Kenneth Cockrel Jr.
| Kenneth Cockrel Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 73rd Mayor of Detroit | |
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In office September 19, 2008 – May 11, 2009 |
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| 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. is an American politician from the state of Michigan who became mayor of Detroit on September 19, 2008. 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, causing the duties of the Mayor of Detroit to fall upon Cockrel.
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. On May 11, 2009, Bing was sworn in as the new Mayor of Detroit and Cockrel returned to his position as Council President.
Cockrel is no longer 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, a cum laude graduate of Wayne State University, is a former writer for the Detroit Free Press and a former Wayne County commissioner. He is the son of Kenneth Cockrel, Sr. (November 5, 1938 – April 25, 1989), a former Detroit city council member, attorney and self-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist who died from a heart attack, and Carol Cockrel, a schoolteacher. He is a graduate of the St. Florian Church (Hamtramck, Michigan) High School.
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