Brenda L. Lawrence
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| Brenda L. Lawrence | |
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Mayor of Southfield, Michigan
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Donald Fracassi |
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Member of the Southfield, Michigan City Council
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| In office 1997 – 2001 |
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| Born | October 18, 1954 Detroit, Michigan |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | McArthur Lawrence |
Brenda L. Lawrence (born October 18, 1954, Detroit, Michigan) is the current mayor of Southfield, Michigan.
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[edit] Early life
Lawrence grew up in Detroit's northeast side and was raised by her grandparents; her mother died when she was three years old.[1]. She graduated from Detroit's Pershing High School, and earned her bachelor's degree in public administration from Central Michigan University.
[edit] Political career
In the early 1990s, as an active member of the Parent Teacher's Association at her children's school, she sought and earned a seat on the Southfield Public Schools Board of Education, serving as president, vice president, and secretary. In 1997, she was elected to serve on Southfield's City Council and, in 1999, she was elected council president.
In 2001, she defeated longtime Southfield Mayor Donald Fracassi becoming the city's first African-American and first female mayor. She was re-elected in 2005 without opposition. As mayor, she was invited by the U.S. House Oversight Committee in 2008 to represent United States mayors in testimony about the mortgage crisis and its affect on American communities.[2] She returned to Washington later that year to lobby Congress for a bridge loan for the American auto industry.[3]
Lawrence was a Michigan delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. As a superdelegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, she endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama for president in June 2008.[4]
In May 2008, Lawrence announced her candidacy for Oakland County Executive. She was unopposed for the Democratic nomination to unseat the Republican incumbent, L. Brooks Patterson and received 42 percent of the vote in the November general election.[5]
She successfully sought a third term as mayor in 2009 defeating former Councilwoman Sylvia Jordan with nearly 80 percent of the vote.[6]
[edit] Personal life
Lawrence has been married to McArthur Lawrence for over 30 years. The couple has two children and a grandchild Asya.[7]
[edit] Electoral history
- 2009 Election for Mayor of Southfield[8]
| Name | Percent |
|---|---|
| Brenda L. Lawrence | 77.6% |
| Sylvia Jordan | 22.3% |
- 2008 Election for Oakland County Executive[5]
| Name | Percent |
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| L. Brooks Patterson | 58.1% |
| Brenda L. Lawrence | 41.6% |
- 2005 Election for Mayor of Southfield[9]
| Name | Percent |
|---|---|
| Brenda L. Lawrence | 100% |
- 2001 Election for Mayor of Southfield[10]
| Name | Percent |
|---|---|
| Brenda L. Lawrence | 52.6% |
| Donald Fracassi | 47.4% |
[edit] References
- ^ Detroit News, 6/3/2008, Lawrence embraces challenge as Southfield mayor takes on 'iconic' Patterson
- ^ House Oversight Committee, 3/7/2008 Committee Holds Hearing on CEO Pay and the Mortgage Crisis
- ^ Observer and Eccentric, 11/20/2008 Mayor speaks up for local auto suppliers
- ^ Official Campaign Website
- ^ a b Election Results Certified by the Oakland County Clerk
- ^ Official Election Results Certified by the Southfield City Clerk
- ^ Official Biography
- ^ Official Election Results Certified by the Southfield City Clerk
- ^ Official Election Results Certified by the Southfield City Clerk
- ^ Official Election Results Certified by the Southfield City Clerk
