Royce Kinniebrew

Royce Kinniebrew (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Michigan's 12th Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on August 6, 2024.

Kinniebrew completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Kinniebrew was a 2018 write-in candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 13th Congressional District of Michigan.^[1]

Biography

Royce Kinniebrew was born in Detroit, Michigan. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1998 and a graduate degree from Marygrove College in 2008. His career experience includes working as an educational consultant. Kinniebrew has been affiliated with the National Alliance of Black School Educators and Blacks in Government.^[2]

Elections

2024

Michigan's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

Michigan's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Incumbent Rashida Tlaib defeated James Hooper, Gary Walkowicz, and Brenda Sanders in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Rashida Tlaib (D)	69.7	253,354
	James Hooper (R)	25.4	92,490
	Gary Walkowicz (Working Class Party)	2.6	9,401
	Brenda Sanders (G)	2.3	8,254

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 363,499
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Incumbent Rashida Tlaib advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on August 6, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Rashida Tlaib	99.9	84,138
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	108

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 84,246
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Royce Kinniebrew (D)
Ryan Foster (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12

James Hooper defeated Linda Sawyer in the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on August 6, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	James Hooper	60.5	12,001
	Linda Sawyer	39.5	7,828

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19,829
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Hassan Nehme (R)
Steven Elliott (R)

Green convention

Green convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Brenda Sanders advanced from the Green convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on July 27, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Brenda Sanders (G)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Working Class Party convention

Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Gary Walkowicz advanced from the Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on June 23, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Gary Walkowicz (Working Class Party)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kinniebrew in this election.

2021

General election

General election for Detroit City Council At-large (2 seats)

Coleman Young II and Mary Waters defeated incumbent Janee Ayers and Nicole Small in the general election for Detroit City Council At-large on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Coleman Young II (Nonpartisan)	31.3	48,380
✔		Mary Waters (Nonpartisan)	26.9	41,678
	Submit photo	Janee Ayers (Nonpartisan)	25.2	39,001
	Submit photo	Nicole Small (Nonpartisan)	16.4	25,306
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	402

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 154,767
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Detroit City Council At-large (2 seats)

The following candidates ran in the primary for Detroit City Council At-large on August 3, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Janee Ayers (Nonpartisan)	30.9	34,514
✔		Coleman Young II (Nonpartisan)	30.5	34,159
✔		Mary Waters (Nonpartisan)	23.3	26,028
✔	Submit photo	Nicole Small (Nonpartisan)	10.7	11,990
	Submit photo	Jermain Jones (Nonpartisan)	4.2	4,647
	Submit photo	Oneita Jackson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.1	78
		Royce Kinniebrew (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	30
	Submit photo	Debra Eddington-Loper (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	26
	Submit photo	Tonya Wells (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	1
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	380

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 111,853
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Steven Lett (Nonpartisan)

2018 regular election

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District election, 2018

Jim Casha, David Dudenhoefer, John Conyers III, Royce Kinniebrew, Kimberly Hill Knott, Douglas Gardner, Danetta Simpson, Brenda Jones, and Jonathan Pommerville ran as write-in candidates.

General election

Rashida Tlaib defeated Sam Johnson and D. Etta Wilcoxon in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on November 6, 2018.

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 13

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Rashida Tlaib (D)	84.2	165,355
	Sam Johnson (Working Class Party)	11.3	22,186
	D. Etta Wilcoxon (G)	4.1	7,980
	Other/Write-in votes	0.4	778

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 196,299
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

John Conyers III (Independent)

Democratic primary

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Rashida Tlaib	31.2	27,841
	Brenda Jones	30.2	26,941
	Bill Wild	14.1	12,613
	Coleman Young II	12.5	11,172
	Ian Conyers	6.6	5,861
	Shanelle Jackson	5.4	4,853

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 89,281
= 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.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018 special election

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District special election, 2018

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District special election (August 7, 2018 Democratic primary)

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District special election (August 7, 2018 Republican primary)

This election was held to replace John Conyers Jr. (D). On December 5, 2017, Conyers announced his resignation from office, effective immediately. The announcement came amid sexual harassment allegations and calls for Conyers' resignation from the Democratic leadership.^[3] The winner completed the rest of the 2017-2018 term to which Conyers was elected.

