Janeé Ayers
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{citation style|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Janeé Ayers
| image = Janeé Ayers 2019.jpg
| caption = Ayers in 2019
| imagesize =
| order = Member of the Detroit City Council At-Large
|alongside =
|term_start = February 17, 2015
|term_end = January 1, 2022
|predecessor = Saunteel Jenkins
|successor =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|10|10}}
|birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|spouse =
|children =
|alma_mater = Bowling Green State University
|profession = Labor union leader
|religion =
|website = {{URL|http://www.detroitmi.gov/Government/City-Council/Janee-L-Ayers|Council website}}
{{URL|http://janeeayers.com|Campaign website}}
}}
Janeé L. Ayers (born October 10, 1981) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. In 2015, Ayers was appointed to Detroit City Council as an at large member after the resignation of Saunteel Jenkins, and elected for the remainder of the term on November 8, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/02/17/ayers-appointed-detroit-council/23568627/.html|title=Detroit council picks union leader Janee' Ayers to fill seat|date=17 February 2015|work=Detroit Free Press|access-date=15 September 2015}} She was reelected to city council for a full four-year term on November 7, 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://wdet.org/posts/2017/11/07/86039-incumbents-keep-their-seats-on-detroit-city-council/|title=Incumbents Keep Their Seats on Detroit City Council|website=wdet.org|access-date=2018-01-11}} Ayers was defeated in the November 2021 City Council general election.{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Janee_Ayers|title=Janee Ayers' Ballotpedia|website=ballotpedia.org|access-date=4 January 2022}}
Background
Janeé Ayers was born in Detroit, Michigan on October 10, 1981. Her mother Shirlene, is a retired Detroit Public Schools teacher and Detroit American Federation of Teachers (DFT) member. She has four siblings, three of whom are school teachers in the Greater Metro Detroit area.
Ayers grew up in North Rosedale Park on the city's Northwest side and graduated from Renaissance High School. She went on to attend Bowling Green State University and earned her degree in Political Science and Public Policy in 2003.{{cite web|url=https://www.bgsu.edu/news/2015/04/fighting-for-detroit.html|title=Fighting for Detroit|work=bgsu.edu|access-date=15 September 2015}}
Before being appointed to city council, Ayers worked for the Detroit Recreation Department and was a high school teacher for Detroit Public Schools, teaching science at Millennium High School until its closing in 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.sent-trib.com/news/bgsu-alum-sits-on-detroit-city-council/article_dcf997e2-edb2-11e4-a256-a70d029e948c.html|title=BGSU alum sits on Detroit City Council|work=Sentinel-Tribune|access-date=15 September 2015}} While working for the Detroit Recreation Department, she was a member of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Following her stint with Detroit Public Schools, Ayers began working for MGM Grand Detroit and joined UNITE HERE! Local 24. There she began to focus her attention to the labor community. She was soon elected recording secretary and quickly became the youngest officer on the bargaining team. A few short years later, she was elected vice president of the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO.{{cite web|url=http://kiclc.org/2015/02/18/metro-detroit-afl-cio-officer-appointed-to-detroit-city-council/|title=Metro Detroit AFL-CIO officer appointed to Detroit City Council|work=Kent-Ionia Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO|access-date=15 September 2015}}
Political career
After the resignation of Saunteel Jenkins, Detroit City Council entered a long appointment process to fill the at large seat. Over 135 Detroit residents applied for the position, including former State representatives, a Wayne County Commissioner and multiple former city council candidates.{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2014/12/05/detroit-council-vacancy-applications/19969117/|title=Detroit City Council vacancy draws 135 applicants|date=5 December 2014|work=Detroit Free Press|access-date=15 September 2015}} From this pool, Ayers was nominated by Council President Brenda Jones and Council Member Gabe Leland to advance to a round of 17 candidates who were publicly interviewed.{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/01/19/detroit-city-council-candidates/22011829/|title=Meet the candidates to fill Detroit council's opening|date=19 January 2015|work=Detroit Free Press|access-date=15 September 2015}} At the end of a lengthy voting process, Ayers was appointed to City Council on February 17, 2015, by a supermajority vote of 6–2.{{cite web|url=http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/janee-ayers-named-to-detroit-city-council/31318502|title=Janee' Ayers named to Detroit City Council|author=WDIV|work=ClickOnDetroit|date=17 February 2015|access-date=15 September 2015}}
In 2016, Ayers ran for confirmation of her seat in a special election. She won the 2016 August primary and then defeated Daniel A Bullock in the November General Election by a margin of 61%-39%. Her total vote count of 100,385 was the highest total in a Michigan municipal election in the previous ten years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/pages/interactives/freep/election-results/general/2016/wayne/|title=2016 Michigan General Election: Wayne County results|website=Detroit Free Press|language=en|access-date=2018-01-11}}
In 2017, Ayers sought reelection to a full 4 year council term. In the August Primary, she defeated a host of challengers to advance to the general election. That November, Ayers won reelection to her seat by defeating challengers Mary Waters and Beverly Kindle-Walker.{{Cite web|url=https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/election-results/detroit-nov-7-2017-general-election-results|title=Detroit Nov. 7, 2017 General Election results|website=www.clickondetroit.com|date=31 October 2017|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-11}}
Ayers was defeated in the November 2021 City Council general election.{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Janee_Ayers|title=Janee Ayers' Ballotpedia|website=ballotpedia.org|access-date=4 January 2022}}
Detroit City Council
One of Ayers most significant achievements as a Council Member was creating the Returning Citizens Task Force, a program designed to "meet the needs of a large population of Detroit residents who are challenged with successfully reintegrating back into the community from the corrections system. The overarching goal of the task force is to create a community based "one-stop" that will serve as the main resource for returning citizens once they are released."{{Cite web|url=http://www.detroitmi.gov/Government/City-Council/Jane-eacute-L-Ayers/Returning-Citizens-Task-Force|title=Returning Citizen's Task Force|website=www.detroitmi.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-11}}
=Committee assignments=
In her first term as Council Member, Ayers served on the following City Council committees:
- Budget, Finance and Audit (Vice-chair) {{cite web|url=http://www.detroitmi.gov/How-Do-I/Find/City-Council-Standing-Committees-Information| title=Budget, Finance and Audit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116220611/https://detroitmi.gov/How-Do-I/Find/City-Council-Standing-Committees-Information|archive-date=16 January 2018}}
- Public Health, and Safety (Vice-chair) {{cite web|url=http://www.detroitmi.gov/How-Do-I/Find/City-Council-Standing-Committees-Information| title=Public Health, and Safety}}
- Internal Operations {{cite web|url=http://www.detroitmi.gov/How-Do-I/Find/City-Council-Standing-Committees-Information| title=Internal Operations}}
- Rules {{cite web|url=http://www.detroitmi.gov/How-Do-I/Find/City-Council-Standing-Committees-Information| title=Rules}}
On January 9, 2018, Council Member Ayers was assigned to serve on the following City Council Committees:
- Budget, Finance and Audit (chair)
- Public Health and Safety (Vice-chair)
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change | title=2016 Primary Election, Detroit City Council At-Large (Non-Partisan){{Cite web |date=5 January 2022 |title=August 2, 2016 Primary Election Results |url=https://www.waynecounty.com/elected/clerk/august-2-2016-primary.aspx |via=waynecounty.com/elected/clerk}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Janeé L. Ayers (incumbent)
|votes = 25,081
|percentage = 47.31
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = David Alexander Bullock
|votes = 12,135
|percentage = 22.89
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Eric Williams
|votes = 9,085
|percentage = 17.14
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = John W. Cromer
|votes = 3,556
|percentage = 6.71
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Sigmunt John Szczepkowski, Jr.
|votes = 2,876
|percentage = 5.42
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Write-In
|votes = 282
|percentage = 0.53
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 53,015
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=2016 General Election, Detroit City Council At-Large (Non-Partisan){{Cite web |date=5 January 2022 |title=November 8, 2016 General Election Results |url=https://www.waynecounty.com/elected/clerk/november-8-2016-general.aspx |via=waynecounty.com/elected/clerk}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Janeé L. Ayers (incumbent)
|votes = 100,635
|percentage = 60.58
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = David Alexander Bullock
|votes = 63,270
|percentage = 38.09
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Write-In
|votes = 2,207
|percentage = 1.33
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 166,112
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=2017 Primary Election, Detroit City Council At-Large (Non-Partisan){{Cite web |date=5 January 2022 |title=August 7, 2017 Primary Election Results |url=https://www.waynecounty.com/elected/clerk/august-8-2017-primary-special-election-results.aspx |via=waynecounty.com/elected/clerk}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Brenda Jones (incumbent)
|votes = 46,110
|percentage = 45.05
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Janeé L. Ayers (incumbent)
|votes = 25,742
|percentage = 25.15
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Mary Waters
|votes = 17,190
|percentage = 16.79
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Beverly Kindle-Walker
|votes = 6,587
|percentage = 6.44
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Alisa McKinney
|votes = 6,185
|percentage = 6.04
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Write-In
|votes = 545
|percentage = 0.53
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 102,359
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=2017 General Election, Detroit City Council At-Large (Non-Partisan){{Cite web |date=5 January 2022 |title=November 7, 2017 General Election Results |url=https://www.waynecounty.com/elected/clerk/november-7-2017-general-election-results.aspx |via=waynecounty.com/elected/clerk}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Brenda Jones (incumbent)
|votes = 71,306
|percentage = 42.57
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Janeé L. Ayers (incumbent)
|votes = 48,103
|percentage = 28.72
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Mary Waters
|votes = 32,717
|percentage = 19.53
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Beverly Kindle-Walker
|votes = 14,522
|percentage = 8.67
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Write-In
|votes = 859
|percentage = 0.51
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 167,507
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=2021 Primary Election, Detroit City Council At-Large (Non-Partisan){{Cite web |date=5 January 2022 |title=August 5, 2021 Primary Election Results |url=https://www.waynecounty.com/elected/clerk/election-results.aspx |via=waynecounty.com/elected/clerk}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Janeé L. Ayers (incumbent)
|votes = 34,514
|percentage = 30.86
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Coleman A. Young, Jr.
|votes = 34,159
|percentage = 30.54
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Mary Waters
|votes = 26,028
|percentage = 23.27
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Nicole Small
|votes = 11,990
|percentage = 10.72
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Jermain Lee Jones
|votes = 4,647
|percentage = 4.15
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Write-In
|votes = 515
|percentage = 0.46
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 111,853
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=2021 General Election, Detroit City Council At-Large (Non-Partisan){{Cite web |date=5 January 2022 |title=November 2, 2021 General Election Results |url=https://www.waynecounty.com/elected/clerk/election-results.aspx|via=waynecounty.com/elected/clerk}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Coleman A. Young, Jr.
|votes = 48,380
|percentage = 31.26
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Mary Waters
|votes = 41,678
|percentage = 26.93
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Janeé L. Ayers (incumbent)
|votes = 39,001
|percentage = 25.20
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Nicole Small
|votes = 25,306
|percentage = 16.35
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Write-In
|votes = 402
|percentage = 0.26
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 154,767
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
Awards and other honors
- 2016 Michigan Chronicle Woman of Excellence {{cite web|url=http://michronicleonline.com/2016/04/01/announcing-the-2016-men-and-women-of-excellence-honorees/|title=Announcing the 2016 Men and Women of Excellence honorees|author=jjackson675|work=michiganchronicle|date=April 2016|access-date=1 April 2016}}
- 2017 Michigan Democratic Party Martin Luther King Jr. Award
References
External links
- [http://www.detroitmi.gov/Government/City-Council Detroit City Council website]
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160806161036/http://janeeayers.com/ Campaign Website]}}
{{Detroit City Council}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayers, Janee}}
Category:Detroit City Council members
Category:Bowling Green State University alumni
Category:Renaissance High School alumni
Category:Trade unionists from Michigan
Category:African-American city council members in Michigan
Category:21st-century African-American women politicians
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:Women city councillors in Michigan
Category:21st-century Michigan politicians
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees people
Category:African-American trade unionists