The Primary Election is nearly here and Ypsilanti voters have the power to choose their elected officials. Here is what to know about candidates running for Ypsilanti mayor and City Council.
Mayor
Nicole Brown, incumbent
Nicole Brown is the current mayor of Ypsilanti, first elected 2022. Before becoming mayor, she served multiple terms on City Council representing Ward 1 and also served as mayor pro-tem.
Brown works in children’s mental health and is an Eastern Michigan University graduate. Her work in government has focused on housing, infrastructure and redevelopment projects.
On her website, Brown highlights work to increase housing units, partnership with Washtenaw County for climate emergencies, zero collaboration between the City of Ypsilanti and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal and state funding for local infrastructure, introduction of Rx Kids to support families during and after pregnancy, and initiatives to end gun violence.
Her campaign prioritizes improving infrastructure, expanding housing opportunities, supporting local businesses, strengthening parks and public spaces and fostering resident connection with City Hall.
Amber Fellows, challenger
Amber Fellows is currently a Ward 3 Ypsilanti City Council member, first elected 2024. She is an EMU graduate.
She previously ran for mayor in 2022, but was not elected. She has been active in local organizing and public service, including serving as chair of the Human Relations Commission. On her campaign website, Fellows highlights her efforts to introduce legislation for an unarmed community response program and her work creating the Water Street Ad-Hoc Committee and Tenants' Rights Committee.
Fellows' campaign focuses on renters' rights and housing justice through zoning reform, revolving-loan fund and bond revenue for affordable housing, overturning the rent control ban, building a permanent, low-barrier homeless shelter, and more. It also prioritizes budget balance and tax fairness and community decision-making. She seeks to expand green infrastructure, transit and local jobs through fixing local bridges and roads, expanding bus service, easing lawn ordinances to allow for more native and edible landscaping and more.
Her campaign also highlights unarmed response and harm reduction and reparations and healing.
City Council
Bryan Foley, Ward 1
Bryan R. Foley prides himself on being very involved in the Ypsilanti community, saying he has a desire for helping those around him and providing for those in need. Foley stated at the Ypsilanti City Council Primary Election Forum that occurred June 8, 2026, that he is associated with many groups in Ypsilanti. He is part of the Downtown Development Authority Board, Ypsi's Sustainability Commission and the Washtenaw Safety Advisory Commission. He explained that the city of Ypsilanti has always been important to him, and he has always been engaged with the community. He said that enjoys spending his time and his resources to help and improve Ypsilanti.
Foley also stated that he is a licensed electrical contractor by trade and is a licensed electrician. Many residents of Ypsilanti who have seen Foley's hard work and dedication to the town have asked him to run for office for the past 30 years, and Foley had always denied it until now.
Me’Chelle King, Ward 1
Me’Chelle King is running for her second consecutive term as an Ypsilanti City Council Ward 1 member. In the 2022 election, she won by a percentage of 94 against Brian Ebon Jones-Chance for the position she holds and wishes to continue holding.
In addition to being part of the Ypsilanti City Council, King stated at the Primary Election Forum that she is a social worker, a mother, an Ypsilanti native and an Eastern Michigan University alumna. She is also on the Senior Center Board and the Human Relations Commission.
At the Primary Election Forum, King said that she has a passion for helping those around her and being part of the Ypsilanti community. King hopes to continue improving the city of Ypsilanti, help more residents than before and to make the city feel safer towards its citizens. Her campaign focuses on senior support, safer communities and affordable housing.
Patrick McLean, Ward 2
Patrick McLean is the current Ward 2 City Council member. He filled the vacancy to represent Ypsilanti's Ward 2 in January 2024 when Jennifer Symanns retired. He is now running for reelection.
McLean's work on council has centered around city operations, budgeting and infrastructure decisions. McLean's vision for Ypsilanti focuses on making the city more inclusive, with a deeper sense of community and engagement in local government.
He has been involved in routine governance matters, continues to focus on maintaining city services and introduced guidance for use of the city's rainy day fund.
Amy Rondel, Ward 2
Amy Rondel loves Ypsilanti and wants to make it a better place, as she states on her website. She currently serves as the Ypsilanti Human Relations Commissioner, an Ypsilanti Tenants Rights Committee Member, a LGBTQ+ activist, the President of Gender Variant Alliance and the former director of Transgender Unity Coalition.
On her website, Rondel states that she wants to help Ypsilanti residents thrive, create more public spaces for the community and improve local control and accountable services.
In her campaign, Rondel highlights building neighborhoods through neighborhood-scale businesses, flexible housing options and walkable communities; local control and accountable services by reducing costs, increasing accountability, and reviewing outsourced services and identifying where quality can be improved by bringing them back under local control; address problems and provide resident resources; strengthen public spaces; and improve government communication and resident engagement.