David Dudenhoefer, Royce Kinniebrew, Clyde Darnell Lynch, Danetta Simpson, and Jonathan Pommerville ran as write-in candidates in the general election. David Dudenhoefer ran as a write-in candidate in the Republican primary, but he did not receive enough votes to advance to the general election.^[4]

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Brenda Jones defeated Marc Joseph Sosnowski and D. Etta Wilcoxon in the special general election for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Brenda Jones (D)	86.8	169,330
	Marc Joseph Sosnowski (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	8.9	17,302
	D. Etta Wilcoxon (G)	4.3	8,319
	Other/Write-in votes	0.0	42

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 194,993
= 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

Danetta Simpson (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Brenda Jones defeated Rashida Tlaib, Bill Wild, and Ian Conyers in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on August 7, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Brenda Jones	37.7	32,769
	Rashida Tlaib	35.8	31,121
	Bill Wild	15.2	13,174
	Ian Conyers	11.2	9,749

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 86,813
= 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

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Royce Kinniebrew completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kinniebrew's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m an educator, author, an entrepreneur that loves his country and community. I’m running because misinformation, disinformation, and lies have divided our great country and jeopardized democracy. Additionally, I want to hep EVERY person of Michigan’s 12th Congressional District improve the quality of their lives ensuring they enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I promise to passionately serve my constituents to the best of my ability.
I am determined to help re-elect president Joseph R. Biden Jr. because he has done an extraordinary job for the American people.
I will oppose those that seek to divide Americans by speaking misinformation, disinformation, and lies. For example, I will push back against the weaponization of race.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The areas of policy I’m interested in are education, healthcare, climate change, and women’s reproductive health and other policy that aligns with the values of the Democratic Party.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

John Lewis was an incredible role model. His work in the Civil Rights Movement and in Congress were impactful to the country.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The U.S. Constitution

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

A true desire to serve your constituents and protect your country are the most important priorities of an elected official.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I think being sympathetic and empathetic to the needs of others are important qualities that I posses. The ability to work with people of different backgrounds is also a quality I posses.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I think when I am elected, I must restore the confidence of my constituents that I work for them and not my own personal interests.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to leave the legacy of being honest, selfless, and patriotic.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Watergate happened during my lifetime and I remember hearing about it when I was five or six years old.

But, I think the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan was the first impactful historical event occurred when I was eleven.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was working in the library for women’s sports on the campus of the University of Iowa.

I had the job for my first year in college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite books changes occasionally based on my reading list. Right now a book called Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People is one of my favorites.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would be Superman because his powers would be useful in this present House.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Lift Every Voice and Sing

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Dealing with poverty and my mother’s mental illness have been a struggle.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The powers of the purse make the House unique as an institution.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes I do believe it is important to have experience in politics and or government. Additionally, there is value in having those with a fresh perspective as long as it aligns with the Constitution.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The United States’ biggest threat is from disaffected citizens who have been led to believe misinformation, disinformation, and lies.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes, two years is an acceptable term length.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I support term limits, but I think they should differ based on the position.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

John Conyers and John Lewis inspire me.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I’ve worked as a teacher and school administrator in my district.

One of my former student’s mother was incarcerated and dying of cancer.

I learned that one of my students mother was addicted to drugs and had occasional allowed men to sexually abuse her daughter for money.

We can make such a positive impact on the lives of people through the wrap around services, we provide in schools.

Tell us your favorite joke.

It’s not appropriate for this platform…lol.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is a necessary part of policymaking as long as it benefits the American people.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I would look to get as much financial assistance to my district as possible.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The House should use its investigative powers without bias and political motivations.

What committees interest you?

The committees on Education and the Workforce, Judiciary, Science, Space, and Technology, and Small Business interest me.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I think that there should be high standards for financial transparency and government accountability.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2021

Royce Kinniebrew did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Michigan District 12

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Michigan.gov, "2018 Write-in Ballot Certification," accessed November 2, 2018
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 4, 2024
↑ Chicago Tribune, "U.S. Rep. John Conyers announces retirement from Congress," December 5, 2017
↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2018 Michigan Results: Primary, Official," accessed July 29, 2020

[show]

Michigan's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Gary Peters (D)

Elissa Slotkin (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jack Bergman (R)

District 2

John Moolenaar (R)

District 3

Hillary Scholten (D)

District 4

Bill Huizenga (R)

District 5

Tim Walberg (R)

District 6

Debbie Dingell (D)

District 7

Tom Barrett (R)

District 8

Kristen Rivet (D)

District 9

Lisa McClain (R)

District 10

John James (R)

District 11

Haley Stevens (D)

District 12

Rashida Tlaib (D)

District 13

Shri Thanedar (D)

Democratic Party (8)

Republican Party (7)

[1] Michigan.gov, "2018 Write-in Ballot Certification," accessed November 2, 2018

[2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 4, 2024

[3] Chicago Tribune, "U.S. Rep. John Conyers announces retirement from Congress," December 5, 2017

[4] Michigan Secretary of State, "2018 Michigan Results: Primary, Official," accessed July 29, 2020

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Royce Kinniebrew

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Green convention

Green convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Working Class Party convention

Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12

Endorsements

2021

General election

General election for Detroit City Council At-large (2 seats)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Detroit City Council At-large (2 seats)

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018 regular election

General election

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018 special election

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2021

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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