George Cushingberry Jr.

George Cushingberry Jr.

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Wayne County Commissioners

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Michigan House of Representatives District 8

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Detroit City Council District 2

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 7, 2018

Education

High school

Detroit Cass Technical High School

Bachelor's

Wayne State University

Graduate

Wayne State University

Law

University of Detroit

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal website

Personal Facebook

George Cushingberry Jr. was a member of the Detroit City Council in Michigan, representing District 2. Cushingberry assumed office in 2014. Cushingberry left office in 2017.

Cushingberry (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Michigan State Senate to represent District 2. Cushingberry lost in the Democratic primary on August 7, 2018.

Cushingberry also ran in a special election to the Michigan State Senate to represent District 2. Cushingberry lost in the special Democratic primary on August 7, 2018.

Cushingberry is the former nonpartisan District 2 representative on the Detroit City Council in Michigan. First elected in 2013, Cushingberry lost a re-election campaign in the primary election on August 8, 2017.

Before becoming a member of the city council, Cushingberry was a Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing the 8th District from 1975 to 1983, and from 2005 to 2011. At the time of his election in 1974, Cushingberry was the youngest House member in Michigan history.

Biography

Cushingberry was born on January 6, 1953, and attended Detroit Cass Technical High School. He received a bachelor's and master's degree from Wayne State University and earned a J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. His professional experience includes working as an attorney and owning the Law Firm of George Cushingberry and Associates. He and his wife, Maria Hazel Drew Cushingberry, have two children.

Elections

2018

Special

See also: Michigan state legislative special elections, 2018

A special election for the position of Michigan State Senate District 2 was called for November 6, 2018, with a primary scheduled for August 7, 2018. The filing deadline for this election was April 24, 2018.

The seat became vacant following Bert Johnson's (D) resignation on March 2, 2018, after he pleaded guilty to theft.

General election

Special general election for Michigan State Senate District 2

Adam Hollier won election in the special general election for Michigan State Senate District 2 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Hollier (D)	100.0	55,827

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 55,827
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

The following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Hollier	27.7	6,938
		Abraham Aiyash	23.0	5,766
		Brian Banks	18.9	4,725
		LaMar Lemmons	10.0	2,512
	Submit photo	Joe Ricci	7.8	1,957
		John Olumba	7.0	1,747
		George Cushingberry Jr.	4.5	1,121
	Submit photo	Tommy Campbell	1.1	265

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,031
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jeremy Henner (D)

Regular

See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Michigan State Senate District 2

Adam Hollier defeated Lisa Papas in the general election for Michigan State Senate District 2 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Hollier (D)	75.7	53,920
	Submit photo	Lisa Papas (R)	24.3	17,288
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	1

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 71,209
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Hollier	25.2	6,938
		Abraham Aiyash	21.0	5,766
		Brian Banks	17.2	4,725
	Submit photo	Regina Williams	9.5	2,598
		LaMar Lemmons	9.1	2,512
		John Olumba	6.4	1,747
		George Cushingberry Jr.	4.1	1,121
	Submit photo	Anam Miah	3.4	931
	Submit photo	Lawrence Gannan	2.0	555
	Submit photo	William Phillips	1.2	328
	Submit photo	Tommy Campbell	1.0	265

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,486
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

Lisa Papas defeated John Hauler in the Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Lisa Papas	54.1	3,879
		John Hauler	45.9	3,289

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,168
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Detroit, Michigan (2017)

The city of Detroit, Michigan, held elections for mayor, city council, city clerk, and the Detroit Board of Police Commisisoners on November 7, 2017. A primary election was held on August 8, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 25, 2017.

The following candidates ran in the primary election for District 2 on the Detroit City Council.

Detroit City Council, District 2 Primary Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Roy McCalister Jr.	24.85%	3,162
Virgil Smith	22.10%	2,812
George Cushingberry Jr. Incumbent	19.65%	2,501
Helena Scott	17.85%	2,271
Linda Bernard	9.39%	1,195
Tyra Dear-Williams	5.28%	672
Write-in votes	0.88%	112
Total Votes		12,725
Source: Wayne County Clerk, "2017 Primary Official Results," accessed August 23, 2017

2013

General election

Cushingberry won election to the Detroit City Council on November 5, 2013.

