Robert Ficano Concedes To Warren Evans In Race For Wayne County Executive

DETROIT (WWJ) - After garnering only about six percent of the vote, Wayne County Executive Robert "Bob" Ficano has conceded to his likely successor.

Ficano failed to win renomination in Tuesday's primary election, with former Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans claiming victory.

What is Ficano up to one day after the loss?

"Well, my first thing is to congratulate Warren Evans on, you know, winning the election," Ficano said, in a one-on-one interview with WWJ City Beat Reporter Vickie Thomas.  "And, right now, just putting my head down; and we have five months to go to finish out the administration, and we plan to finish really strong."

Thomas asked if Ficano was stunned by the election results.

"We knew it was gonna be an uphill battle," Ficano said. "I mean, I've been in office about 32 years — or going on 32 years — and...after a time, you can sense what's going to be difficult."

Ficano said he had thought that getting a deficit elimination plan approved for Wayne County to stave off an emergency manager and putting together a plan to move forward on the stalled jail project would make a difference in the race.

So what are his plans once he's done running the county?

"Obviously I'm still a member of the state bar...and that's for practicing law...you know, what I may be able to do with that," Ficano said, adding that it's a little premature to announce anything firm.

Ficano wouldn't say whether or not he'd like to run for public office again.

Unofficial results show Evans with 44 percent; and runner-up Westland Mayor Bill Wild with 26 percent. Ficano got 6 percent, putting him fifth in a field of 11 candidates.

WWJ's Sandra McNeil reported Ficano refused to concede late into the night Tuesday. He went into a back room shortly after 11 p.m. and his staff announced that he would not be speaking again.

[MORE PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS]