Mary D. Waters (born August 27, 1955) is an American politician from Detroit, Michigan. She is a member of the Detroit City Council.[1] Previously she served for three terms as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, where she was Michigan's first African American minority floor leader from 2003 to 2006.[2][1]
Mary Waters | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Detroit City Council from the at-large district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Janeé Ayers |
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 4th district | |
| In office January 1, 2001 – January 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Vaughn |
| Succeeded by | Coleman A. Young II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 27, 1955 Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Detroit Business Institute University of Michigan (BA) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Early life and education
editWaters was born in Alabama on August 27, 1955. While in grade school, she picked cotton in Greenville, Alabama, but moved to Detroit as a teen, when her father found work with the auto industry.[2][3] Waters attended the Detroit Business Institute. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, where she studied communications and behavioral sciences.[2]
Career
editOn November 7, 2000, Waters was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives where she represented the 4th district from January 10, 2001, to 2006. Waters served as the Minority Floor Leader for the state House from 2003 to 2006, being the first African-American woman to serve as Democratic floor leader in the chamber.[2] Waters left office in 2006 due to term limits.[2]
While in the Michigan legislature, Waters worked with Gretchen Whitmer who later became Michigan's governor. She often reminded her former colleague to take poverty-related issues like job training, insurance redlining and other maters related to Detroit seriously.[4] She also backed candidate Whitmer by introducing her to Black church congregations in Detroit.[5]
In 2010 Waters ran unsuccessfully for District 1 State Senator in the Democratic Primary.[6]
| 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 | |
In 2021, Waters won an at-large seat on the Detroit City Council.[7] While on the City Council she proposed establishing gun-free zones in the city's downtown area.[8] She also opposed the sale of occupied, city-owned houses, calling it "Putting profit ahead of people."[9] In October 2023 she proposed eliminating all property taxes in Detroit.[10][11]
Legal Challenges
editIn October 2010, Waters pleaded guilty along with her former campaign manager, Sam Riddle, for their roles following allegations they conspired to bribe a Southfield, Michigan City Councilman, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Michigan. In May 2010, Waters pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of filing a false tax return. Later that year, she was sentenced to one year of probation on claims she received a $6,000 Rolex watch from a Southfield jewelry store. She later attempted unsuccessfully to withdraw her plea, and has since said that she was railroaded by "overzealous federal prosecutors" who really wanted Sam Riddle, her campaign manager.[12] Riddle also pleaded guilty to conspiring with, then, Councilmember Monica Conyers, and other individuals, to disrupt commerce by extortion.[13]
Congressional campaign
editOn February 8, 2024, Waters announced that she would be running for United States Congress in Michigan's 13th Congressional District. On the campaign trail, she has called for a ceasefire in Gaza, and freeing of the hostages.[14][15]
References
edit- ^ a b Burke, Melissa Nann (November 14, 2023). "Detroit councilwoman mulls U.S. House bid against Thanedar". Detroit News. Detroit, Michigan. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Legislator Details - Mary D. Waters". Library of Michigan. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ Waters, Mary (December 19, 2018). "WHAT A STATE OFFICE OF POVERTY ELIMINATION NEEDS". The PuLSE Institute. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Bankole (November 7, 2018). "Bankole: A charge to governor-elect Whitmer". Detroit News. Detroit, Michigan. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Bankole (July 10, 2019). "Bankole: Paradox of Whitmer's first six months in office". Detroit News. Detroit, Michigan. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "Election Summary Report Primary Election - August 3, 2010". Michigan Department of State. August 3, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ Rahal, Sarah (January 4, 2022). "New Detroit City Council sworn in, picks Mary Sheffield as president". Detroit News. Detroit, Michigan. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ Kinchen, Dave (April 18, 2023). "Detroit city councilwoman proposes designating Greektown, Riverfront, other areas gun-free zones". Fox 2 Detroit. Detroit, Michigan. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Samuel; Guillen, Joe; Frank, Annalise (March 27, 2023). "Council member opposes sale of occupied houses". Axios Media. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ Mondry, Aaron (October 11, 2023). "This week in Detroit development: Planting 4,000 trees, Brush Park new build and a wild tax plan". Detroit Outlier Media. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Oosting, Jonathan (November 28, 2023). "Michigan anti-property-tax group seeks to get on 2024 state ballot". BridgeDetroit. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Dickson, James David (October 12, 2021). "Scandals plague two Detroit at-large council candidates as election looms". Detroit News. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021.
- ^ U.S. Attorney’s Office (May 20, 2010). "Samuel L. Riddle, Jr. and Mary Waters Plead Guilty to Corruption, Conspiracy, and Related Charges". fbi.gov. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023.
- ^ Barrett, Malachi (February 8, 2024). "Detroit City Council member starts congressional bid with 'world peace agenda'". Bridge Detroit. Detroit, Michigan. Retrieved May 30, 2024.,
- ^ "Accomplishments | Mary Waters for Congress".