Michigan State Rep. leaves Democratic Party, accuses Democrats of not respecting Blacks

Michigan State Rep. leaves Democratic Party, accuses Democrats of not respecting Blacks

By Victor Trammell

      Michigan House Representative John Olumba (pictured) represents the 5th District of Michigan in the state legislature.

     Olumba is from Detroit, Michigan and has been a member of the Democratic Party his whole political career. He was elected to the Michigan State Legislature in a landslide victory after the mid-term elections of November of 2010.

     However, today at a news conference, Olumba announced that he has left the Democratic Party. The 31-year-old law maker announced that his is joing the Independent Party. Olumba is the now the sole member of the Independent Urban Democracy Caucus.

     Rep. Olumba stated that his reasons for leaving the Democratic Party include the party’s condescending treatment of Blacks and Detroiters. Olumba also said the party’s failure to appoint any Blacks or Detoriters to the Michigan House Tax Policy Committee motivated his decision to leave the party. At the press conference, Olumba said:

     “The Democratic Party has to start recognizing its most loyal constituents. We’ve been sterilized from the two most important committees in Lansing,” (The Detroit Free Press)

     The Democrats in the Michigan State Legislature appointed Democratic House Rep. Fred Durhal Jr. (who is Black) to the Appropriation Commitee. However, Durhal will have to leave the state legislature in 2014 because of term limits. With Rep. Olumba’s departure from the Michigan State Legislature, Republicans hold currently a 59-50 majority in the state’s House of Representatives.