Slate Of Democrats Line Up To Fill John Conyers' Vacant Seat

DETROIT, MI – A half-dozen Democrats have lined up to take the open Congressional seat of long-time lawmaker John Conyers Jr., who last fall stepped down after being accused of sexual misconduct. The list of candidates includes several familiar names.

Although one Republican initially filed to run, election officials disqualified him. The heavily Democratic district includes parts of Detroit and some western Wayne County communities. Most likely, the Democrat who wins the primary will win the seat come November.

Four of the candidates – Brenda Jones, Rashida Tlaib, Bill Wild and Ian Conyers – also have filed for a special election that coincides with the primary. The winner of the special election will take the vacant Congressional seat until the next term begins on Jan. 2, 2019.

Among the frontrunners in the Aug. 7 Democratic primary is Tlaib, who is seeking to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress. Tlaib is a former state representative. She lists priorities of securing a $15 minimum wage, protecting Social Security from GOP-led efforts to cut the program, and advocating for equal pay for women.

Tlaib also has the deepest campaign war chest, according to Federal Elections Commission reports. In this cycle, she has raised more than $1 million.

In terms of campaign fundraising, another frontrunner for the seat is Wild, who is the only candidate that lives outside Detroit. The Westland mayor has raised $536,308 in campaign contributions, federal records show. Keep up to date with all the news about Michigan's election candidates by subscribing to Patch's daily newsletters and news alerts.

Among his priorities, Wild wants “common sense” gun control, including bans on assault rifles and bump stocks, humane immigration policies and support of the DREAM Act to help undocumented immigrants, and getting more federal dollars into “the second poorest district in the country” for roads and infrastructure.

The race for the 13th District is also a family affair.

Among the candidates running are Conyers' great nephew, state Sen. Ian Conyers, and his son, John Conyers III. Elections officials disqualified John Conyers III for not having enough valid signatures on his petitions, though he has said he now plans to run as an independent in November.

Meanwhile, Ian Conyers remains in the race. Conyers, in a promotional video, said he’s for “jobs, justice and peace” – and in his political career has focused on building jobs and safe neighborhoods.
Ian Conyers has raised $189,390 in his bid for Congress.

Also among the frontrunners is Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones. She has garnered the endorsement of Detroit Mayor Michael Duggan. Jones is an advocate of tuition-free trade schools and state colleges, the $15-an-hour minimum wage, and protections for the LGBT community.

She has raised $182,737 for her campaign, according to election records.

Another familiar name in the race is state Sen. Coleman Young II. The only son of former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, he unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2017. Young says that he advocates for healthcare reform and opposes work requirements for Medicaid, such as those imposed by Michigan. He also is for programs that help create jobs and economic growth for Michigan residents.

In his bid for Congress, Young has raised just more than $30,000.

The sixth candidate vying for the Congressional seat is Shanelle Jackson, a former state lawmaker and deputy director of the Michigan Department of Transportation. She currently is the director of government relations at the Detroit International Bridge Co., the owner of the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit.

She lists jobs and the economy, education, and equal pay for women as her political priorities.

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