By Guy F. Smith
September 29, 2008

Detroit City Council President Ken Cockrel, Jr. on September 19 took the oath of office in a low-key ceremony to become the new Detroit mayor.

A former journalist and the youngest person ever elected to the council assumed leadership after Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick resigned September 4. Kilpatrick had plead guilty to two felony charges in a police whistleblower scandal that had polarized Detroit for months. His formal sentencing is scheduled for October 28.

Cockrel, 42, began his tenure as mayor by launching a website called Detroit Mayoral Transition 2008. His website, according to press reports, seeks to recruit up to 100 “high-energy, dedicated and ethical employees.”

A wayne State University alumnus, Cockrel is a former newspaper reporter who worked for the Detroit Free Press, The Grand Rapids Press and the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Council member Monica Conyers, wife of Michigan Congressman John Conyers, became Council President after Cockrel was sworn in.