Poll: Re-Election Difficulties for LGBT Allies Conyers and Kilpatrick?

Two of the biggest names in Detroit politics and two of the LGBT community's biggest supporters on Capitol Hill face serious re-election difficulties in 2010, according to a new poll published by the Detroit Free Press. Reps. John Conyers Jr. and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, both of whom have been tainted by federal corruption convictions involving family members, each lose to hypothetical opponents if the election were held today.

A poll of 300 voters each in Kilpatrick's and Conyers' congressional districts shows that only 27% of the people polled would vote for Kilpatrick. Conyers' numbers are stronger with 40% of the people polled saying they would vote for him. But only 34% of voters in Kilpatrick's district and just 22% in Conyers' district say the problems of their son and wife, respectively, affect their opinions of the two Congress members.

Kilpatrick is the mother of the disgraced and anti-gay former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Conyers, the veteran congressman who chairs the powerful House Judiciary Committee, is the husband of former Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers who recently pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges. Cheeks Kilpatrick is considered "the weakest of the two," reports the Free Press.

At 80-years-old, Conyers is the second-longest serving member in the House. Conyers is the lead sponsor of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, also known as the Matthew Shepard Act. Conyers and Kilpatrick both signed the recent letters to the Obama Administration demanding an end to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" investigations and declaring they would not vote for health care reform without a public option. Conyers has a 100% HRC Rating. Cheeks Kilpatrick is rated at 85%. 

Conyers and Kilpatrick Could Have it Tough [Det FreeP]

Comments

[Isis]

I'm NOT surprised by this at all. When you are directly connected to corrupt individuals like Kwame and Monica, its hard to disassociate yourself from them. I hope both Both Conyers and Cheeks-Kilpatrick are able to overcome downturn in popularity.

[Steve]

Are they having trouble coz they are unpopular or coz of the corruption surrounding them?

[Kevjack]

Conyers has really stepped into it with this radio bill he is sponsoring that has met with significant backlash from black radio. The scandal involving his wife has drifted very close to him, and remember that years ago he was accused of using his aides as servants who did everything from picking up drycleaning to babysitting on the taxpayers dime.

And in a cruel twist of fate Carolyn needs to just use Cheeks. I don't think people in Detroit want to vote for a Kilpatrick right now!!

[kayman]

LOL, Yeah, John and Carolyn have serious family connections with corruption for sure. John's wife, Monica was a complete hoodrat on the Detroit City Council. Carolyn's son is a convicted criminal who was acting like mob boss when he was Detroit's mayor, so you all you have to do is connect the dots.