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. She was a member of the Detroit City Council for many years. From 2014 to 2022, she was the President of the City Council.

Brenda Jones is part of the Democratic Party. She also briefly served in the U.S. House of Representatives. This was for Michigan's 13th district. She won a special election in 2018 to take over from John Conyers. Later, Rashida Tlaib took her place.

Early Life and Education

Brenda B. Jones was born on October 24, 1959. Her birthplace was Birmingham, Alabama. Her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, during the Great Migration. This was a time when many African Americans moved from the South to northern cities.

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

Before politics, Jones worked for Michigan Bell. She was also elected as a union president. This was for the Communications Workers of America Local 4004 in Detroit. She also served on important city boards. These included the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. She also served on 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 one of nine people elected that year. She was reelected three more times. These elections were in 2009, 2013, and 2017.

In 2015, the City Council members voted. They chose Brenda Jones to be their President. She served as President until 2022. She decided not to run for reelection in 2021.

Time in the U.S. House of Representatives

Special Election in 2018

A special election was held in 2018. This was to find a new representative for Michigan's 13th district. The previous representative, John Conyers, had left his position. Brenda Jones won the Democratic primary election. This district usually votes for Democratic candidates.

In the main special election on November 6, Brenda Jones won. She received 86.8 percent of the votes. She was sworn into office on November 29, 2018. She served for about five weeks. During this short time, she introduced two new bills. She also cast 77 votes on different issues.

Running Again in 2020

On March 25, 2020, Jones decided to run again. She wanted to be the representative for Michigan's 13th district. She ran against Rashida Tlaib in the Democratic primary. On April 2, Jones announced she had tested positive for COVID-19. She lost the primary election to Tlaib. The final vote was 66% for Tlaib and 34% for Jones.

See also

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