Ian Conyers

Ian Conyers
Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 4th district
Assumed office
November 23, 2016
Preceded by Virgil Smith Jr.
Personal details
Born Ian Kyle Conyers
(1988-10-28) October 28, 1988
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Education Georgetown University (BA, MA)
Conyers participating in peace rally to address gun violence in the City of Detroit. March 2016

Ian Kyle Conyers (born October 28, 1988) is an American politician who represents the 4th District of Michigan in the Michigan Senate. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Conyers sits on the Economic Development & International Investment, Energy & Technology, and Banking & Financial Services Committees in the State Senate. He is minority vice chair of the Transportation Committee.

Personal life

Conyers was born and raised in Detroit, where his family has lived since his great-grandfather, John Conyers, Sr. moved there from rural Georgia as part of the Great Migration. His grandfather, William Conyers, was the younger brother of resigned Congressman John Conyers, Jr.[1]

Conyers serves on the board of Athletes Without Limits, an organization that sponsors and funds travel for competitive athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Education

Conyers attended University of Detroit Jesuit High School and later Georgetown University, where he obtained a B.A. in government. While at Georgetown, Conyers played football and was a member of the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi.[2][1] Conyers also received a master's degree in urban and regional planning from Georgetown.[1]

Political career

2016 election

On January 27, 2016, Conyers filed to run in the Primary Election for Michigan's 3rd State House District.[3]

On April 13, 2016, Conyers filed to run in the Primary Election for Michigan's 4th State Senate District to replace Virgil Smith Jr., who had resigned from office amid a domestic violence scandal. In the Democratic Primary, Conyers won a nine-candidate race with 34.52% of the vote.[4] In the General Election, Conyers defeated Republican Keith Franklin with 76.55% of the vote.[5][6][7] He entered office as the youngest state senator in Michigan's history to that date, at 28 years of age.[8]

2018 Congressional special election

On December 5, 2017, Ian Conyers interviewed with the New York Times and ABC News, prior to John Conyers' scheduled announcement on the Mildred Gaddis Show. In the interview, Ian Conyers stated that Congressman Conyers had revealed his plans to him: “He is not resigning. He is going to retire,” Conyers told the Times. “His doctor advised him that the rigor of another campaign would be too much for him just in terms of his health.” Conyers also said that his great-uncle encouraged him to run for the seat and that he would be running to replace the elder Conyers.[9]

Ian Conyers unexpected announcement angered John Conyers, Jr.’s wife Monica Conyers, who tweeted that the reports of the retirement were “innuendo and rumor.” Ian Conyers, who was in Israel, tweeted back: “Monica - I spoke to my great uncle Thursday night via phone from hospital. His advice Run!”[10] Later that day, John Conyers, Jr. announced his immediate retirement and endorsed his son, John Conyers III to succeed him.[11] John Conyers III said he did not seek his father’s endorsement and hasn’t decided whether to run for public office.[12] Ian Conyers tweeted a link to controversial social media posts by Conyers III, suggesting his family “needs to do damage control immediately.” The posts included multiple photos of an underage Conyers III posing with bottles of alcohol, including one picture of him holding Moet behind the steering wheel of a Cadillac. Ian Conyers urged the local and national media to take “a thorough look at all candidates” vying to replace his great-uncle.[13]

On January 19, 2018, Ian Conyers formally announced his candidacy for the 13th Congressional District vacancy.[14]

Conyers lost the primary to Rashida Tlaib.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Conyers, Ian. "About Me". Michigan Senate Democrats. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Ian Conyers Bio - GUHOYAS.COM - Georgetown University Official Athletic Site Football - GUHOYAS.COM, Georgetown University Official Athletic Site". Guhoyas.Com. October 28, 1988. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Candidate Listing 2016 Primary". State of Michigan.
  4. ↑ "2016 Michigan State Primary Results".
  5. ↑ "2016 Michigan Election Results".
  6. ↑ Ian Conyers wins bid to replace resigned Sen. Virgil Smith (August 3, 2016). "Ian Conyers wins bid to replace resigned Sen. Virgil Smith". MLive.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  7. ↑ http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/11/08/michigan-wayne-house-results/93503926/
  8. ↑ "Conyers, Plawecki, Green assume seats in Senate, House". Freep.com. November 29, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  9. ↑ "John Conyers to Leave Congress Amid Harassment Claims". The New York Times. December 5, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  10. ↑ "John Conyers Was An Icon. Then He Lost His Way". Politico. December 6, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Conyers vs. Conyers? Congressman backs son for seat". Detroit News. December 5, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Ian Conyers announces U.S. Congress bid". Detroit News. January 19, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Conyers vs. Conyers? Congressman backs son for seat". Detroit News. December 5, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Ian Conyers announces U.S. Congress bid". Detroit News. January 19, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.