Conyers Resignation Sets the Stage for Conyers v. Conyers

Announcing his retirement, Congressman John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) endorsed his oldest son, John Conyers III, to succeed him in Congress. The unexpected move surprised many and perhaps even his own great-nephew, MI state Senator Ian Conyers, who has already announced plans to run. Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder will have to schedule a special election to replace Conyers. Conyers III, 27, has never held elected office and caused an ethics problem in late 2010. The Congressman had to reimburse the U.S. Treasury $5,682 for his son’s misuse of his taxpayer-funded Cadillac Escalade. Conyers’ endorsement of his son was seen as a snub of Sen. Conyers. The Detroit News reports that the potential family feud quickly escalated when Sen. Conyers retweeted -- but later deleted -- a link to a 2010 blog highlighting controversial social media posts by Conyers III and suggested his family "needs to do damage control immediately." The posts included multiple photos of Conyers III, then underage, posing with bottles of alcohol, including one picture of him holding a bottle of Moet behind the steering wheel of his father's Cadillac. In the words of JAY-Z: no one wins when the family feuds. And there will likely be other contenders as well. Wayne County Sheriff and former Detroit mayoral candidate Benny Napoleon is also likely to run. Former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Muslim woman elected to the Michigan Legislature, may run as well. We’ll be paying close attention and keep you posted. More here.