Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick is in for the political fight of her life. See updating election results below.
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick MI-13 has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997. Since the 2002 redistricting, she has represented the 13th District comprising most of Detroit and portions of Downriver. She is the Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in the 110th Congress.
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
She is facing Mary Waters who was the former Democratic Floor Leader in the Michigan State House of Representatives and State Senator Mary Scott.
Mary Waters
She was a senior analyst at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan for more than 20 years before joining Detroit's charter revision commission in the early 1990s. She was elected to the state House seven years later.
In her three terms as a state legislator, Waters said she was the only member from Detroit to have a perfect voting record, but the House clerk could not confirm its validity because the House doesn't keep attendance records.
Committee assignments during her terms include judiciary, regulatory reform and governmental operations. Her most significant piece of legislation was a bill making it a felony for junk dealers to knowingly buy or sell stolen scrap metal. It was enacted in 2006.
In 2004, she was elected the House Democratic floor leader at the same time Dianne Byrum was elected House Democratic leader.
State Sen. Mary Scott Bio
State Senator Martha G. Scott, a Democrat from Highland Park, was elected by Special Election in 2001 to the Michigan Senate for the 2nd District, which, after redistricting, includes portions of Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Harper Woods, and the Grosse Pointes. She is currently in her second full term, which will expire in 2010.
You would think in this solidly blue seat that Congresswoman Cheeks Kilpatrick would have an easy time. Nope think again.
Her son Kwame Kilpatrick has been involved in scandals that include several charges over perjury.
According to the AP
The mayor is charged along with his former top aide with perjury and other charges connected to their testimony in a civil trial last year. They denied having a romantic relationship, but text messages emerged in January that contradicted those claims...
Waters, of Detroit, repeatedly criticized Kilpatrick for defending her son and argued that the congresswoman had become unresponsive to the district. She promised to be more accessible to constituents.
From the beginning of this race the main focus of the race has been about the character of Cheeks Kilpatrick and her son. In my opinion guilt by association attacks are unfair but it is worse when its your son. But hey you can't pick your family.
Here is the stunning attack ad that may have made this race closer than it have should have been.
Update
Cheeks Kilpatrick declares victory against Waters in tight race"I will be your congresswoman," she said, "and I am honored."
Early results Tuesday showed the six-term congresswoman trailing both her opponents, but as the night wore on and more Detroit numbers came in, she pulled even and then slightly ahead of former state Rep. Mary Waters at around midnight.
Her margin of about 5,000 votes in the city of Detroit offset big advantages for Waters in the eight suburbs in the district. With 98% of precincts reporting, Kilpatrick was ahead by about 1,000 votes. Only Detroit absentee votes were not counted.
Detroit Free Press
From one of my inside sources I can confirm the votes remaining are from Detroit and Cheeks Kilpatrick is now up by 7,000 votes. The race is heavily tilting in Kilpatricks favor.
Updated results
Detroit Free Press
U.S. House - District 13 - Dem Primary
Eastern Wayne
Michigan - 245 of 343 Precincts Reporting - 71%
Name Party Votes Vote %
Cheeks Kilpatrick , Carolyn (i) Dem 18,993 38%
Waters , Mary Dem 18,064 37%
Scott , Martha Dem 12,287 25%
http://media.myfoxdetroit.com/...
13th District Representative in Congress (DEM)
Precincts Reporting: 240 of 343 69%
WIN | CANDIDATE/CHOICE | VOTES | VOTE %
Waters 15829 38%
Cheeks Kilpatrick 15762 38%
Scott 10164 24%
Precincts Reporting: 227 of 343 66%
WIN | CANDIDATE/CHOICE | VOTES | VOTE %
Waters 15576 38%
Cheeks Kilpatrick 15210 37%
Scott 10005 25%