Coleman Alexander Young II (born October 18, 1982) is a Democratic politician who is a current member of the Detroit City Council and a former member of the Michigan Senate. In the Michigan Senate, he represented the 1st district, which included the municipalities of Ecorse, Gibraltar, River Rouge, Riverview, Trenton, Woodhaven, Wyandotte and a portion of Detroit.[1] He served as the vice chair of the Local Government and Elections Committee,[2] General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, Judiciary Appropriations Subcommittee, Licensing And Regulatory Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee.[3] Young also sat on the Appropriations Committee[4] and Insurance Committee.[5] He previously served as the vice chair of the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee and Reforms, Restructuring and Reinventing Committee, as well as having previously served on the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, Education Committee and Energy and Technology Committee.[6] From 2011 to 2014, Young served as the Senate Assistant Minority Caucus Chair and also served as the Senate Assistant Minority Floor Leader.[7]

Coleman Young
Young in 2023
Member of the Detroit City Council
from the at-large district
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded byJaneé Ayers
Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 1st district
In office
January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2019
Preceded byHansen Clarke
Succeeded byStephanie Chang
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 4th district
In office
January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2010
Preceded byMary D. Waters
Succeeded byMaureen Stapleton
Personal details
Born
Coleman Alexander Young II

(1982-10-18) October 18, 1982 (age 41)
Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
RelativesColeman Young (father)
EducationAzusa Pacific University
Wayne State University (BA)
WebsiteState Senate website

From 2007 to 2010, Young served as the representative in the 4th District of the Michigan House of Representatives.[8] The 4th District was composed of the Lower East Side of Detroit, including a portion of Downtown and Midtown.[9] During his time in the House, Young served as the vice chair of the Insurance Committee[10] and sat on the Intergovernmental and Regional Affairs Committee, Labor Committee and Transportation Committee.[11]

Young unsuccessfully ran in both the 2009 Detroit mayoral special election and the 2017 Detroit mayoral election, being the runner-up in the latter. In 2018, Young ran to represent Michigan's 13th U.S. Congressional district. The seat was vacant, due to the resignation of John Conyers.[12] Young lost the primary to Rashida Tlaib, who won the general election. In 2022, Young was elected to the Detroit City Council.

Personal life edit

Coleman Young II was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is the only son of former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young and former Assistant Public Works Director Annivory Calvert.[13] He was born Joel Loving, and raised in California, his father denying his existence until a paternity suit in 1989.[14] Young says that the move and name change were due to death threats against his father.[15] Later, Young, Sr. had Michigan courts restore Young's name to match his baptismal records.[16] In 1995, a new birth certificate was issued bearing the name Coleman A. Young Jr.[17] Young says he received a phone call from his father at the age of twelve wherein his father asked him to carry on the Coleman Young name and legacy.[18]

In 2005, Young returned to Detroit, where he currently resides. He is a member of St. Paul Church of God in Christ.[19]

Since July 2005, Young has hosted The "Young Effect," a weekly talk show broadcast Sunday evenings, on WHPR (Channel 91 Comcast) and simulcast on 88.1 FM.[20] The show is a live, uncensored, call-in show. Each week Young covers community issues and provides updates on activities at the Capitol.[21] He follows the broadcast show with a thirty-minute Town Hall Meeting on his Facebook page.

Education edit

Young graduated from P.A.L. Charter Academy High School in San Bernardino, California. After graduating High School, he enrolled at Azusa Pacific University, a private Christian college in Azusa, California.[22] In 2005, Young transferred to Wayne State University, to complete his Bachelor of Arts in communications.[23] As of 2018, Young attends Wayne State as a part-time student.[24]

Political career edit

 
Coleman Young II announces his run for the 13th Congressional District

In 2005, Young worked as an intern for Detroit City Councilwoman JoAnn Watson.[25] He has also worked for the Detroit City Council Research & Analysis Division.[26]

In the 2006 Primary Election, Young ran to fill a vacancy in the 4th District of Michigan's House of Representatives. He led a field of sixteen candidates to win the Democratic nomination.[27] Young defeated Republican Scott Withington with over 93 percent of the vote in the general election. In his 2008 re-election, Young won the primary with over 70 percent of the vote. He was unopposed in the general election.

Young unsuccessfully ran in the 2009 Detroit mayoral special election.

Young won election to the Michigan State Senate in 2010. In the August Primary Election, he bested former Michigan House member Mary D. Waters.[28] In the November General Election, he defeated Republican Dakeisha Harwick.

Young ran unopposed in the 2014 Democratic primary election. He defeated Republican Barry Berk in the general election.

In the 2017 Detroit mayoral election, Young ran an aggressive campaign against incumbent Mike Duggan (also a Democrat) for . In the nonpartisan election, Young and Duggan both proceeded to the general election. Duggan defeated Young in the general election 72% to 28%.

