Kenneth Cockrel, Jr.
| Kenneth Cockrel Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 73rd Mayor of Detroit | |
|
In office September 19, 2008 – May 11, 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Kwame Kilpatrick |
| Succeeded by | Dave Bing |
| President of the Detroit City Council | |
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In office September 30, 2005 – September 18, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Maryann Mahaffey |
| Succeeded by | Monica Conyers |
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In office May 11, 2009 – December 31, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Monica Conyers |
| Succeeded by | Charles Pugh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kenneth Vern Cockrel Jr. Detroit, Michigan |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Kimberly Cockrel |
| Children | Kenneth Vern Cockrel III, Kennedy Cockrel, Kendal Cockrel, Kayla Cockrel, Kyle Cockrel |
| Alma mater | Wayne State University |
| Profession | Journalist, Politician |
Kenneth Vern "Ken" Cockrel Jr. (born ?) is an American politician and journalist from the state of Michigan who served as the 73rd mayor of Detroit. He was president of the Detroit City Council from 2005 until September 17, 2008, when he was sworn in as the interim mayor, with his term in office beginning September 19. The previous mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick had announced on September 4, 2008 that he would resign after pleading guilty to state charges about his conduct in office. This resulted in Cockrel succeeding him as the Mayor of Detroit.
On May 5, 2009, former Detroit Pistons player and businessman Dave Bing defeated Cockrel 52% to 48% in a special election for Mayor of Detroit, to complete the rest of the term. On May 11, 2009, Bing was sworn in as the new Mayor of Detroit and Cockrel returned to his position as Council President.
Cockrel was replaced as President of the Detroit City Council and sat as a regular council member. On April 23, 2013, he announced that he would not run for re-election.
Cockrel is the son of Kenneth Cockrel, Sr. (November 5, 1938 – April 25, 1989), a former Detroit city council member and attorney. He was a self-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist who died from a heart attack. Ken's mother was Carol Cockrel, a schoolteacher. He is a graduate of the St. Florian Church (Hamtramck, Michigan) High School. He graduated , cum laude from Wayne State University and wrote for the Detroit Free Press.
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