Kwame Kilpatrick

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Kwame Kilpatrick

Term of office:
January 1, 2002 – Present
City Detroit
State Michigan
Political party Democrat
Preceded by Dennis Archer
Succeeded by Incumbent
Born June 8, 1970
Detroit, Michigan
Spouse Carlita Kilpatrick

Kwame M. Kilpatrick (born June 8, 1970) is the Mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Elected at age 31, he is the youngest mayor in the history of Detroit, as well as the second youngest current mayor of any major U.S. city. Kilpatrick briefly addressed the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Prior to defeating City Council President Gil Hill (former Detroit police detective who also appeared in the Beverly Hills Cop films) in the 2001 mayoral election, Kilpatrick served as a Democratic member of the Michigan State House of Representatives, becoming the first African American to lead any party in the Michigan Legislature.

Kilpatrick is a lifelong resident of the city of Detroit and attended Pelham Middle School and Cass Technical High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in political science from Florida A&M University, where he was also captain of the football team. The City of Detroit website claims that he also earned a teaching certificate from Florida A&M University, but Detroit television station WDIV reported on February 28, 2006 that the State of Florida has no record of him applying for, or receiving, a teaching certificate. He holds a Juris Doctor from the Detroit College of Law (now part of Michigan State University). His mother, U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, represents Michigan's 13th District in the United States House of Representatives. His father, Bernard Kilpatrick, served as Chief of Staff to then-Wayne County Executive Ed McNamara.

Kilpatrick is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

Contents

[edit] First Term and Controversy

In early 2005, the Detroit media began reporting on the issue of Mayor Kilpatrick's overspending of city funds. One example is a $24,995 lease on a new Lincoln Navigator. Of particular interest, had this lease come to an amount of $25,000, then the Lincoln Navigator would have required City Council approval first. Kilpatrick disavowed any knowledge of this. And although he said it was for his wife, no proof supports this claim.

By April 2005, Kilpatrick's approval rating in Detroit was sharply declining due to the scandals and the perceived lack of improvement in the city. As a result, the April 17, 2005 issue of Time Magazine listed him as one of the three worst big-city mayors in the United States.[1][2] The other two mentioned in the article are Dick Murphy of San Diego and John F. Street of Philadelphia.

In May 2005, the Detroit Free Press reported that over the first 33 months of his term, Kilpatrick has charged over $210,000 on his city-issued credit card for travel, meals, and entertainment. Kilpatrick has also been under scrutiny for an allegedly inappropriate party at the Manoogian Mansion.

In June 2005, Kilpatrick threatened to cancel the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival if the council overrode his veto of the council's budget plan. City Council did indeed override Kilpatrick's veto, and the mayor was forced to back down from his threat.

In October 2005 Kilpatrick caused controversy with an advertisement which compared media criticism of him to lynch mobs. [3]

[edit] 2005 Re-Election Campaign

In a poll released in June 2005, Kilpatrick trailed in support for the non-partisan primary for mayor, with 27% support as opposed to former Detroit deputy mayor Freman Hendrix's 39% support.

The results of the August 2 primary were very discouraging for the Kilpatrick campaign. Hendrix led Kilpatrick by double digits as the two headed to the November general election. With his dismal primary returns, Kilpatrick became the first mayor of Detroit since 1947 to place second in the mayoral primary.

In the general election campaign, Kilpatrick blamed Detroit's problems on his predecessor, Dennis Archer, and claimed Hendrix (who had worked for Archer) would only cause more problems. He garnered praise for his part in Rosa Parks's memorial service, which was credited with increasing his standing in polls. Hendrix, by contrast, was seen by many as running a lethargic campaign.

[edit] Second Term

Kilpatrick was at the center of an ironic controversy in 2006 when, at an NAACP event to raise funds to defeat a state anti-affirmative action measure that ultimately passed [4], he echoed the notorious formulation of segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace, replacing the word "segregation" with "affirmative action" in claiming, "We will affirm to the world that affirmative action will be here today, it will be here tomorrow and there will be affirmative action in the state forever." [5].

Kilpatrick was hospitalized in Houston, Texas, in July 2006, diagnosed with diverticulitis. Dr. Aaron Maddox, Kilpatrick's personal physician indicated that Kilpatrick's condition may have been caused by Kilpatrick's high-protein weight-loss diet. [6]

[edit] Electoral history

  • 2005 Race for Mayor (Detroit)
  • 2005 Race for Mayor (Detroit) (Primary Election)
  • 2001 Race for Mayor (Detroit)
    • Kwame Kilpatrick (D), 54%
    • Gil Hill (D), 46%

[edit] Trivia

  • He has been nicknamed "America's First Hip-Hop Mayor," in part due to an earring that he wore in his left ear. He removed the earring during the 2005 campaign and has since not replaced it.
  • A former offensive lineman for the Florida A&M University football team, Kilpatrick stands at 6'4", and weighs upwards of 300 lbs.

[edit] External links

Preceded by:
Dennis Archer		 Mayor of Detroit
2002–		 Succeeded by:
'Incumbent'
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../k/w/a/Kwame_Kilpatrick_9820.html"