Legislative achievements edit

 
Coleman Young II interviews with Channel 4
 
Senator Coleman Young II (D-Detroit) meets with marijuana dispensary owners in Detroit

Young has sponsored twelve bills that have become law since first elected the Michigan House in 2007, more than any other member of the Detroit Caucus.[when?] During his tenure in the Michigan Legislature, Young has also had eleven resolutions adopted.[29]

In 2007, Young helped pass HB 4434, which amended the Tax Tribunal Act to provide for the mediation of disputes before the Tax Tribunal. The bill requires that residents receive a notice for blight before being ticketed. The bill also guarantees a dedicated funding source by creating the Michigan Tax Tribunal Fund, which can only be used for the operation of the Tribunal, rather than placing the funding in the General Fund, where it could be used for unrelated purposes. The bill decreases the operating costs of, and provides an additional source of revenue for, the Tax Tribunal.[30]

In 2008, Young helped pass HB 4868, which allows municipalities to waive blight violation fines for first-time offenders, if the fine occurs at an owner-occupied dwelling and the offender has corrected the circumstances for the violation.[31]

2008 also saw Young help pass HB 5842, which increased Sales Tax revenue and brought jobs to the Detroit region by expanding tax credits for the movie industry.[32]

In 2009, Young helped pass HB 4327, the Tisha Prater Act, which guarantees anti-discrimination protections for women affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The legislation, named for Detroit Police Officer Tisha Prater, followed a 2008 Federal lawsuit filed when Prater was denied paid leave from work after she told the department that she was pregnant.[33] At the time, Detroit Police Department policy required pregnant women to take sick leave, instead of getting light-duty assignments offered to males limited by injuries suffered outside work. The legislation banned job discrimination based on a woman's pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, and mandated paid maternity leave for pregnant police officers and firefighters. The bill passed the Michigan Senate unanimously. Governor Jennifer Granholm's signing of the bill marked the first time that the Governor, the ACLU and Michigan Right to Life came together in one room.[34]

Also in 2009, Young helped pass HB 4986, which amend the Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (NEZ) Act to expand eligibility for NEZ certificates. Owners and developers rehabilitating property located in a NEZ qualify for reduced property taxes.[35]

In 2013, Young helped pass SB 93, which renamed I-375 in Wayne County, as the "102nd United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) Memorial Highway," in honor of the 102nd Regiment United States Colored Troops, an African American infantry unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War.[36]

In 2014, Young helped pass SB 146, again amending the Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (NEZ) Act to further expand eligibility for NEZ certificates.[37]

In 2016, Young helped pass SB 141, which regulated Michigan's medical marijuana industry.[38]

In 2018, Young helped pass SB 209, which designated a portion of highway M-10 in Wayne County as "Sergeant Collin Rose Memorial Highway," in honor of Sgt. Collin Rose, the first and only member of the Wayne State University Police Department to be killed in the line of duty.[39]

Electoral history edit

2006 Michigan 4th House District Democratic Primary Election[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic 'Coleman Young II' 2,450 34.7
Democratic Maureen Stapleton 1,522 21.5
Democratic Frazier Kimson 995 14.1
Democratic Kimberly Hill 482 6.9
Democratic Daniel Crockett 301 4.3
Democratic Diane McMillan 236 3.3
Democratic Patricia Scott 224 3.2
Democratic Keith Hollowell 192 2.7
Democratic Sharon King 142 2.0
Democratic Christopher Collins 120 1.7
Democratic Omari Barksdale 119 1.7
Democratic Wanda Canty 78 1.1
Democratic Ellen Logan 76 1.1
Democratic Ron Liscombe 52 0.7
Democratic Verl Pittman 51 0.7
Democratic Tom Allison 23 0.3
2006 Michigan 4th House District General Election[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic 'Coleman Young II' 18,841 93.9
Republican Scott Withington 1,223 6.1
2008 Michigan 4th House District Democratic Primary Election[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Coleman Young II (incumbent) 5,624 70.4
Democratic Sheila Jackson 919 11.5
Democratic Rita Jordan 546 6.8
Democratic Willie Burton 450 5.6
Democratic Wanda Canty 446 5.6
2009 Detroit Mayoral Primary Election[43]
Candidate Votes %
Dave Bing 26,337 28.82
Kenneth Cockrel Jr. (incumbent) 24,677 27.00
Freman Hendrix 21,208 23.21
Warren Evans 9,193 10.06
Coleman Young II 3,744 4.10
Sharon McPhail 2,565 2.81
Nicholas Hood 2,077 2.27
Jerroll Sanders 336 0.37
D. Etta Wilcoxon 309 0.34
Brenda Sanders 199 0.22
Donald Bradley 157 0.17
Duane Montgomery 152 0.17
Stanley Michael Christmas 103 0.11
Joseph Holt 101 0.11
Frances Culver 87 0.10
2010 Michigan 1st Senate District Democratic Primary Election[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic 'Coleman Young II' 8,138 41.2
Democratic Lisa Nuszkowski 5,701 28.9
Democratic LaMar Lemmons 3,812 19.3
Democratic Mary D. Waters 1,911 9.7
Democratic Dobey Gavin 179 0.9
2010 Michigan 1st Senate District Democratic General Election[45]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Coleman Young II (incumbent) 40,122 93.3
Republican Dakeisha Harwick 2,895 6.7
2014 Michigan 1st Senate District Democratic General Election[46]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Coleman Young II (incumbent) 48,510 71.8
Republican Barry Berk 19,021 28.2
2017 Detroit Mayoral Primary Election[47]
Candidate Votes %
Mike Duggan (incumbent) 43,535 67.69
Coleman Young II 17,180 26.71
Donna Marie Pitts 528 0.82
Edward D. Dean 433 0.67
Danetta L. Simpson 424 0.66
Curtis Christopher Greene 307 0.48
Angelo Brown 228 0.35
Articia Bomer 201 0.31
2017 Detroit Mayoral General Election[48]
Candidate Votes %
Mike Duggan (incumbent) 72,450 72.0
Coleman Young II 28,164 28.0

