Brenda Jones (politician)

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On December 5, 2017, Representative John Conyers resigned after sexual harassment allegations were made against him and that he had secretly used taxpayer money to settle a harassment claim. A special election was called to replace Conyers and Jones narrowly won the Democratic primary for the special election–the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district. No Republican qualified to run. Conyers had held the seat since 1965 (it had been numbered as the 1st from 1965 to 1993 and as the 14th from 1993 to 2013), and his lowest winning percentage was 77 percent.

However, in the Democratic primary for the general election, Jones was defeated by former state representative Rashida Tlaib. Prior to the general election, Jones filed to run as an independent write-in candidate, prompting criticism. [7] [8]

During the course of the election campaign, questions arose as to whether Jones could serve in her Detroit City Council post concurrently with serving in Congress, an unprecedented situation up to that point. [9] [10] An opinion by the Detroit Corporation Counsel, written in August 2018, stated that it was likely possible for Jones to legally serve in both capacities based on state law. The Counsel advised that the United States House Committee on Ethics be consulted to clarify federal and House rules. [11]

In the November 6 special election, Jones won with 86.8 percent of the vote, facing only a Taxpayers Party candidate as opposition. On the same day, she received 633 votes in the regular election for a full two-year term.

Speaker Paul Ryan delayed swearing Jones in until November 29, after receiving guidance from the House Ethics Committee on how Jones could minimize conflicts of interest. [12] She introduced two bills and cast 77 votes during her five-week tenure in the House of Representatives. [13]

2020

On March 25, 2020, Jones filed to run again in the Democratic primary for Michigan's 13th congressional district against Tlaib. [14] Tlaib was considered possibly vulnerable to a primary challenge, due to her status as a democratic socialist, divisive rhetoric and attacks made on popular national Democrats. [15] For example, Tlaib booed former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton. [16] However, Jones' campaign was wracked by allegations of financial misconduct. [17] [18] Jones decisively lost the primary election to Tlaib 66%-34% on August 4. The margin of Jones's loss was considered to be large. [19] [18]

