Shakira Lynn Hawkins

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Shakira Lynn Hawkins

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 5, 2025

Education

High school

Regina High School

Bachelor's

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1995

Law

University of Detroit Mercy, 1998

Personal

Birthplace

Detroit, Mich.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Shakira Lynn Hawkins ran for election for an at-large seat of the Detroit City Council in Michigan. She lost in the primary on August 5, 2025.

Lynn Hawkins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Shakira Lynn Hawkins was born in Detroit, Michigan. She earned a high school diploma from Regina High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1995, and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1998. Hawkins' career experience includes working as an attorney.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Detroit, Michigan (2025)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

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

Incumbent Mary Waters, incumbent Coleman Young II, Janee Ayers, and James Harris are running in the general election for Detroit City Council At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Mary Waters (Nonpartisan)
		Coleman Young II (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Janee Ayers (Nonpartisan)
		James Harris (Nonpartisan)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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.

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 5, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Waters (Nonpartisan)	32.8	47,845
✔		Coleman Young II (Nonpartisan)	32.1	46,751
✔	Submit photo	Janee Ayers (Nonpartisan)	13.8	20,051
✔		James Harris (Nonpartisan)	7.3	10,649
		Shakira Lynn Hawkins (Nonpartisan)	6.0	8,694
		Valerie Parker (Nonpartisan)	2.9	4,299
	Submit photo	Gary Hunter (Nonpartisan)	2.4	3,471
		Levan Adams (Nonpartisan)	2.3	3,388
	Submit photo	Theodore Dorsette (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	16
	Submit photo	Patricia Hurt (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	2
	Submit photo	Anthony Walker (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	2
	Submit photo	Jenika-Renee' Whitehead (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	1
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	637

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 145,806
= 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

• Victoria Collier (Nonpartisan)
• Ramon Jackson (Nonpartisan)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: Michigan's 13th Congressional District election, 2024

Michigan's 13th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)

Michigan's 13th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 13

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shri Thanedar (D)	68.6	220,788
		Martell Bivings (R)	24.5	78,917
		Simone Coleman (Working Class Party)	4.2	13,367
		Christopher Clark (L)	1.8	5,726
		Christopher Dardzinski (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	0.9	2,825
		Shakira Lynn Hawkins (D) (Write-in)	0.0	25
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	1

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 321,649
= 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

• D. Etta Wilcoxon (G)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Incumbent Shri Thanedar defeated Mary Waters and Shakira Lynn Hawkins in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shri Thanedar	54.9	44,546
		Mary Waters	33.8	27,408
		Shakira Lynn Hawkins	11.3	9,171

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,125
= 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

• Mohammad Alam (D)
• Adam Hollier (D)
• John Conyers III (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Martell Bivings advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Martell Bivings	100.0	13,419

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,419
= 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.

Green convention

Green convention for U.S. House Michigan District 13

D. Etta Wilcoxon advanced from the Green convention for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on July 27, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		D. Etta Wilcoxon (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2
= 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.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Christopher Clark advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on July 20, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Christopher Clark (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= 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.

U.S. Taxpayers Party convention

U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Christopher Dardzinski advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on July 27, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Christopher Dardzinski (U.S. Taxpayers Party)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= 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.

Working Class Party convention

Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 13

Simone Coleman advanced from the Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 13 on June 23, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Simone Coleman (Working Class Party)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lynn Hawkins in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Wayne County, Michigan (2020)

General election

General election for Michigan 3rd Circuit Court (2 seats)

Mary Beth Kelly and Chandra Baker defeated Nicholas Hathaway and Shakira Lynn Hawkins in the general election for Michigan 3rd Circuit Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Beth Kelly (Nonpartisan)	27.7	279,106
✔	Submit photo	Chandra Baker (Nonpartisan)	24.9	250,575
		Nicholas Hathaway (Nonpartisan)	24.8	250,204
		Shakira Lynn Hawkins (Nonpartisan)	21.5	217,113
		Other/Write-in votes	1.1	11,011

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 1,008,009
= 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.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Michigan 3rd Circuit Court (2 seats)

