Michael Donald Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Brown
United States Shadow Senator from the District of Columbia
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Florence Pendleton
Succeeded by	Ankit Jain
Personal details
Born	Michael Donald Brown (1953-08-05) August 5, 1953 (age 71) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (Before 2014, 2017–present) Independent (2014–2017)
Education	University of Maryland, College Park (BA, MPP)

Michael Donald Brown (born August 5, 1953) is an American politician. He serves as a shadow senator for the District of Columbia. He has held this position since 2007.

A shadow senator works to help Washington, D.C. become a state. This role does not receive government pay or a budget. Shadow senators cannot vote on issues in the United States Senate. However, they do have an office provided by the District's government. Michael D. Brown works to get full voting rights for D.C. residents in Congress. He also pushes for the District to have more control over its own laws. He works with other D.C. leaders, like the mayor and council, on federal issues. Brown was a member of the Democratic Party. He became an independent politician in 2014, but rejoined the Democratic Party in 2017.

People sometimes call him "white Mike." This helps tell him apart from another politician named Michael A. Brown.

What Michael D. Brown Believes In

Michael D. Brown strongly supports Washington, D.C. becoming a state. He believes D.C. residents should have the same rights as citizens in other states. He often speaks up about the need for D.C. to have its own voting members in Congress.

Running for Shadow Senator: The 2006 Election

Michael D. Brown in 2007

Brown first ran for shadow senator in 2006. His campaign slogan was "the last Shadow Senator you'll ever need." He did not support a bill that would give D.C. a voting representative in the House. He felt it was not enough because it did not make D.C. a state.

In the Democratic primary election, he won with 73 percent of the votes. His opponent was Philip Pannell. The person who held the job before, Florence Pendleton, was not on the ballot. This was because not enough of her petition signatures were valid. Some people thought voters might have confused Michael D. Brown with Michael A. Brown, who was running for mayor at the same time.

In the main election in November, Brown won again. He received 86 percent of the votes.

Running for D.C. Council: The 2010 Election

In 2010, Brown also ran for a seat on the Council of the District of Columbia. This is a different job than shadow senator. He was running for an "at-large" seat, which means he would represent the whole city. Other candidates included Phil Mendelson, who won the election.

Running for Shadow Senator Again: The 2012 Election

Brown ran for reelection as shadow senator in 2012. He had support from many local groups. He faced a wealthy opponent named Peter A. Ross. Ross spent much more money on his campaign than Brown did. Ross also had some past issues reported in the news. Despite this, Brown won the election and kept his position.

Running for Shadow Senator Again: The 2018 Election

In 2018, Brown ran for shadow senator once more. He had a close primary election against Andria Thomas, winning by a small margin. He was then re-elected in the general election with a large majority of the votes.

Personal Life

Michael D. Brown was born in Newark, New Jersey. He moved to Montgomery County, Maryland, when he was a teenager. He went to the University of Maryland. There, he earned two degrees: a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in public policy.

Brown has lived in Washington, D.C., since 1984. He lives in the American University Park neighborhood. He is also the founder and president of Horizon Communications Corp. This company helps political and non-profit groups with direct mail services.

Another Race for D.C. Council: The 2014 Election

In 2014, Brown ran for an at-large seat on the Council of the District of Columbia again. This time, he ran as an independent. He finished third in the race. The top two candidates won the seats.

Images for kids

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  Michael D. Brown in 2007