Ward 1 Council Member, City of Ypsilanti · Incumbent · Running August 4, 2026 primary vs. Bryan Foley
Role & Position
Me'Chelle King is the sitting Ward 1 Council Member for the City of Ypsilanti. She is running for re-election in the August 4, 2026 primary against challenger Bryan Foley — the Vice President of Supreme Felons Inc. and a convicted federal bank robber. Ward 1 covers the south side of Ypsilanti, the geographic area most directly affected by Supreme Felons' $1.2M grant, the Ardis Lewis/Men Like Us situation, and the communities that were displaced from Beal Properties' condemned Arbor One apartment complex.
Water Street / Encampment — June 16, 2026
King has publicly called for action on the Water Street encampment. The Ypsilantian documents her as a YES vote on Resolution 240 — the June 16, 2026 council vote on encampment removal. She visited the encampment alongside Mayor Brown, who subsequently became uncertain on the vote. King's public position on the encampment is the clearest documented policy distinction between King and the Simmons/Fellows ideological alignment on the same issue.
Documented Connections
Bryan Foley — August 4 Primary Opponent
Foley is running against King for Ward 1 — representing the south side residents whose neighborhood was most affected by Supreme Felons' operations and who were displaced from Beal Properties' condemned buildings. Foley has called Supreme Felons a "mentorship model," serves as its Vice President, and celebrated Beal Properties' workforce development program, calling Beal "My Guy." King's Ward 1 seat represents the people most directly harmed by the documented failures of both organizations.
June 16 Encampment Vote
King is documented as YES on Resolution 240, making her one of the clearest council voices for enforcement of the Water Street vacate notice. Her visit to the encampment with Brown — which appeared to soften Brown's position — makes King a pivot point in the vote outcome.
$1M Unarmed Responder Program
The Care-Based Safety unarmed responder program ($1M) served Ward 1's south side — the geographic area with the highest violence and the area where Supreme Felons was supposed to reduce crime. The program sunsetted March 2026 while crime in the target zip codes remains elevated. King's votes on the program are documented in council records.