Port Huron makes history with election of first African-American mayor, Anita R. Ashford

The City of Port Huron has a rich history, which includes milestones such as being the childhood home of Thomas A. Edison, the first city in Michigan to have commercial petroleum production in 1886, and the first city in the world to have the first international under-water railroad tunnel which was built in 1890.

With the conclusion of the 2024 general election on November 5, history was made yet again with Port Huron electing its first-ever African-American mayor. Anita R. Ashford, former City Councilwoman/Mayor Pro Tem for Port Huron will fill the new role of mayor formerly held for 15 years by Pauline Repp. Mayor Ashford won the votes by a large margin of 6,005-4,965, over Repp.

Her new role as mayor comes with new responsibilities and plans to see the city flourish and grow.

“As Mayor of the City of Port Huron, I am the Chief Executive Officer and face of the City Council. I also Chair our meetings and serve as Ambassador for the city,” Ashford says. “ I’d like to see more creative ways to challenge the housing issue we are facing in this country which includes better housing conditions for our residents. We currently have several developments in progress on the South end of town along with new subdivisions being built on the North end. I’d also like to see an increase in our population which will see growth as we improve our schools, safety, sense of belonging, and our overall care of the city and its infrastructure.”


https://www.secondwavemedia.com/rural-innovation-exchange/features/port-huron-makes-history-with-election-of-first-african-american-mayor-anita-r-ashford.aspx