Electoral history

Brenda Jones electoral history
Brenda Jones
Brenda Jones congressional photo 1 (cropped).jpg
Official portrait, 2018
Member of the U.S.HouseofRepresentatives
from Michigan's 13th district
In office
November 6, 2018 –January 3, 2019
2005 Detroit City Council primary [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Nonpartisan Kenneth Cockrel Jr. (incumbent)56,1076.08%
Nonpartisan Maryann Mahaffey (incumbent)51,1805.55%
Nonpartisan JoAnn Watson (incumbent)46,4495.04%
Nonpartisan Sheila Cockrel (incumbent)42,1234.57%
Nonpartisan Barbara-Rose Collins (incumbent)39,4504.28%
Nonpartisan Alberta Tinsley-Talabi (incumbent)39,3694.27%
Nonpartisan Kwame Kenyatta 36,5633.96%
Nonpartisan Monica Conyers 28,4953.09%
Nonpartisan Martha Reeves 27,3132.96%
Nonpartisan Ortheia Barnes 23,1142.51%
Nonpartisan Jai-Lee Dearing22,4852.44%
Nonpartisan Brenda Jones20,0152.17%
Nonpartisan Hilmer Kenty 19,2702.09%
Nonpartisan Keith B. Butler18,5782.01%
Nonpartisan Thomas Stallworth III (incumbent)16,2601.76%
Nonpartisan Alonzo W. Bates (incumbent)15,1371.64%
Nonpartisan Tia Tia Davis13,7901.50%
Nonpartisan Bettie Cook Scott13,6931.48%
Nonpartisan Roy McCalister, Jr.11,9311.29%
Nonpartisan Joan Gist11,9071.29%
Nonpartisan James Edwards10,5291.14%
Nonpartisan Ralph Simpson10,3181.12%
Nonpartisan Maureen Taylor9,3401.01%
Nonpartisan LaMar Lemmons III 9,2681.01%
Nonpartisan Devon Jackson8,8400.96%
Nonpartisan Beverly Kindle-Walker8,7630.95%
Nonpartisan Marquita Reese8,5290.92%
Nonpartisan Joe Young8,0670.87%
Nonpartisan Vanessa Jones7,8050.85%
Nonpartisan Kevin White7,6820.83%
Nonpartisan Keith Hollowell7,3620.80%
Nonpartisan Kerwin Wimberley7,2830.79%
Nonpartisan Terry Davis6,7230.73%
Nonpartisan Richard Shelby6,6470.72%
Nonpartisan Otis Knapp Lee6,5900.71%
Nonpartisan Frank Archer6,4900.70%
Nonpartisan Ernest Flagg6,3810.69%
Nonpartisan Barry Blackwell6,2910.68%
Nonpartisan Orlando Maddox6,2240.68%
Nonpartisan James Wadsworth III5,9690.65%
Nonpartisan Sigmunt J. Szczepkowski5,8010.63%
Nonpartisan Sarah Snow5,7150.62%
Nonpartisan Karinda Washington5,6800.62%
Nonpartisan Karen Wahls5,5990.61%
Nonpartisan Palencia Mobley5,2270.57%
Nonpartisan Lee Yancy5,0710.55%
Nonpartisan Claud Dent5,0150.54%
Nonpartisan Randolph Williams4,9950.54%
Nonpartisan Dennis Vaughn4,5990.50%
Nonpartisan Gwendolyn Mingo4,1860.45%
Nonpartisan Joseph Vaughn4,1640.45%
Nonpartisan Harry Lewis4,0880.44%
Nonpartisan Earl Smith4,0640.44%
Nonpartisan D. Etta Wilcoxon4,0200.44%
Nonpartisan Craig Davis3,8890.42%
Nonpartisan Cheryl Hughley Clark3,8640.42%
Nonpartisan William Miller3,6300.39%
Nonpartisan Kyra Joy Hope3,6060.39%
Nonpartisan Delbert Jennings3,5300.38%
Nonpartisan Joanne Wormley-Corley3,4640.38%
Nonpartisan Barbara Herard3,3590.36%
Nonpartisan Cheryl Myhand3,2990.36%
Nonpartisan Loren Monroe3,1950.35%
Nonpartisan Keith Lee3,0870.34%
Nonpartisan Dana Cleveland2,9320.32%
Nonpartisan Anthony Marshall2,9110.32%
Nonpartisan Kenneth Gray2,9070.32%
Nonpartisan Maxine Mickens2,9070.32%
Nonpartisan Rick Scott2,8240.31%
Nonpartisan Rogelio Landin2,7120.29%
Nonpartisan Nathanial Smith Jr.2,6100.28%
Nonpartisan Carol Edwards2,5800.28%
Nonpartisan Patric Smith2,5780.28%
Nonpartisan Curtis Harris2,4890.27%
Nonpartisan Sandra Hall-Harmon2,4110.26%
Nonpartisan Louis Anderson2,3720.26%
Nonpartisan Lisa Milewski-Randles2,3670.26%
Nonpartisan Walter Hart Jr.2,3420.25%
Nonpartisan Kelvin Davis2,2980.25%
Nonpartisan Chevis Spratt Jr.2,2970.25%
Nonpartisan Ebony Godwin2,2900.25%
Nonpartisan Jeff Lewis2,2750.25%
Nonpartisan Marino Taylor2,2690.25%
Nonpartisan Evelyn Louis2,2120.24%
Nonpartisan Ricky Spann2,1830.24%
Nonpartisan Angel D. Mason2,1510.23%
Nonpartisan Angela Daniels2,1210.23%
Nonpartisan Elizabeth Osorio-Luna2,1150.23%
Nonpartisan Angles Hunt2,1110.23%
Nonpartisan Boyd Morson2,0810.23%
Nonpartisan Mattie Jones2,0530.22%
Nonpartisan Vera Kidd2,0520.22%
Nonpartisan Rubin Mann III2,0400.22%
Nonpartisan John Mackay2,0060.22%
Nonpartisan Joseph W. Holt1,9410.21%
Nonpartisan Brian Ellison1,9230.21%
Nonpartisan Rujeania Vance1,9110.21%
Nonpartisan Adrienne Kennedy1,9100.21%
Nonpartisan Marie Gunter1,9090.21%
Nonpartisan S. Denise Ratliff1,8420.20%
Nonpartisan Verdinna Jenkins1,7290.19%
Nonpartisan Charles Stedman1,7050.19%
Nonpartisan Larry Allen1,7020.18%
Nonpartisan Flora McDougal1,6760.18%
Nonpartisan Stanley Shelby1,6380.18%
Nonpartisan B. Thrasher Whisenhunt1,5390.17%
Nonpartisan Irma Jaxon1,4970.16%
