Michigan Chronicle Endorses Adam Hollier for 13th Congressional District

In conjunction with Legacy Committee for Unified Leadership

The Michigan Chronicle endorses and supports State Senator Adam Hollier in his bid to win the revamped 13th Congressional District and a seat in the United States Congress. The Michigan Chronicle sees Hollier as a proven state lawmaker with the integrity, skill set, experience, fight, and tenacity needed on Capitol Hill to deliver tangible results benefiting the people of the 13th Congressional District, including a significant number of Detroiters.

Hollier, a Detroit native, has demonstrated a strong commitment to empowering underserved communities through his work in the state senate to spur job growth, improve the economy, back small business investments, and champion social justice, voting rights, clean water, better education, public safety, and family issues inclusive of affordable child care.

The Michigan Chronicle’s endorsement honors and stands 100% with the Legacy Committee for Unified Leadership’s selection of Hollier as its “Black Consensus Candidate.” The committee was convened in January by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans to conduct a fair and transparent process. The committee, whose selection was announced in March, was comprised of individuals representing a broad sector of Detroit’s core makeup in politics, the faith-based community, civic circles, business, community-social- civil rights advocacies, labor unions, education, and other entities.

In the large field of African American candidates – all Democrats – running in the 13th, the splitting of Black votes in the “majority-minority” district with a 45% Black population was – and still is – a major concern.

In addition to Hollier, other Black candidates in the race include John Conyers III (the late Congressman John Conyers Jr.’s son), Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (former state representative, current Detroit School Board member), Michael Griffie (educator, attorney), Angela McIntosh (business owner), Sharon McPhail (attorney, former city council member), Toni Mua (social change advocate), Portia Roberson (CEO, Focus: Hope), and Lorrie Rutledge (business owner). In addition, several non-African American candidates are in the race, including State Representative Shri Thanedar, an Indian-American pledging to spend millions of his own money funding his campaign.

Many political stakeholders interested in the 13th Congressional race applauded the Evans-led committee to select one candidate to endorse and back exclusively in a district that includes much of Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, the Grosse Pointes, and some Downriver and western Wayne County cities.

“Our goal was simple,” Evans told the Chronicle. “We wanted to come together in unity to put our collective power behind the candidate with the best chance to win the seat. Adam Hollier’s political and military experience, along with the fact that he has worked hard to serve constituents of the 19 diverse communities within the district, sets him apart from the other candidates. He has a strong fundraising team and a campaign network to compete on the national level.”

“I am honored to have been selected by this group of civic and community leaders after a rigorous process,” Hollier said. “This group knows the 13th District needs a leader with a track record of getting things done. The people of the 13th Congressional District deserve a congressperson who understands the complexities and diversity of this district and can represent Detroit, Downriver, the Pointes, and Western Wayne well in Washington.”

The Michigan Chronicle recognizes the importance of the historic 13th continuing to send Black representation to Washington to serve a large swath of Black citizens in Detroit. Charles Diggs made history in 1954 when he was elected Michigan’s first Black Congressman, followed by many others over the ensuing decades.

However, Black congressional representation from Michigan in Washington has been skating on thin ice since Rep. John Conyers Jr. – the Dean – resigned from Congress in 2017. He was elected in 1964. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American and former state legislator, ultimately won the defining election for Conyers’ vacated seat.

In January, Rep. Brenda Lawrence, Michigan’s lone Black member of Congress, announced that she was retiring from the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of her current term. Many in Michigan’s Black political and community circles wanted Lawrence to run for re-election in the redrawn 12th Congressional District. Instead, Rep. Tlaib, elected in 2018 to serve the 13th, chose to run for re-election in the new 12th. The decisions by both congresswomen meant that the 13th Congressional District was wide open.

The Michigan Chronicle recognizes that there are other strong Black candidates in the race with unique skill sets to offer the 13th district, including Portia Roberson, who leads one of the nation’s best-performing non-profit organizations empowering underserved communities through early learning programs, job training, and services to seniors. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo brings a wealth of experience as a former state lawmaker, ferocious community activist, and Detroit Public Schools Board member.

Nevertheless, the potential of splitting Black votes in the 13th has dire consequences. And it’s unconscionable to think that after the 2022 Primary and General Elections, there could be no Black representation for Detroiters on Capitol Hill.

With 1.35 million African Americans in Michigan, of which 600,000- plus live in Detroit – the nation’s Blackest major city – it would be outrageous to lose such Black political clout in Washington.

If Detroit and Michigan are shut out of Black representation, there’s no timeline to point to with certainty when or if African Americans in the historic 13th Congressional District – and beyond – will again have African American representation on Capitol Hill. The Michigan Chronicle believes that the organizations and candidates who vowed to support the Legacy Committee’s selection of a “Black Consensus Candidate” at the onset of the vetting process should honor their commitments and endorse Adam Hollier in the 13th.