Sheldon Neeley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheldon Neeley
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| 94th Mayor of Flint | |
| Assumed office November 11, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Karen Weaver |
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 34th district |
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| In office January 1, 2015 – November 11, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Woodrow Stanley |
| Succeeded by | Cynthia Neeley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 20, 1968 Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Cynthia Neeley |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Delta College (AA) Saginaw Valley State University (attended) |
Sheldon Andre Neeley was born on September 20, 1968. He is an American politician who currently serves as the Mayor of Flint, Michigan. He first became mayor in 2019 and was re-elected in 2022. Mr. Neeley is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, he was a state representative for Michigan's 34th House district. He served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. When he became mayor, he left his position in the House. His wife, Cynthia Neeley, was later elected to take his former seat. Before serving in the state House, Mr. Neeley was a member of the Flint City Council from 2005 to 2014. He was the first African-American council member from Flint's Sixth Ward.
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Sheldon Neeley's Early Life
Growing Up in Flint
Sheldon Neeley was born on September 20, 1968. His parents are Marva and Sam Neeley. He grew up in Flint, Michigan, where he was born. He finished high school at Flint Northern High School in 1968.
His College Years
Mr. Neeley earned an associate degree from Delta College. An associate degree is a two-year college degree. He also attended Saginaw Valley State University.
Working Before Politics
For 27 years, Sheldon Neeley worked as a broadcast technician. He worked at WJRT-TV12, a local TV station. He was also the president of the local union for broadcast employees. This union is called the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-Communication Workers of America. He held this role until 2020.
Mr. Neeley also worked as a work experience counselor. He helped students from the Flint Community Schools for 10 years. For four years, he was the CEO of the Flint Inner City Junior Golf League. This organization was started by his father, Sam Neeley.
Becoming a Leader in Flint
Serving on the City Council
Sheldon Neeley first ran for the Flint City Council in 2001. He did not win that election. In 2005, he ran again for the City Council. The person who held the seat before, Mark Horrigan, decided not to run again. He even supported Mr. Neeley.
Mr. Neeley won the primary election in August 2005. A primary election helps choose who will run in the main election. He then faced Nancy DeKatch in the general election. The general election is the final election. Both candidates ran fair campaigns. Mr. Neeley received support from a group called the Genesee County Democratic Black Caucus. He won the election by a large number of votes. Soon after, his fellow council members chose him to be the vice president of the Flint City Council. He was re-elected as vice president in 2006 and 2007.
In 2009, Mr. Neeley ran for re-election to the City Council. He won the primary election again. He then faced J.C. Walker in the general election. He received support from the Greater Flint AFL-CIO and the Flint Police Officers Association. He won re-election to the City Council in November.
Mr. Neeley ran for re-election to the City Council again in 2013. This time, no one ran against him in either the primary or general elections. He was re-elected to the Flint City Council in November.
Representing Michigan in the House
In 2014, Mr. Neeley decided to run for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives. This is part of the state government. He ran in Michigan’s 34th House of Representatives district. In the Democratic primary, he ran against seven other candidates. One of them was Eric Mays, who would later run against him for mayor.
During his campaign, Mr. Neeley shared his views on important topics. He supported marriage equality. He also supported local police. He said he was against the use of emergency managers in cities. He listed creating jobs, improving education, and public safety as his top goals.
Mr. Neeley won the Democratic primary election in August. He then ran against Republican Bruce Rogers in the general election. Mr. Neeley won with more than 90% of the votes. He became a member of the Michigan House of Representatives in November.
In 2016, Mr. Neeley ran for re-election. No one ran against him in the Democratic primary. He said he supported freezing tuition costs for college. He also listed fixing roads, keeping the environment safe, supporting law enforcement, and growing the economy as his main goals. He won the general election against Page Brousseau with nearly 90% of the votes.
Mr. Neeley ran for re-election again in 2018. He won the Democratic primary with almost 90% of the votes. He then won the general election against Henry Swift with 90% of the votes.
Leading Flint as Mayor
Sheldon Neeley first ran for Flint Mayor in 2007. He talked about public safety and growing the economy as key issues. He received support from Sisters United and the Afro-American Police League. He was not chosen in Flint's primary election that year.
He ran for Flint Mayor again in 2009. He focused on the importance of economic development. He was again not chosen in the primary election.
In April 2019, Mr. Neeley announced he would run for Flint Mayor once more. In the primary election, he ran against Greg Eason, Don Pfeiffer, and the current mayor, Karen Weaver. Mr. Neeley and Mayor Weaver received the most votes and moved on to the general election.
In the general election on November 5, Mr. Neeley won with 7,082 votes. Mayor Weaver received 6,877 votes. This meant Sheldon Neeley was elected as Flint's mayor.
On January 31, 2022, Mr. Neeley announced he planned to run for re-election. On May 28, 2022, Governor Whitmer said she supported Mr. Neeley for Mayor of Flint. In the primary election on August 2, Mr. Neeley received the most votes. Former Mayor Karen Weaver was second. In the general election on November 8, Mr. Neeley won a second term as Flint's mayor. He received 11,692 votes, while Karen Weaver received 10,411 votes.
Important Decisions as Mayor
Keeping Flint Safe
As mayor, Sheldon Neeley has the power to choose important city leaders. This includes the police and fire chiefs. In November 2019, after he was elected, he chose Phil Hart to be the temporary police chief. Mr. Hart worked to address gun violence in Flint. He also helped recruit new police officers and increase patrols in neighborhoods. In September 2020, Terrance Green became the permanent Flint police chief. He had been the police chief in the nearby town of Mt. Morris.
Supporting Other Leaders
On March 8, 2020, Mayor Neeley announced his support for Joe Biden. This was for the 2020 United States presidential election.