Nonpartisan Irin Montgomery1,4830.16%
Nonpartisan Nathan Henry1,4720.16%
Nonpartisan Earnesteen Tyler1,3090.14%
Nonpartisan Al Allison1,3060.14%
Nonpartisan Damian Mitchell1,2860.14%
Nonpartisan DeLonda A. Browner1,2770.14%
Nonpartisan Nacio Thomas1,2390.13%
Nonpartisan Forest Holman1,2160.13%
Nonpartisan Renelius Bell1,1850.13%
Nonpartisan Albert Burden1,1430.12%
Nonpartisan Joe Yelder1,1170.12%
Nonpartisan Dobey Gavin1,0270.11%
Nonpartisan Write-ins9230.10%
Nonpartisan Caleb Coan III7160.08%
Total votes922,594 100.00%
2005 Detroit City Council election [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Nonpartisan Kenneth Cockrel Jr. (incumbent)152,3189.31%
Nonpartisan Monica Conyers 123,2647.54%
Nonpartisan JoAnn Watson (incumbent)122,0607.46%
Nonpartisan Sheila Cockrel (incumbent)119,1837.29%
Nonpartisan Barbara-Rose Collins (incumbent)116,3297.11%
Nonpartisan Kwame Kenyatta 113,0636.91%
Nonpartisan Alberta Tinsley-Talabi (incumbent)108,6646.64%
Nonpartisan Martha Reeves 92,4215.65%
Nonpartisan Brenda Jones90,6695.54%
Nonpartisan Jai-Lee Dearing87,2995.34%
Nonpartisan Ortheia Barnes 75,2994.60%
Nonpartisan Hilmer Kenty 72,8744.46%
Nonpartisan Keith B. Butler69,3844.24%
Nonpartisan Tia Tia Davis67,8774.15%
Nonpartisan Thomas Stallworth III (incumbent)67,2164.11%
Nonpartisan Bettie Cook Scott65,2093.99%
Nonpartisan Alonzo W. Bates (incumbent)57,4733.51%
Nonpartisan Maryann Mahaffey (incumbent)34,8532.13%
Total votes1,635,455 100.00%
2013 Detroit City Council at-large primary [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Nonpartisan Saunteel Jenkins (incumbent)51,91734.23%
Nonpartisan Brenda Jones (incumbent)45,52430.02%
Nonpartisan David Bullock15,73410.38%
Nonpartisan Roy McCalister Jr.13,3978.83%
Nonpartisan Monica Lewis-Patrick9,7516.43%
Nonpartisan Angles Hunt5,5133.64%
Nonpartisan Cedric Banks5,3173.51%
Nonpartisan Jessica M. Rayford-Clark4,5072.97%
Total votes151,660 100.00%
2013 Detroit City Council at-large election [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Nonpartisan Brenda Jones (incumbent)76,97834.55%
Nonpartisan Saunteel Jenkins (incumbent)76,94134.54%
Nonpartisan David Bullock39,00017.51%
Nonpartisan Roy McCalister Jr.29,85513.40%
Total votes222,774 100.00%
2017 Detroit City Council at-large primary [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Nonpartisan Brenda Jones (incumbent)46,11045.29%
Nonpartisan Janeé Ayers (incumbent)25,74225.28%
Nonpartisan Mary D. Waters17,19016.88%
Nonpartisan Beverly Kindle-Walker6,5876.47%
Nonpartisan Alisa McKinney6,1856.08%
Total votes101,814 100.00%
2017 Detroit City Council at-large election [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Nonpartisan Brenda Jones (incumbent)71,30642.79%
Nonpartisan Janeé Ayers (incumbent)48,10328.87%
Nonpartisan Mary D. Waters32,71719.63%
Nonpartisan Beverly Kindle-Walker14,5228.71%
Total votes166,648 100.00%
2018 Michigan Thirteenth Congressional district special Democratic primary [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Brenda Jones32,76937.75%
Democratic Rashida Tlaib 31,12135.85%
Democratic William R. Wild13,17415.18%
Democratic Ian Conyers 9,74911.23%
Total votes86,813 100.00%
2018 Michigan Thirteenth Congressional district Democratic primary [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Rashida Tlaib 27,84131.17%
Democratic Brenda Jones26,94130.16%
Democratic William R. Wild12,61314.12%
Democratic Coleman Young II 11,17212.51%
Democratic Ian Conyers 5,8666.57%
Democratic Shanelle Jackson 4,8535.43%
Democratic Kimberly Hill Knott (write-in)330.04%
Democratic Royce Kinniebrew (write-in)20.00%
Total votes89,321 100.00%
2018 Michigan Thirteenth Congressional district special election [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Brenda Jones169,33086.84%+9.74%
Constitution Marc J. Sosnowski17,3028.87%+8.87%
Green D. Etta Wilcoxon8,3194.27%+4.27%
Republican David A. Dudenhoefer (write-in)360.02%−15.71%
Independent Jonathan Lee Pommerville (write-in)50.00%+0.00%
Independent Danetta L. Simpson (write-in)10.00%+0.00%
Total votes194,993 100.00%
2018 Michigan Thirteenth Congressional district election [29]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Rashida Tlaib165,35586.84%+9.74%
Working Class Sam Johnson22,18611.30%+11.30%
Green D. Etta Wilcoxon7,9804.07%−0.27%
Independent Brenda Jones (write-in)6330.32%−86.52%
Republican David A. Dudenhoefer (write-in)750.04%+0.02%
Independent Jonathan Lee Pommerville (write-in)610.03%+0.03%
