Before she takes office next month as Detroit’s first woman mayor, Mary Sheffield quietly got married over the weekend.
The news was confirmed Monday in a statement by Sheffield’s transition team, Rise Higher Detroit.
“Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield and her fiancé, Rickey Jackson, Jr., exchanged vows in a private ceremony over the weekend in Detroit,” the statement reads. “They are thrilled to begin their new life together while continuing their shared commitment to serving the City of Detroit.”
In a joint statement, the newlyweds said, “We are incredibly grateful for all the love prayers and well wishes we’ve received during this special moment in our lives.”
In an October Detroit Free Press profile, Violet Ikonomova noted that Sheffield, 38, wore an engagement ring and promised to share more after the Nov. 4 election.
On Sunday, Deadline Detroit reported that sources said that Sheffield planned to get married in a small ceremony in Corktown. Also on Sunday, a podcast called The Cook uP congratulated “Detroit’s future First Couple!” in an Instagram post.
In a Sunday follow-up, the Detroit Free Press reported vendors unloading hundreds of red roses at the Godfrey in Corktown in addition to people close to Sheffield entering the luxury hotel, and while the paper found lots of social media chatter congratulations, her office did not comment.
According to his professional LinkedIn page, Jackson works for the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan as the program manager of Project Play, which provides sports access for children.
Congrats to the newly married couple!