// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Todd Perkins a good kicker? He's a shoe-in.
Todd Perkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Todd Russell Perkins Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Organization | Perkins Law Group |
| Relatives | Sean Perkins (brother) |
| City Attorney of Inkster, Michigan | |
| Assumed office 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Hayden |
| City Attorney of Highland Park, Michigan | |
Todd Russell Perkins is an American attorney based in Detroit, Michigan. He is the founder of Perkins Law Group and serves as city attorney for Inkster, Michigan, having previously served as city attorney for Highland Park, Michigan.[1][2] Perkins has represented public officials and other prominent clients in criminal and civil matters and has been involved in political and racial-justice initiatives in Detroit.[1] In 2025, he ran for Mayor of Detroit, finishing fourth in the city's nonpartisan primary election.[1][3]
Early life and education
[edit]Perkins grew up in Detroit's North End neighborhood with five brothers. His father worked as a barber and his mother as a library clerk. He attended University of Detroit Jesuit High School.[1][4] His brother, Sean Perkins, is a judge of Detroit's 36th District Court.[5]
Perkins attended Dartmouth College, where he played tailback for the Dartmouth Big Green football team.[6] He later attended the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, graduating and becoming licensed to practice law in Michigan in 1996.[7]
Legal career
[edit]Perkins opened Perkins Law Group in Detroit in 1996. His legal practice has included criminal and civil litigation, municipal matters, and entertainment and sports law.[8][7] He later became city attorney for Highland Park, Michigan, and has provided outside legal services to the Detroit City Council. By June 2024, official Inkster records identified Perkins as the city's attorney, a position he continued to hold during his 2025 mayoral campaign.[8][9][10]
Among Perkins' nationally reported cases was his representation of former Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley in criminal proceedings arising from the Flint water crisis. Earley was arraigned on December 21, 2016, on charges including conspiracy, false pretenses, misconduct in office, and willful neglect of duty. Perkins represented Earley at the arraignment and said that his client would be vindicated.[11]
Perkins has represented a number of figures in Michigan politics, government, and media. BridgeDetroit reported that his clients have included former Detroit City Council member George Cushingberry Jr., journalist Charlie LeDuff, former Wayne County chief financial officer Tony Saunders III, state representative Mary Cavanagh, former Detroit council staff member Carol Banks, retired police officer Alonzo Jones, and Macomb County prosecutor Peter Lucido. He has also represented Judge Kenneth King of Detroit's 36th District Court.[12]
Grosse Pointe Shores sign dispute
[edit]In 2020, Perkins displayed a large Black Lives Matter sign outside his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. Police cited him on November 30 for violating a village ordinance limiting the size of political signs. Perkins disputed the village's characterization of the sign as political and argued that displaying it was protected expression under the First Amendment.[13]
Perkins subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against Grosse Pointe Shores over the dispute. In January 2021, he reported receiving racist hate mail while the case was pending, prompting a police investigation. The litigation was later settled, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan entered an order dismissing the case on August 18, 2021.[14][15]
Political and civic activity
[edit]Perkins has been involved in Detroit political and civic organizations in addition to his legal practice. In 2021, he advocated for a Detroit ballot proposal asking voters whether the Detroit City Council should establish a reparations task force to recommend housing and economic-development programs addressing historic discrimination against Black Detroiters.[16][17]
Perkins and his organization, The People's Voice, also backed a separate proposal to amend Detroit's city charter by expanding residents' initiative and referendum powers. After the Detroit Election Commission initially declined to place the proposal on the ballot, Wayne County Chief Judge Timothy Kenny ordered that the measure be submitted to voters in September 2021.[18][19]
Perkins founded the nonprofit organization The People's Voice, which advocated for the 2021 ballot initiatives.[16] He also founded and operates Kilimanjaro Sports Management, a sports-management company.[4] The National Basketball Players Association lists Perkins as a certified agent affiliated with Kilimanjaro Sports Management, with certification dating to July 1, 2017.[20]
2025 Detroit mayoral campaign