Independent Danetta L. Simpson (write-in)30.00%+0.00%
Independent John Conyers III (write-in)30.00%+0.00%
Independent Royce Kinniebrew (write-in)20.00%+0.00%
Independent Kimberly Hill Knott (write-in)10.00%+0.00%
Independent Jim Casha (write-in)10.00%+0.00%
Total votes196,299 100.00%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Detroit council candidates sound off on blight, neighborhoods vs. downtown focus". August 1, 2017. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020.
  2. ↑ "JONES, Brenda | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives".
  3. ↑ "Detroit City Council head seeks Conyers' Congress seat". January 26, 2018. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020.
  4. ↑ "City Council: Important chance for change". Detroit Free Press. November 10, 2005. p. 14. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Gottlieb, Bryan (April 2, 2020). "Detroit City Council Elects New President". Metro Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020.
  6. ↑ Ikonomova, Violet (January 5, 2021). "Detroit City Council president Brenda Jones says she won't seek re-election — but don't count her out yet". deadlinedetroit.com. Deadline Detroit. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  7. ↑ Ferretti, Christine; Burke, Melissa Nann (October 29, 2018). "Jones riles Democrats with independent run". Detroit News. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020.
  8. ↑ Samilton, Tracy (October 31, 2018). "Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones' unwelcome announcement". Michigan Radio. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  9. ↑ Burke, Melissa Nann (October 23, 2018). "Lack of precedent clouds Brenda Jones' bid for Conyers seat". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  10. ↑ Burke, Melissa Nann & Ferretti, Christine (November 7, 2018). "Tlaib urges Jones to say if she'll leave city post for partial term". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  11. ↑ Stafford, Kat (August 13, 2018). "Detroit: Brenda Jones can hold John Conyers', council seat". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  12. ↑ Melissa Nann Burke (November 29, 2018). "Jones sworn into Congress after deal reached". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  13. ↑ Burke, Melissa Nann (January 1, 2019). "The 5-week congresswoman: Brenda Jones exiting House". Detroit News. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  14. ↑ Burke, Melissa Nann (March 25, 2020). "Brenda Jones running for Congress again in challenge to Tlaib". Detroit News. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  15. ↑ Burnett, Sara (July 23, 2020). "'Squad' member Tlaib may be vulnerable in tough primary". AP News. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib boos Hillary Clinton at Sanders campaign event in Iowa". CNN . February 2020.
  17. ↑ Cunningham-Cook, Matthew (May 28, 2020). "Tlaib Opponent Brenda Jones Collected Campaign Contributions From Quicken Loans Executives As Public Subsidies Flowed". The Intercept. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  18. 1 2 Broadwater, Luke (August 5, 2020). "Rashida Tlaib Cruises to Victory in a Primary Rematch". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  19. ↑ Burke, Melissa Nann (August 4, 2020). "Tlaib wins rematch with Jones in Michigan's 13th District". Detroit News.
  20. ↑ "2005 Detroit City Council primary". December 5, 2014.
  21. ↑ "2005 Detroit City Council election". March 25, 2008.
  22. ↑ "2013 Detroit City Council at-large primary". August 7, 2013.
  23. ↑ "2013 Detroit City Council at-large election". December 8, 2014.
  24. ↑ "2017 Detroit City Council at-large primary". October 14, 2017.
  25. ↑ "2017 Detroit City Council at-large election". April 6, 2018.
  26. ↑ "2018 Michigan Thirteenth Congressional district special Democratic primary". May 14, 2019.
  27. ↑ "2018 Michigan Thirteenth Congressional district Democratic primary". May 14, 2019.
  28. ↑ "2018 Michigan Thirteenth Congressional district special election". April 22, 2019.
  29. ↑ "2018 Michigan Thirteenth Congressional district election". November 26, 2018.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 13th congressional district
2018–2019		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former U.S. Representative		Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative
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