The Michigan Senate is the upper body of the Michigan state legislature. ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Settled 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government  - Type Strong Mayor-Council  - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Area  - City  143. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Hansen Clarke (born March 2, 1957 in Detroit, Michigan) is a Democratic Michigan State Senator from Detroit. He has served in the state Senate since 2003, and currently represents Michigan's 1st state Senate district.^[1][2] March 2 is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Settled 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government  - Type Strong Mayor-Council  - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Area  - City  143. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... The Michigan Senate is the upper body of the Michigan state legislature. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ...

Early life and Education

Hansen Clarke grew up in Detroit's lower east side. His mother had to work as a crossing guard to try and make ends meet. Hansen's journey out of poverty began in the third grade when an observant school teacher recognized his artistic ability and urged his mother Thelma to provide him with lessons. Private lessons were out of the question on a crossing guard's salary. However, being a resourceful person, she was able to arrange for the Detroit Institute of Arts to pay for the lessons through a grant. From there, Clarke went on to high school at Cass Tech, and then was admitted to a prestigious East-coast prep school to complete his high school.

Hard work and innate artistic ability eventually lead to a scholarship offer from Cornell University. During his time there, he received the devastating news that his mother Thelma had died. "I felt that I was alone as a person," said Clarke. "I can see now how all of that impacted the person I became. That's why I'm so quick to protect other people. When I see someone alone and vulnerable I can relate to what they are going through."

Clarke worked through that pain, and graduated with a degree in fine arts. However, while there, he became interested in politics when was troubled by how few minorities there were on campus. Concerned that the university might be moving away from providing need-based scholarships to disadvantaged students, he decided to run for the student seat on the Cornell University Board of Trustees. After beating out another political dynamo, Anne Coulter,he with served with great distinction throughout his senior year.

After his time at Cornell, Hansen Clarke decided to pursue a career in law. He was accepted into Georgetown Law School where he graduated in 1984 with a Juris Doctorate.

Career

Hansen Clarke worked as chief of staff to Representative John Conyers, as well as in Wayne County during the administration of Edward McNamara.

Clarke was first elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1990 and served one term before being defeated in the Democratic primary in 1992 by Joe Young Jr. In 1998 and 2000, Clark was re-elected to the Michigan House. Cora B. Anderson House of Representatives Office Building, Downtown Lansing The Michigan State House of Representatives is the lower body of the Michigan Legislature. ...

Hansen Clarke was then elected to the Michigan Senate in 2002, defeating incumbent Senator Ray Murphy. After an unsuccessful mayoral bid in 2005, Senator Clarke was re-elected to his seat in the Senate in 2006.

Politics

Senator Clarke says he sees a disconnect between many Detroiters and their elected officials which he feels leads to a sense of powerlessness in much of the inner city community. "I want to inspire citizens that their government can help them. I know that sounds like rhetoric but I believe it."

Clark feels that it's often because voters don't hold their elected officials accountable that many of the problems of the inner city go uncorrected. "I tell my constituents that I want them to hold me accountable. You don't normally see problems with blighted buildings or under-performing schools in the suburbs. That's because voters in the suburbs hold their elected officials accountable."

Senator Clarke brings influence to Detroit by way of his appointment as Minority Vice Chair of the Health Policy and Commerce and Tourism committees. The Senator says he is focusing this year is on providing better health care to families that need the coverage, lowering auto and home insurance rates, and helping to turn around the state’s recent economic downturn.

Senator Clarke is very concerned with the issues facing Detroiters on a daily basis. The Senator is pioneering ways in the State Senate to try to lower the auto and home insurance rates that are plaguing the city. The process of insurance red-lining is discriminatory and must be stopped.

The safety of all citizens of Detroit is a concern. Therefore, the Senator is pursuing legislation to strengthen the criminal codes in Michigan in regards to hate crimes, promote ways to end domestic violence, and to encourage healthy and safe decisions.

Another major issue the Senator would like to tackle is the divestment of the State of Michigan's pension funds from the nation of Sudan. Ever since the genocide began in 2004, there has been an outcry to pull US assets out of the country. Seeing the continuing failure of the federal government to act, and seeing the continuing humanitarian crisis, Senator Clarke felt that it was the time for the state of Michigan to act if the federal government would not. His legislation proposed in the State Senate, along with a complement in the House from Rep. Wheeler-Smith, would pull all monies from State pension funds out of companies that do business in the country of Sudan.

The state budget is a major concern as well. Senator Clarke feels that part of the problem with the state budget process is that state agencies have no incentive not to spend. "If you gave them an incentive, managers would find creative ways to save money," said Clarke. "My mother, on a crossing guard salary, always found creative ways to provide for me. She could do it because she was committed to me. We need to get state government to show that same type of commitment to our citizens."

Electoral history

• 2006 election for Michigan State Senate - Michigan 1st District

Name	Percent
Hansen Clarke (D) (inc.)	95.5%
Cynthia Cassell (R)	4.5%

• 2006 election for Michigan State Senate - Michigan 1st District (Democratic primary)

Name	Percent
Hansen Clarke (inc.)	66.0%
Lamar Lemmons, III	22.9%
Martha Waters	11.1%

• 2002 election for Michigan State Senate - Michigan 1st District

Name	Percent
Hansen Clarke (D)	93.7%
Cynthia Cassell (R)	6.3%%

• 2002 election for Michigan State Senate - Michigan 1st District (Democratic primary)

Name	Percent
Hansen Clarke	48.1%
Raymond M. Murphy	33.1%%
Ellen M. Logan	17.4%

References

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (69th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (69th in leap years). ...

External links

• State Senator Hansen Clarke official site
• Michigan Bureau of Elections - Hansen Clarke (State Senate) campaign finance reports and data
• Michigan Bureau of Elections - Hansen Clarke (State House) campaign finance reports and data
• Michiganliberal.com - 1st Michigan State Senate District profile and discussion