Detroit's Mayor Dave Bing has won re-election.

The former professional basketball great now has four more years to pull the city from financial ruin.

Bing defeated accountant Tom Barrow in last night's nonpartisan general election, a race in which he refused even to debate the challenger.

Bing, a Democrat, has said the city is broke and could run out of cash later this year.

With a $300 million US budget deficit hounding Detroit, Bing took on city labour unions, giving them an ultimatum of widespread layoffs if 10 per cent wage cuts and other concessions are not met.

But union clout wasn't enough as Bing cruised to victory.