On the heels of her co-starring role in the crowd-pleasing young Barack and Michelle Obama romance, “Southside with You,” Tika Sumpter is adding to her TV credits (she currently stars on OWN Network’s “The Haves and the Have Nots”), headlining as well as co-executive producing a new CBS drama titled “The 313.”

Hailing from writer Tracy McMillan (“Mad Men,” “United States of Tara” and more) and producer Michael London, the Detroit-set “313” centers on a young City Council President (Sumpter) who suddenly becomes the Mayor of Detroit, after a sex scandal brings down the current administration; thrust into the new position, she has to contend with all the obstacles that come with the top job.




McMillan is writing the script, and will also executive produce alongside London (via his production company, Groundswell Productions, under a first-look deal with CBS TV Studios) and Emily Gerson Saines of Brookside Artist Management.

For fans of Sumpter’s OWN drama series “The Have and the Have Nots,” she isn’t leaving the show, so don’t fret – at least, not yet. The condensed production window of the Tyler Perry series allows its stars to take on other projects. But should “The 313” go to series, and become a hit, I’d assume she may ease her way out of “Haves and Have Nots” eventually, to topline a CBS dramatic series that makes stronger use of her talents, reaches a wider audience, and may draw the kind of acclaim that typically leads to Emmy Awards.

And given the Detroit’s politics and economic downturn, this could be a hot-button show.

I should note that London’s Groundswell Productions’ TV library also includes John Singleton’s upcoming FX drama series “Snowfall,” and Kerry Washington’s Emmy-nominated HBO movie “Confirmation,” which Rick Famuyiwa directed.

Sumpter is repped by WME.

Deadline was first to report the “313” news.