City Council of Detroit, Michigan - District 2, 2013
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	George Cushingberry, Jr.	52.9%	13,259
	Nonpartisan	Richard J. Bowers, Jr.	46.4%	11,642
	Nonpartisan	Write-in	0.7%	185
Total Votes				25,086
Source: City of Detroit Department of Elections

Primary election

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

Lisa Papas defeated John Hauler in the Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Hollier	25.2	6,938
		Abraham Aiyash	21.0	5,766
		Brian Banks	17.2	4,725
	Submit photo	Regina Williams	9.5	2,598
		LaMar Lemmons	9.1	2,512
		John Olumba	6.4	1,747
		George Cushingberry Jr.	4.1	1,121
	Submit photo	Anam Miah	3.4	931
	Submit photo	Lawrence Gannan	2.0	555
	Submit photo	William Phillips	1.2	328
	Submit photo	Tommy Campbell	1.0	265

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,486
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Lisa Papas	54.1	3,879
		John Hauler	45.9	3,289

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,168
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2010

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2010

Cushingberry ran for re-election to the District 8 seat in 2010. He was defeated by Thomas Stallworth III in the August 3 Democratic primary.

2008

On November 4, 2008, George Cushingberry, Jr. ran for District 8 of the Michigan House of Representatives, beating Thomas Jones.

George Cushingberry, Jr. raised $64,415 for his campaign.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 8
Candidates		Votes
George Cushingberry, Jr. (D)		38,222
Thomas Jones (L)		1,224

Campaign themes

2017

See also: Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey

Cushingberry Jr. participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:

“	Taking back financial control of our City from the State of Michigan. They have done a lousy job of management and the Emergency Manager was a complete disaster.	”
—George Cushingberry Jr. (June 27, 2017)

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.

Issue importance ranking
Candidate's ranking	Issue	Candidate's ranking	Issue
1	Public pensions/retirement funds	7	No item ranked at this value by the candidate.
2	City services (trash, utilities, etc.)	8	No item ranked at this value by the candidate.
3	Environment	9	No item ranked at this value by the candidate.
4	Housing	10	No item ranked at this value by the candidate.
5	Transportation	11	No item ranked at this value by the candidate.
6	No item ranked at this value by the candidate.	12	No item ranked at this value by the candidate.

Nationwide municipal issues

The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.

Question	Response
Is it important for the city’s budget to be balanced?Answer options: Not important; Not important, but required by state law; A little important; A little important, but required by state law; Important; Very important	Very important
Which level of government do you feel should set a minimum wage?Answer options: None, Local, State, Federal	Federal
What do you think is the best way to improve a city’s public safety? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Increased economic opportunities, Increased police presence/activity, Harsher penalties for offenders, Public outreach/education programs	Increased economic opportunities
How do you think your city should emphasize economic development? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Changing zoning restrictions, Create a more competitive business climate, Focusing on small business development, Instituting a citywide minimum wage, Recruiting new businesses to your city, Regulatory and licensing reforms, and tax reform	All of the above
What is the one thing you’re most proud of about your city?	The heart of the people who stay determined no matter what.
What is the one thing you’d most like to change about your city?	Exiting State of Michigan Financial Control by Dec 31, 2017

Voting record

Key votes of 2009-2010

• Super Speedway, Lawmakers voting on whether To Extend A Special Tax Perk for a super speedway.
• Driver Responsibility Fees, Lawmakers voting on whether To Impose 'driver responsibility fees.'
• Crony Capitalism, Lawmakers voting on whether To Restrict The Right of shareholders to sell their own stock.
• Right to Work, Lawmakers voting on an amendment Supporting Right-To-Work zones.
• Dept. of State Cost-Saving, Lawmakers voting on whether To Slow Down Progress On The Secretary Of State's Cost-Saving Consolidation Plan.
• Golf Carts, Lawmakers voting on whether To Subsidize the production of electric vehicle batteries.
• Home Court Disadvantage, Lawmakers voting on whether To Give More Taxing Power to local government in Kalamazoo so it can finance a taxpayer-subsidized sports arena.
• Fire Safe Cigarettes, Lawmakers voting on whether To Ban the sale of cigarettes that are not "fire safe."
• Balancing Act, Lawmakers voting on a budget to Cut Revenue Sharing Payments to local governments as a way to balance the state budget without raising taxes.
• Balancing Act 2, Lawmakers voting on a cut of less than 3 percent to K-12 school aid payments so as to balance the state budget without tax increases.
• A Good Tax Gone Bad?, Law

