Bing wins big in Detroit primary election

DETROIT, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Detroit Mayor Dave Bing overwhelmed the mayoral field in Tuesday's primary election, pulling in 74 percent of the vote, election returns showed.

Bing, 65, a businessman and retired NBA star, is running to keep the job he won in May in a special election to complete the term of Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned in a corruption scandal.

Bing's challengers included business consultant Jerroll Sanders, accountant Tom Barrow, entertainment consultant Bob Allman, water department worker D'Artagnan Collier and engineering consultant Duane Montgomery. Barrow was the only challenger to raise more than $1,000, The Detroit News reported Tuesday.

With 80 percent of the vote counted, Barrow was a distant second to Bing with 11 percent, the newspaper said. Barrow -- who lost twice in campaigns against former Mayor Coleman Young -- is likely to face Bing in the general election Nov. 3.

Tuesday's primary also narrowed the number of City Council contenders from 168 to 18 who will advance to the general election. The only sitting council member who appeared in danger of not finishing in the top 18 was Martha Reeves, the R&B singer, who had fewer than 1,800 votes, the newspaper said.

Director of Elections Daniel Baxter said the turnout was about 12 percent. Officials had predicted a 15 percent to 20 percent turnout, slightly less than in a typical primary.