Tenisha Yancey

Tenisha Yancey (born August 29, 1976) is a Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing the 1st House District. The 1st House District comprises the cities of Harper Woods, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Shores and a portion of Detroit.

Tenisha Yancey
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 1st district
Assumed office
November 17, 2017
Preceded byBrian Banks
Personal details
Born (1976-08-29) August 29, 1976
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
ChildrenJaylen
ResidenceHarper Woods, Michigan
Alma materEastern Michigan University (B.AS), University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (J.D.)
OccupationAttorney
WebsiteOfficial Website

Yancey was elected in the 2017 Special Election called to fill a vacancy created when former Representative Brian Banks resigned from the seat as part of a plea deal; in response to felony bank fraud charges.[1]

Personal life

Tenisha Yancey is the niece of former United Auto Workers Vice President, Jimmy Settles.[2]

Yancey worked for the Wayne County Executive's office and the Wayne County Land Bank prior to receiving her law degree in 2012. After passing the Michigan Bar in May 2014,[3] she joined the Wayne County Prosecutor's office; where she worked until her employment ended in April 2017.[4]

Criminal history

Over an eighteen month period, Yancey was twice convicted of retail fraud, once in Portage and again in Battle Creek,[1] and charged with stalking, felonious use of a firearm, vandalism and trying to use her car to harm a romantic rival. Yancey has spent a couple months in various county jails.[5]

When Fox 2 interviewed Yancey about her criminal history, she dismissed the charges against her, stating "[t]hat's a lie, yes." In a previous Fox 2 report, Yancey stated, "I did not strike her car at all. That was just the finding of the court." [6] Asked if the judge had ruled incorrectly, Yancey stated. "[h]e got it wrong based on the fact that I didn't strike her car." "Absolutely."[6]

After interviewing Yancey, Fox 2 interviewed Yancey's victim, Latasha Steele. After hearing Yancey's claims, Steele stated "[w]hen I saw the FOX 2 interview that she did, I was livid . . . I was so upset that I felt the need to speak up."[6] When asked about the incident in question, Steele stated "I saw her pull up, I saw her with my own eyes, me." "I saw her. She didn't ever park. You know how you come inside on the street. She stayed in the middle of the street in the car and fired from the car and just took off." Steele said that she didn't see anybody else in the car.[6]

Steele also has a vastly different account of an incident six months later, which resulted in Yancey being charged with felony malicious destruction of property and assault with a dangerous weapon charges. "I and my cousin were inside the car and we were at a stop sign and at first she was riding on the side of us trying to get us to come out of the car," Steele said. ". . . that's when we came to the stop sign and she hit us so hard from the back, she pushed us out into traffic."[6] Steele's cousin, Tanesha Allen, confirmed Steele's account of the incident.[6]

Records show that Yancey pleaded guilty to stalking in August 1995 and served two years' probation. Later in 1997, Yancey was found guilty for failing to stop at the scene of a property damage accident by the same Wayne County court and sentenced to one year of probation.[2]

Political career

Legislative achievements

As of 2018, Yancey has only filed two pieces of legislation. Neither have been heard in Committee.[7]

2016 General Election

Tenisha Yancey was elected to the Harper Woods School Board on November 8, 2016. Yancey has no children attending school in the Harper Woods School District, but cited her experience in the court system as making her qualified to serve on the Board.[8]

2017 Special Primary Election

Although still serving her first term on the Harper Woods School Board, Yancey ran in the August 8, 2017 Special Election Primary against Harper Woods attorney Pamela Sossi. Despite Sossi being regarded as the front runner, Yancey was able to defeat Sossi by 198 votes; Yancey received 32.9 percent of the vote (2215 votes) to Sossi's 30 percent (2017 votes).[9] Sossi, a Harper Woods resident, won the vote in Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Shores and Harper Woods, while Yancey took the Detroit vote.[10]

Yancey ran with the strategic and financial support of her childhood friend, Brian Banks.[5] After her Primary victory, Yancey credited Banks with playing a big role in her campaign.[2] Brian Banks made personal visits in the District to convince his still-loyal constituents to vote for Yancey. "He volunteered a lot," Yancey said of Banks. Without him, "I think it would have been more difficult -- lot more difficult."[2]

Yancey was also the benefactor of significant support from Detroit Mayor, Mike Duggan. Asked why he supported Yancey over Sossi, a former employee of the Mayor's Father, Judge Patrick Duggan,[11] Mayor Duggan stated, "...she is committed to supporting my initiative to reduce car insurance rates for Detroiters, whereas Pam Sossi was in the pocket of the medical providers and unscrupulous attorneys who are ripping off our residents."[12] Despite her promise to Mayor Duggan, Yancey voted against his "D-Insurance" legislation.[13]

Less than two weeks before the Primary, Grosse Pointe Democratic board member, Kirkland Garey, sent a letter to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon and the media, urging Worthy and Napoleon to rescind their support for Yancey because of her criminal record.[14]

2017 Special General Election

In the November 8, 2017 Special Election General, Yancey received 7,266 votes, or 71% of the vote.[1]

Electoral history
Michigan House of Representatives 1st District Special Democratic Primary[15](Wayne County (part))
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tenisha Yancey 2,215 33.01
Democratic Pamela Sossi 2,017 30.06
Democratic Sandra Bucciero 956 14.25
Democratic Justin Johnson 615 9.17
Democratic Washington Youson 415 6.18
Democratic Keith Hollowell 150 2.24
Democratic Kirkland Garey 107 1.59
Democratic Burgess Foster 78 1.16
Democratic John Donahue 76 1.13
Democratic Gowana Mancill Jr. 45 0.67
Democratic Ronald Diebel 36 0.54
Michigan House of Representatives 1st District Special Election[16](Wayne County (part))
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tenisha Yancey 7,266 71.3
Republican Mark Corcoran 2,551 25.0
Libertarian Greg Creswell 334 3.3
Democratic hold

See also

References
  1. "Democrats Tenisha Yancey, Sara Cambensy win state House seats". Detroit Free Press.
  2. "Yancey credits Banks, others in House primary victory". Detroit News.
  3. "State Bar of Michigan Member Directory". State Bar of Michigan.
  4. "Endorsement: Yancey is best choice in special election for Detroit House seat". Detroit Free Press.
  5. "Will a convicted felon replace a convicted felon in Lansing?". Fox 2 Detroit.
  6. "Victim of Michigan House candidate's criminal past comes forward". Fox 2 Detroit.
  7. "Bills by Sponsor". Michigan Legislature.
  8. "Harper Woods school board candidates weigh in prior to election". C and G News.
  9. "1st House District candidate may request recount". Detroit News.
  10. "BREAKING NEWS: Yancey, Corcoran take top spots in District 1 primary". Grosse Pointe News.
  11. "Squished by the Duggan Machine". Detroit Metro Times.
  12. "Mayor Mike Duggan: A Fearless Political Operative". Dome Magazine.
  13. "Here's who voted for, against Michigan auto insurance reform bill". Click on Detroit.
  14. "Dems fight over criminal records, Detroit in House race". Detroit News.
  15. "2017 Michigan Election Results". Michigan Department of State. August 17, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  16. "Election Summary Report General Election - November 7th, 2017" (PDF). Wayne County Clerk's Office. November 29, 2017.
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