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Hollier	25.2	6,938
		Abraham Aiyash	21.0	5,766
		Brian Banks	17.2	4,725
	Submit photo	Regina Williams	9.5	2,598
		LaMar Lemmons	9.1	2,512
		John Olumba	6.4	1,747
		George Cushingberry Jr.	4.1	1,121
	Submit photo	Anam Miah	3.4	931
	Submit photo	Lawrence Gannan	2.0	555
	Submit photo	William Phillips	1.2	328
	Submit photo	Tommy Campbell	1.0	265

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,486
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

More voting record details

• L

Lisa Papas defeated John Hauler in the Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Lisa Papas	54.1	3,879
		John Hauler	45.9	3,289

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,168
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Committee assignments, 2009-2010

• Appropriations (Chair)

Campaign finance summary

Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.

Endorsements

2017

Cushingberry received the following endorsements in 2017:

• Michigan Regional Council of Millwrights and Carpenters
• Local 24 Hospitality Workers Union
• Laborers Local 1199
• 13th District Congressional Democrats
• Wayne County Democratic Black Caucus
• Metro Detroit AFL-CIO
• The Black Slate of Detroit
• UAW Region 1A
• Teamsters Joint Council #43

See also

• Michigan State Senate elections, 2018
• Michigan State Senate
• Michigan State Senate District 2
• Michigan

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

Lisa Papas defeated John Hauler in the Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 2 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Hollier	25.2	6,938
		Abraham Aiyash	21.0	5,766
		Brian Banks	17.2	4,725
	Submit photo	Regina Williams	9.5	2,598
		LaMar Lemmons	9.1	2,512
		John Olumba	6.4	1,747
		George Cushingberry Jr.	4.1	1,121
	Submit photo	Anam Miah	3.4	931
	Submit photo	Lawrence Gannan	2.0	555
	Submit photo	William Phillips	1.2	328
	Submit photo	Tommy Campbell	1.0	265

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,486
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Lisa Papas	54.1	3,879
		John Hauler	45.9	3,289

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,168
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Michigan State Senate
• Profile from the City of Detroit
• Campaign website
• Facebook

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Detroit City Council, District 2 2014–2017	Succeeded by Roy McCalister Jr.
Preceded by -	Michigan House of Representatives District 8 2005–2011	Succeeded by Thomas Stallworth III

[show]

Current members of the Michigan State Senate

Senators

District 1

Erika Geiss (D)

District 2

Sylvia Santana (D)

District 3

Stephanie Chang (D)

District 4

Darrin Camilleri (D)

District 5

Dayna Polehanki (D)

District 6

Mary Cavanagh (D)

District 7

Jeremy Moss (D)

District 8

Mallory McMorrow (D)

District 9

Michael Webber (R)

District 10

Paul Wojno (D)

District 11

Veronica Klinefelt (D)

District 12

Kevin Hertel (D)

District 13

Rosemary Bayer (D)

District 14

Sue Shink (D)

District 15

Jeff Irwin (D)

District 16

Joseph Bellino (R)

District 17

Jonathan Lindsey (R)

District 18

Thomas Albert (R)

District 19

Sean McCann (D)

District 20

Aric Nesbitt (R)

District 21

Sarah Anthony (D)

District 22

Lana Theis (R)

District 23

Jim Runestad (R)

District 24

Ruth Johnson (R)

District 25

Dan Lauwers (R)

District 26

Kevin Daley (R)

District 27

John Cherry (D)

District 28

Sam Singh (D)

District 29

Winnie Brinks (D)

District 30

Mark Huizenga (R)

District 31

Roger Victory (R)

District 32

Jon Bumstead (R)

District 33

Rick Outman (R)

District 34

Roger Hauck (R)

District 35

Vacant

District 36

Michele Hoitenga (R)

District 37

John Damoose (R)

District 38

Ed McBroom (R)

Democratic Party (19)

Republican Party (18)

Vacancies (1)