U.S. House from the South in 1972, Jordan’s commanding voice during the Watergate hearings cemented her as one of the most respected figures in American politics.
She brought clarity and conviction to the complex Watergate impeachment hearings, restoring faith in the Constitution during a moment of national turmoil. As one of the first African American lawmakers from the South since 1898, Jordan used her three terms in office to unite people across political and social divides through her measured, pragmatic approach to leadership, History, Arts, and Archives notes.
“I am willing to work through any structure,” she once said. “I am not so hard that I cannot bend as long as my basic principles are intact.”
3. Carol Moseley Braun
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As the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, Braun opened doors for women of color in national leadership and championed equality and environmental protection.
4. Maxine Waters
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Known affectionately as “Auntie Maxine,” Maxine Waters remains one of the most outspoken and powerful women in Congress, tirelessly advocating for economic and racial justice. Waters made history as the first woman and first African American to chair the House Financial Services Committee in 2019.
A key Democratic leader, she also serves on the Steering and Policy Committee, co-chairs the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, and is a founding member of both the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus, according to her website.
5. Donna Brazile
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A legendary political strategist and New York Times bestselling author, Brazile broke barriers in 2000 as the first Black woman to manage a U.S. presidential campaign, running the campaign for former Vice President Al Gore. She twice served as interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee and led the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute, according to her website. Currently, she continues her service on the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee.
Brazile is the author of the bestselling political memoir, Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics (2004) and Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House (2017), a New York Times bestseller. She also co-authored For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics, which earned the 2019 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction.
6. Stacey Abrams
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A voting rights champion, Abrams transformed voter mobilization in Georgia and changed the state’s political landscape, proving the power of grassroots organizing. Abrams was the first Black woman to be a major party’s nominee for governor of Georgia (2018).
She is also the first Black woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly as House Minority Leader. Additionally, she was the first African American to lead the Georgia House of Representatives, as noted on Georgia.gov.
7. Kamala Harris
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The first Black and South Asian woman elected Vice President of the United States in 2020, Kamala Harris, shattered barriers at the highest levels of government.
8. Marilyn Mosby
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In 2015, at the age of 35, Mosby became the youngest chief prosecutor of a major U.S. city (Baltimore), becoming a leading figure in criminal justice reform and accountability.
Mosby became a national figure that year after she held the six officers responsible for the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray accountable. Gray sustained a spinal injury while being detained by police. Mosby charged all six officers for Gray’s arrest with felonies ranging from assault to murder, The Guardian noted.
9. Keisha Lance Bottoms
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Keisha Lance Bottoms became the 60th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, in 2018, following a runoff election against Mary Norwood. Bottoms became a national Democratic voice, leading with compassion and courage during the height of the pandemic and the racial justice movement.
According to The University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, Keisha also became “the first Mayor in Atlanta’s history to have served in all three branches of government, having previously served as a Judge and a City Council member.”
10. Ayanna Pressley
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The first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts in 2018, Ayanna Pressley, is known for her bold advocacy on racial justice, health equity, and women’s rights. Pressley was elected to serve on the Financial Services and Oversight Committees, where she works to advance economic justice across all sectors of government. She was reappointed to the role in January.
Pressley’s notable accomplishments on the Financial Services Committee include passing the Grandfamily Housing Act, co-sponsored with Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-02), to help grandparents raising children access safe, affordable, and age-appropriate housing, and advancing and enacting the Emergency Homelessness Assistance Act, which authorized $5 billion to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness and was signed into law as part of the American Rescue Plan, according to the Congress woman’s website.
11. Cori Bush
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The first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress in 2020, Cori Bush brings the perspective of an activist and nurse to her fight for housing and social justice in office.
12. Karen Bass
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The first woman and second Black mayor of Los Angeles in 2022, Karen Bass, has focused her leadership on housing, safety, and restoring trust in government.
13. Letitia James
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The first Black woman elected New York Attorney General in 2018, Letitia James, has made national headlines for her fearless pursuit of justice and accountability.
According to her website, in her first term, Attorney General Letitia James prioritized protecting vulnerable New Yorkers and holding individuals and corporations accountable for violating state laws. She secured more than $7.5 billion for the state from those who exploited New Yorkers, including over $2.5 billion from opioid manufacturers and distributors for their role in fueling the opioid crisis.
Under her leadership, the Office of the Attorney General helped remove more than 4,000 guns from New York communities, dismantled dozens of dangerous drug and gun trafficking rings across the state, and took legal action to curb the spread of ghost guns.
Attorney General James also took on Donald Trump, filing lawsuits in 2018 and 2022 that exposed the president’s financial mismanagement and fraud.
