ABSTRACT
Primary candidates opposing Coleman Young will have to convince Detroit voters that the city can afford to elect an inexperienced individual who might need four to five years to learn to govern effectively. The mayor has been criticized for his advocacy of a domed stadium for the Detroit Tigers. This chapter argues that it is unlikely that Mayor Young will be defeated, and that much of the evidence of his alleged vulnerabilities has either been misinterpreted or is wishful thinking by his opponents, or both. Young has been mayor of Detroit for fifteen years, the second longest of black mayors of a large city and longer than any of his white predecessors. The 1989 election is likely to turn on whether those who seek a license to lead have better ideas than Young’s. Individuals currently expressing interest in the mayor’s job admit that their campaign is for a more cautious and consultative administration.
