Children are failing because of the school system. "We want people that are gonna work for our city, that's gonna help us grow. "We gonna vote for him because he's Black? That ain't got nothing to do with it," Lewis said. The idea of economic empowerment attracts voters like Carmen Lewis far more than Bivings' assertion that it takes a Black candidate to understand Detroit. Thanedar's message had traction among some waiting in line at the Detroit high school rally. We need to bring in good-paying jobs." "Bring somebody in here that's gonna help us" "My district is 20 to 30% at or below poverty level. Thanedar has a backstory he claims resonates with Detroit voters. He spent millions of dollars of his own money on the primary campaign and defeated eight other contenders, all of them African Americans. Thanedar was a poor Indian immigrant who became wealthy by starting a chemical business. Shri Thanedar has been a ubiquitous presence along the campaign trail, appearing at everything from political fundraisers to modest events at city parks. 2, topping a field of nine candidates in a district that covers most of Detroit and potentially leaving the city next term without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the early 1950s. Thanedar won Michigan's 13th Congressional Democratic primary on Aug. Shri Thanedar gestures during a debate in Grand Rapids, Mich. If you don't have the Black representation, you don't get a voice." "And I know there are often issues that directly impact us left off the table. "I'm the vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus," she said. That left an open seat to represent much of the Motor City.Īnd the candidate who emerged from the district's crowded Democratic primary in August as Lawrence's possible successor is not an African American.Īt a recent get-out-the-vote rally inside a Detroit high school, Lawrence worried that the city could pay a price if no Black Democrat replaced her. Shortly after redistricting, Michigan's only Black member of Congress, Democrat Brenda Lawrence, decided to retire. It's the first general election since an independent commission redrew Michigan's legislative boundaries, breaking the district covering Detroit into two pieces and adding several suburban areas, split between blue-collar and more affluent communities. Politics The bellwether districts to watch that could determine control of Congress Losing a "voice" in Congress
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |