Detroit mayoral elections, 2009

The Detroit mayoral elections of 2009 took place on May 5, 2009, with a primary on February 24, 2009 to fill the vacancy created when Kwame Kilpatrick resigned as Mayor.

The regularly scheduled election occurred on November 3, 2009, following the primary on August 4, 2009. The May election is a special election, as mandated by Detroit's City Charter, to determine who will serve out the remaining months in the term of former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned in September 2008. The November election was the regularly scheduled municipal election. Detroit mayoral elections are contested on a non-partisan basis.

2009 Special Election

Incumbent mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr., who as president of the Detroit City Council became acting mayor upon Kilpatrick's resignation, ran in the special election. Other candidates included Dave Bing, a community leader and former NBA professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons, Freman Hendrix, former deputy mayor and a mayoral candidate in 2005, Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans, and others.^[1] Dave Bing and incumbent mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. won the top two spots in the special primary on February 24 and proceeded to contest the special general election on May 5. Bing won this election with 52% of the vote and was sworn in as Mayor on May 11.^[2]

Primary Results

Detroit Mayoral Election Primary, 2009 (special)[3]
Candidate		Votes	%	±%
Dave Bing		26,337	28.82
Ken Cockrel, Jr.		24,677	27.00
Freman Hendrix		21,208	23.21
Warren Evans		9,193	10.06
Coleman Young		3,744	4.10
Sharon McPhail		2,565	2.81
Nicholas Hood		2,077	2.27
Jerroll Sanders		336	.37
D. Etta Wilcoxon		309	.34
Brenda Sanders		199	.22
Donald Bradley		157	.17
Duane Montgomery		152	.17
Write-In		136	.15
Stanley Michael Christmas		103	.11
Joseph Holt		101	.11
Frances Culver		87	.10

General Election Results

Detroit Mayoral Election General, 2009 (special)[4]
Candidate		Votes	%	±%
Dave Bing		49,054	52%	+23%
Ken Cockrel, Jr.		44,770	48%	+22%

2009 Regular Election

In the August 4 primary for the regular election, Mayor Dave Bing captured 74% of the vote. He faced off against businessman Tom Barrow in the November 3 election winning by capturing 56% of the vote.^[5]

Primary Results

Detroit Mayoral Election Primary, 2009 (regular)[6]
Candidate		Votes	%	±%
Dave Bing		68,623	73.90
Tom Barrow		10,302	11.09
Jerroll Sanders		9,322	10.04
Duane Montgomery		1,911	2.06
Dartagnan M. Collier		1,265	1.36
Bob Allman		873	.94
Write-In		566	.61

General Election Results

Detroit Mayoral Election General, 2009 (regular)[7]
Candidate		Votes	%	±%
Dave Bing		70,060	56%	-18%
Tom Barrow		50,757	41%	+30%
Write-In		3,849	3%	+3%

References

1. ^ http://detroit.donyell.net/?p=788
2. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=7554872
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ Channel 7 Action News
5. ^ http://www.freep.com/article/20090805/NEWS01/908050446/Bing-cruises--new-look-takes-shape-for-council
6. ^ [2]
7. ^ City of Detroit, Michigan General Election, November 3, 2009, Department of Election, accessed November 12, 2009