Brenda Jones (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brenda Jones
President of the Detroit City Council
In office January 1, 2014 – January 1, 2022
Preceded by	Saunteel Jenkins
Succeeded by	Mary Sheffield
Member of the Detroit City Council At-Large
In office January 1, 2014 – January 1, 2022
Preceded by	Kenneth Cockrel Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 13th district
In office November 6, 2018 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	John Conyers
Succeeded by	Rashida Tlaib
Member of the Detroit City Council
In office January 3, 2006 – January 1, 2014
Personal details
Born	(1959-10-24) October 24, 1959 (age 65) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Wayne State University (BA, Graduate certificate)
Signature
Website	Government website

Brenda B. Jones (born October 24, 1959) is an American politician. A politician is someone who works in government. She was a member of the Detroit City Council from 2006 to 2022. The City Council helps run the city of Detroit. She also served as the president of the City Council from 2014 to 2022. Brenda Jones is a member of the Democratic Party. She also briefly served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Michigan's 13th district. This is a part of the U.S. government that makes laws. She won a special election in 2018 to take over from John Conyers. Later, Rashida Tlaib took her place.

Early Life and Career

Brenda B. Jones was born on October 24, 1959, in Birmingham, Alabama. Her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, during a time called the Great Migration. This was when many African Americans moved from the Southern U.S. to other parts of the country.

She went to public schools in Detroit. She graduated from Cass Technical High School. Later, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Wayne State University. She also got a special certificate from Wayne State University.

Before becoming a politician, Jones worked for Michigan Bell. She was also elected as a union president for the Communications Workers of America Local 4004 in Detroit. A union president leads a group of workers. She was also appointed to leadership roles on the boards of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and the Detroit Transportation Commission.

Political Career

Serving on the Detroit City Council

In 2005, Brenda Jones was elected to the Detroit City Council. She was reelected, meaning chosen again, in 2009, 2013, and 2017. In 2015, the council members voted for her to become the President of the Detroit City Council. She served in this role until 2022.

Brenda Jones decided not to run for reelection in 2021.

Time in the U.S. House of Representatives

The U.S. House of Representatives is one of the two parts of the U.S. Congress. It is where laws are made for the whole country.

2018–2019 Election

On December 5, 2017, Representative John Conyers left his position. A special election was held to find someone new to fill his seat. Brenda Jones won the Democratic primary election for this special election. A primary election is when parties choose their candidate. This district usually votes for Democratic candidates.

However, in the main Democratic primary election for a full two-year term, Jones was defeated by Rashida Tlaib. Before the general election, Jones decided to run as an independent write-in candidate. This means people had to write her name on the ballot.

There were questions about whether Jones could serve on the Detroit City Council and in Congress at the same time. This is called a Dual mandate. An opinion from Detroit's legal team said it was likely possible. They suggested asking the House Ethics Committee for advice.

In the special election on November 6, Brenda Jones won with a large number of votes. She faced only one other candidate from a smaller party. On the same day, she also received some votes in the regular election for the full term.

The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, waited to officially swear in Jones until November 29. This was after getting advice from the House Ethics Committee on how she could avoid conflicts of interest. During her five weeks in the House, she introduced two bills and voted 77 times.

2020 Election

On March 25, 2020, Jones decided to run again in the Democratic primary for Michigan's 13th congressional district. She ran against Rashida Tlaib again. Jones lost the primary election to Tlaib on August 4. Tlaib won with 66% of the votes, while Jones received 34%.

See also

• David Curson, elected in a similar situation
• List of African-American United States representatives
• Women in the United States House of Representatives