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Legislator". Michigan Votes.
  2. ^ "Local Government Committee". Michigan Senate. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  3. ^ "Appropriations Subcommittees". Michigan Senate. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  4. ^ "Appropriations Committee". Michigan Senate. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  5. ^ "Insurance Committee". Michigan Senate. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  6. ^ "MIRS Biographical Profiles". MIRS.
  7. ^ "Bio". Michigan Municipal League.
  8. ^ "Legislator". Michigan Votes.
  9. ^ "Bio". Vote Smart.
  10. ^ "HR 403: A resolution of tribute for the Honorable Coleman Young, II". Michigan House of Representatives.
  11. ^ Dillon, Andy (January 26, 2009). "Speaker Dillon Announces Committee Assignments for 2009-10" (DOC) (Press release). Michigan Association of Railway Passengers. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  12. ^ "Coleman Young II running for Congress". Detroit News.
  13. ^ "In his first public acknowledgment..." Orlando Sentinel.
  14. ^ Bach, Trevor (May 21, 1989). "FOR DETROIT MAYOR, PATERNITY NO LIABILITY". Hour Detroit. Hour Detroit. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  15. ^ Terry, Nicquel. "Tensions flare in studio before debate". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  16. ^ "Coleman A. Young II picks up petitions for mayoral run". Detroit News.
  17. ^ "The Detroit News". Press Reader.
  18. ^ Bach, Trevor. "Everybody Loves Coleman". Hour Detroit. Hour Detroit. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  19. ^ Young, Coleman. "About Me". State Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  20. ^ "Shows". WHPR.
  21. ^ "The Young Effect on Detroit". BET.
  22. ^ "Diary of a longshot: Inside Coleman Young's no-frills bid for Detroit mayor". Bridge MI. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  23. ^ "Young evokes dad while running for mayor as own man". Detroit News.
  24. ^ Young, Coleman. "About Me". State Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  25. ^ "Young evokes dad while running for mayor as own man". Detroit News.
  26. ^ "Coleman A. Young II picks up petitions for mayoral run". Detroit News.
  27. ^ "Can Detroit's Mayor Survive?". Newsweek.
  28. ^ "MIRS Biographical Profiles". MIRS.
  29. ^ "Search Bills by Sponsor". Michigan Legislature.
  30. ^ "House Bill 4434". Michigan Legislature.
  31. ^ "House Bill 4868". Michigan Legislature.
  32. ^ "House Bill 5842". Michigan Legislature.
  33. ^ "Young brings aggressive Senate style to mayor's race". Detroit News.
  34. ^ "Coleman Young II declares bid for Detroit mayor". Detroit News.
  35. ^ "Bill Analysis HB 4986" (PDF). Michigan Legislature.
  36. ^ "Bill Analysis SB 93" (PDF). Michigan Legislature.
  37. ^ "Senate Bill 146". Michigan Legislature.
  38. ^ "Senate Bill 141". Michigan Legislature.
  39. ^ "Senate Bill 209". Michigan Legislature.
  40. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - August 8th, 2006". Michigan Department of State. August 8, 2006. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  41. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - November 7th, 2006". Michigan Department of State. November 7, 2006. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  42. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - August 5th, 2008". Michigan Department of State. August 8, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  43. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - February 24th, 2009". Michigan Department of State. February 24, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  44. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - August 3, 2010". Michigan Department of State. August 3, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  45. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - November 2, 2010". Michigan Department of State. November 2, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  46. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - November 4th, 2014". Michigan Department of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  47. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - August 17th, 2017". Michigan Department of State. August 17, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  48. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - November 8th, 2017". Michigan Department of State. November 8, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.