[edit]Perkins formed a candidate committee for the 2025 Detroit mayoral election on January 13, 2025.[12] He formally launched his campaign on April 2 at the Considine Little Rock Family Life Center in Detroit's North End. He presented himself as a candidate focused on city neighborhoods and argued that Detroit's economic development should provide greater benefits to longtime residents.[1]
During the campaign, Perkins emphasized public safety, neighborhood development, affordable housing, public transportation, and reducing the tax burden on residents and businesses. He also called for construction of new housing, rehabilitation of vacant properties, and a review of city finances and tax assessments.[21][22]
Perkins also addressed environmental and infrastructure issues during the campaign. In an interview with Planet Detroit, he called for greater consideration of the environmental effects of development, increased resources for Detroit's sustainability programs, infrastructure investment to address flooding, and efforts to reduce utility costs for residents.[4]
Perkins filed his nominating petitions on April 21, 2025.[23] In the August 5 nonpartisan primary election, he received 4,603 votes, or 5.35 percent, finishing fourth behind Mary Sheffield, Solomon Kinloch Jr. and Saunteel Jenkins. Former Detroit police chief James Craig finished fifth with 5.18 percent. Sheffield and Kinloch advanced to the general election.[3][24]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Barrett, Malachi (April 4, 2025). "Attorney Todd Perkins launches mayoral campaign as neighborhood warrior". BridgeDetroit. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Election Commission". City of Inkster. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
- 1 2 "August 5, 2025 City Primary Election — Official Results" (PDF). City of Detroit. August 28, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Blitchok, Dustin (August 5, 2025). "Attorney Todd Perkins says Detroit will be 'environmentally conscious' if he's mayor". Planet Detroit. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ Rice, Briana (May 1, 2025). "Detroit mayoral election: Meet the 9 candidates running". Outlier Media. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Todd Perkins - Football". Dartmouth College Athletics. Dartmouth College. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- 1 2 "Todd Russell Perkins". Super Lawyers. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- 1 2 Barrett, Malachi (2025). "Detroit mayoral candidates say where they stand on housing, safety, taxes and neighborhoods". BridgeDetroit. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ "The Honorable City Council" (PDF). City of Detroit. July 11, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Inkster City Council Agenda" (PDF). City of Inkster. June 17, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Manager Running Flint During Water Switch Pleads Not Guilty". CBS Detroit. Associated Press. December 22, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- 1 2 Barrett, Malachi (January 16, 2025). "Detroit attorney Todd Perkins forms mayoral candidate committee". BridgeDetroit. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ Wimbley, Randy (November 30, 2020). "Attorney cited for Black Lives Matter sign in Grosse Pointe Shores front yard". FOX 2 Detroit. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ Wimbley, Randy; Komer, David (January 12, 2021). "Attorney suing Grosse Pointe Shores over Black Lives Matter sign gets targeted by hate mail". FOX 2 Detroit. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ Kraus, Laurel (September 2, 2021). "Shores signage lawsuit reaches settlement" (PDF). Grosse Pointe News. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- 1 2 Gustafson, Anna (October 30, 2021). "'A celebratory movement': Detroiters advocate for reparations ballot proposal". Michigan Advance. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ Williams, Victor (June 17, 2021). "Detroit City Council approves reparations resolution". WDIV-TV. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ MacDonald, Mara (September 10, 2021). "Ballot language approved by judge in Detroit reparations initiative". WDIV-TV. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ Wimbley, Randy; Komer, David (September 15, 2021). "Key court win propels ballot charter measure that would allow reparations for Black Detroiters". FOX 2 Detroit. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Todd Perkins". National Basketball Players Association. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Attorney Todd Perkins enters Detroit mayoral race". WDET. April 3, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ Ziyad, Nadia (June 16, 2025). "The Metro: Meet Todd Perkins: Attorney, advocate, and Detroit mayoral hopeful". WDET. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ "August 5, 2025 City Primary Candidate List" (PDF). Wayne County Clerk. May 14, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ Blitchok, Dustin (August 5, 2025). "Mary Sheffield, Solomon Kinloch emerge winners in Detroit mayoral primary". Planet Detroit. Retrieved August 28, 2026.