Republican Michael Evans pitches ‘Back to Business’ and foreclosure relief against Wayne County Executive Warren Evans

DETROIT — Wayne County voters will choose between two men named Evans, plus an independent, when they elect a county executive on Nov. 3.

Democratic incumbent Warren C. Evans, who has run Michigan’s largest county since 2015, faces Republican Michael A. Evans, a Detroit-born Army veteran and business owner, and John Olumba, who is running with no party affiliation, according to the Wayne County Clerk’s November candidate list and an MLive voter guide.

The executive oversees a county of 43 cities and townships whose commission approved a $2.1 billion budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year in September, The Detroit News reported. The winner takes office for a four-year term.

The Republican’s pitch: “Back to Business.” Michael Evans, who attended Chadsey High School and graduated from Ferndale High School, says on his campaign website that he wants to “run Wayne County with the discipline of a well-managed business — transparent, efficient, and answerable to taxpayers.” His platform calls for opening county contracting to qualified local businesses “through a fair, transparent process — not closed doors and unnecessary barriers,” working with local investors to turn vacant and blighted property into jobs and housing, and making county parks “safe, welcoming, updated, and family-friendly.”

His signature proposal is aimed at homeowners losing houses to delinquent property taxes. After the county covers an eligible delinquent tax bill, the campaign says it would explore letting the homeowner repay it over five years without penalties, with the goal of keeping families in their homes while the county recovers what it is owed. The campaign notes the plan “is a campaign proposal, not current law” and would need legal review, budget analysis and approval through the county’s normal process.

The incumbent’s record. Warren Evans, a former Wayne County sheriff and Detroit police chief, told the League of Women Voters’ VOTE411 guide, published by MLive, that he “led the county back from the brink of bankruptcy, restored financial stability and delivered balanced budgets.” He listed his priorities as “financial stability, infrastructure, public safety and economic opportunity,” including county roads, bridges, stormwater systems and regional transit.

In his February State of the County address in Dearborn, Evans pointed to 11 consecutive balanced budgets and another credit-rating upgrade from Moody’s. He also credited the county’s Violent Crime Reduction Initiative for a 49% drop in homicides countywide and a 62% drop in nonfatal shootings since 2020, along with a 64% drop in Detroit carjackings, The Arab American News and the Michigan Chronicle reported.

Warren Evans was the only one of the three candidates to answer the VOTE411 questionnaire; Michael Evans and Olumba had not submitted responses as of Oct. 12, MLive reported.

Taxpayers already paid one new bill this year. The executive’s biggest 2026 initiative, a countywide transit millage for SMART bus service, passed in the Aug. 4 primary, 230,977 votes to 113,591, or 67%, The News Herald reported. For the first time, communities that had opted out of the transit tax, including Brownstown Township, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Huron Township, Rockwood and Woodhaven, are paying the levy after the Legislature ended the opt-out. The Rockwood and Gibraltar councils and the Grosse Ile Township board passed resolutions opposing it. “It would tax our residents for a service that they, by and large, do not use,” Gibraltar Councilman Cody Dill said before the vote. County officials put the cost at about $8 a month for the owner of a $200,000 home; Warren Evans said transit service was “broken” with communities opting out.

The primary math. In the Aug. 4 primary, Warren Evans won the Democratic nomination with 222,244 votes, or 87.57%, over Sigmunt John Szczepkowski Jr., who drew 29,251, according to the county’s official summary report. Michael Evans was unopposed on the Republican side and received 66,166 votes. Turnout countywide was 26.7%.

Wayne County voters will also decide a 0.10-mill Detroit Zoo renewal and a new 0.2-mill museum authority tax for the Wright Museum, Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin Great Lakes Museum; The Mitten Daily covered those questions in “Wayne County voters decide a Detroit Zoo renewal and a new tax for the Wright Museum, Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin.”

How to vote. Monday, Oct. 19, was the last day to register to vote online or by mail. After that, residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency, through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Statewide early in-person voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1; check with your city or township clerk for early voting sites and hours. Absentee ballot applications are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 30 by mail or online, or by 4 p.m. Nov. 2 in person at the clerk’s office. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. County canvasses must finish by Nov. 17, and the Board of State Canvassers certifies statewide results by Nov. 23. Voters can check their registration and see their sample ballot at Michigan.gov/Vote.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026: The Oct. 19 deadline to register to vote online or by mail has passed, so the voting details now say so. Residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Sources:
Wayne County Clerk, “November 3rd, 2026 - General Election” (official candidate list and proposal list), https://www.waynecountymi.gov/Government/Elected-Officials/Clerk/Elections/Election-Results-Candidates/November-3rd-2026-General-Election
Wayne County Clerk, “Election Summary Report, August 4, 2026 Primary Election, Official Results” (county executive primary totals, turnout; copy posted by the City of Dearborn), https://dearborn.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/Official%20Summary%20Report%20-%20August%204%2C%202026.pdf; clerk’s primary results page, https://www.waynecountymi.gov/Government/Elected-Officials/Clerk/Elections/Election-Results-Candidates/August-4th-2026-Primary-Election
MLive, “Warren Evans seeks reelection as Wayne County executive. Who’s challenging him?” Oct. 12, 2026 (candidates, VOTE411 responses and Warren Evans quotes), https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/2026/10/warren-evans-seeks-reelection-as-wayne-county-executive-whos-challenging-him.html
Michael A. Evans for Wayne County Executive, campaign website (biography, platform, foreclosure proposal and quotes), https://www.michaelaevans4waynecountyexec.com/
The Arab American News, “Evans highlights transit expansion, infrastructure, crime reduction and fiscal stability in 2026 State of the County address,” Feb. 13, 2026, https://arabamericannews.com/2026/02/13/evans-highlights-transit-expansion-infrastructure-crime-reduction-and-fiscal-stability-in-2026-state-of-the-county-address/
Michigan Chronicle, Jeremy Allen, “Warren Evans Bets Big on ‘One Wayne County,’ But Will Transit, Trust, and Tough Love Be Enough?” Feb. 17, 2026, https://michiganchronicle.com/warren-evans-bets-big-on-one-wayne-county-but-will-transit-trust-and-tough-love-be-enough/
The News Herald, Anne Runkle, “Voters approve Wayne County transit millage; 3 Downriver funding proposals also pass,” Aug. 5, 2026 (vote totals, opt-out communities, Dill quote, cost estimate), https://www.thenewsherald.com/2026/08/05/voters-approve-wayne-county-transit-millage-3-downriver-funding-proposals-also-pass/
The Detroit News, “Wayne County approves $2.1 billion budget for 2026-2027 fiscal year,” Sept. 23, 2026, https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2026/09/23/wayne-county-approves-2-1-billion-budget-for-2026-2027-fiscal-year/91887986007/
Ballotpedia, “Warren Evans” (cross-check of general election candidates), https://ballotpedia.org/Warren_Evans
Michigan Department of State, “Absentee voting” and election calendar (registration, early voting and absentee deadlines), https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/absentee-voting
Photo: w_lemay, “Guardian Building, Griswold Street, Detroit, MI - 53027463375.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/), cropped; derivative shared under the same license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guardian_Building,_Griswold_Street,_Detroit,_MI_-_53027463375.jpg

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Tags: Detroit · Election 2026 · Wayne County · Taxes · Foreclosure · Public Safety