The following candidates ran in the primary for Michigan 3rd Circuit Court on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Beth Kelly (Nonpartisan)	24.0	110,998
✔		Nicholas Hathaway (Nonpartisan)	20.7	95,867
✔	Submit photo	Chandra Baker (Nonpartisan)	19.4	89,943
✔		Shakira Lynn Hawkins (Nonpartisan)	15.7	72,827
		Frank Simone (Nonpartisan)	11.0	50,763
	Submit photo	Deana Beard (Nonpartisan)	8.6	39,754
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	2,652

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 462,804
= 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

• Dennis Donahue (Nonpartisan)

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Shakira Lynn Hawkins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lynn Hawkins' 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 was born and raised in Detroit. My father was an auto worker and a proud member of the UAW. My mother was a Detroit Police Officer and later became a nurse. I graduated from the University of Michigan and then went on to law school. I have practiced law for over 20 years. For over a decade, I was a public defender. Most recently I worked for the City of Detroit as an Administrative Hearing Officer and later as a senior attorney in the law department handling blight litigation. I am a progressive, and I am running for office to make Detroit better for all. For several years, the city has seen economic growth in certain areas, while residents in other areas struggle. I support development but not displacement of longtime residents. We need to grow our economy and strengthen our commu ity but not at the expense of our schools and libraries. Our neighborhoods are suffering from blight, crime, and a lack of affordable housing. The status quo is not woking for everyone. We need leaders who put Detroit first. I am qualified, dedicated, and ready to be the leader our city and its residents need.

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?

• Economic Empowerment - supporting small businesses and creating job opportunities that uplift our communities. We need to partner with our local schools to increase the literacy rate, provide job training, and prepare our youth for careers, and improve public transit.
• Affordable Housing - We need to help more Detroiters achieve home ownership and to stay in the homes they already own. We need to continue and expand home repair programs, work with lenders to help more people access funding to buy homes, reform the Detroit Land Bank, and also make sure that we have sufficient emergency housing.
• Increase Public Safety - Our streets must be safe for all residents. I would propose legislation that prohibits high speed chases, increase community policing, improve response times, and partner with community groups to end gun violence. I would also support increased funding for mental health professionals to be available for police calls when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about environmental protection, partnering with schools to provide better outcomes for students, and tax justice.

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

My parents for instilling in me a sense of fairness and justice, and a desire to serve and to help others.

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

I believe elected officials should have integrity, support transparency in government, and put citizens first. We need leaders who will fight for what's right and promote policies that support the health, safety, and welfare of citizens.

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

I care about my community and want to see everyone thrive.

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

The core responsibilities of members of city council are to approve the budget, act as the legislative body for the City, pass ordinances and resolutions, and make investigations into the affairs of the city and its agencies.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I cared and made the world a better place to live.

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

The Challenger explosion

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

I was a sales clerk at a nursing uniform store in 10th grade. I don't recall how long I worked there.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Both are important and I would work to ensure that the government operated to achieve both to increase public trust in our government institutions.

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.

2024

Shakira Lynn Hawkins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lynn Hawkins' 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 am an attorney and a liberal Democrat. While I have held several positions within the legal field, I have dedicated the bulk of my career to public service. I was a public defender for over a decade, protecting the rights of the accused, pushing for criminal justice reform and access to mental health services for those who came before the court. Following the pandemic, I worked for the City of Detroit as an Administrative Hearing Officer for the Dept. of Aapeals and Hearings (DAH) and currently, I work for the City of Detroit Law Dept, as a Senior Assistant Corporation Counsel - TASS Attorney where I work in blight litigation. I am a progressive Democrat running for Congress to fight fascism, protect our freedom and democracy, and to address the issues that matter to the people in my district.

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 will fight to protect civil liberties, freedom, and democracy.
• Democracy has to work for everyone.
• I will be a strong voice for the people.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about climate change, protecting the environment and animals and their natural habitats; universal healthcare and lowering the cost of prescription medication; reproductive freedom and increased funding for women's health issues; common sense gun legislation; voter protection; imposing a wealth tax and eliminating tax cuts for large corporations; clean air and water; small business funding; and higher wages for workers and the disabled, and strengthening unions.

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

I greatly love and admire my mother. My parents were divorced when I was two years old and both continued to be a major influence throughout my life, but my mother has taught to me to be strong, to have faith, to believe in myself, to value education, how to be a good mother, and how to overcome adversity, and to never give up. Life is full of ups and downs. Resiliency amd a positive attitude are key, and that has made me the person that I am today.

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

I think important characteristics include civility, honesty, integrity, empathy, effective communication skills, intelligence,
the ability to negotiate, critical thinking, and reasoning skills, and a commitment to public service and the betterment of society, rather than self-aggrandizement.

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

I am smart, strong-minded, empathetic, hard-working, and passionate.
I care about others and the world around me. I believe we need strong leaders to protect and defend our fragile democracy. I have dedicated my career to public service and the fight for truth and justice. I belive those qualities would enable me to be a source for positive change at the national level.

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

The core responsibilities include making laws and policies, representing constituents, being a resource for assistance with federal agencies, addressing public concerns, allocating resources, and bringing federal funds to the district.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy of having helped to protect the planet and wildlife, preserve freedom and democracy, and having made the world safer, cleaner, more just, and peaceful.

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

I recall watching the Challenger explosion on TV in my elementary school library. Don't recall my age or grade at the time.

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

My first job was working as a sales clerk at a uniform store. I was in the 10th grade and don't recall how long I had the job.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Too many to list as an adult but in pre-school, my favorite was "Where the Wild Things Are" because I could identify with the spirit of the main character and loved the imaginary world he visited. In elementary school, my favorite was "Charlotte's Web" because I've always loved animals, nature, and a happy ending, even though, spoiler alert, Charlotte dies. In high school, my favorite was "The Color Purple." Again, I love a happy ending and it's a story of strength during adversity, but also the power of love and redemption.

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

Wonder Woman, of course. I'm tall and could easily be an Amazon. Plus, she has the best outfits.

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

"Flowers" by Miley Cyrus

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

Winning an election. I hope to change that in 2024. If you're reading this and live in my district, I'd greatly appreciate your vote. Let me fight for you in Congress.

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

Direct experience is usually beneficial but by no means is it required to be effective. Someone could hold a position and be totally ineffective, whereas someone else with little or no experience could get the same position and do a significantly better job, as a result of drive and determination.

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

I perceive the nation's greatest challenges include apathy, racial hatred, fighting fascism and authoritarianism, voter suppression, immigration, healthcare, affordable education, gun violence, and the erosion of civil rights.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I favor term limits. I think that government works best when there is diversity of thoughts, ideas, and experience.

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

Shirley Chisholm, John Lewis, and Bernie Sanders

Tell us your favorite joke.

Justice is a dish best served cold. Otherwise, it's just water.

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

I think that compromise is sometimes required if any progress is to be made. However, I also believe policy-makers should look for opportunities where both sides gain, rather than scenarios where one side wins and the other loses; i.e., win-win rather than win-lose.

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?

If elected, this power would play a significant role in my priorities. Part of my platform includes tax cuts for the middle class, imposing a wealth tax, eliminating tax breaks for large corporations, and taxing certain financial transactions.

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

The investigative powers of the U.S. House should be used to hold hearings on public matters, subpoena witnesses or documents, and oversee the executive branch.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

My campaign is just getting started, and we are still working on getting endorsements. Please check out my website HawkinsforCongress2024.com for updates.

What committees interest you?

Appropriations,

Education and the Workforce,
Energy and Commerce,
Ethics,
Foreign Affairs,
Homeland Security,
Judiciary,
Intelligence,
Natural Resources
Small Business,
Science, Space, and Technology,
Ways and Means

And the Joint Committee on Taxation

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.

2020

Shakira Lynn Hawkins did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

---

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

Shakira Lynn Hawkins campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Michigan District 13	Lost general	$250	$790
Grand total			$250	$790
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2025 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Personal

Facebook

Instagram