Craig Covey
Encyclopedia
Craig Covey is an American politician who served as mayor of Ferndale, Michigan
. He was the first openly-gay mayor of any municipality in the state of Michigan
. A Democrat
, at noon on January 3, 2011 he left his mayoral office and took the open 25th district seat on the Oakland County Commission
.
Born in Columbus, Ohio
, Covey has lived in Michigan since 1985 and in Ferndale since buying a house there in 1989.
Elected mayor of Ferndale on November 6, 2007, he was sworn into office on January 14, 2008 for a two-year term, succeeding three-term mayor Robert Porter. He was re-elected unopposed in November 2009. In 2010, he ran for the Oakland County Commission in district 25, succeeding Dave Coulter (D-Ferndale). He won a three-way Democratic primary on August 3, 2010 and bested a Republican in the November general election in a reliably Democratic district.
Prior to being elected mayor, Covey was a long-time member of the Ferndale city council, having served from 1999 to 2008. He served as Mayor pro tem from 2003 to 2005.
Besides political activity, Covey was also CEO of the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP) and Chief Operating Officer of the Michigan AIDS Coaltion, the organization resulting from the merging of MAPP and the Michigan AIDS Fund in 2009. In 2011, he created Ferndale Pride, a gay pride street festival that grew out of Motor City Pride's move from Ferndale to Detroit that same year.
Ferndale, Michigan
Ferndale is adjacent to the cities of Detroit to the south, Oak Park to the west, Hazel Park to the east, Pleasant Ridge to the north, Royal Oak Township to the southwest, and Royal Oak to the north....
. He was the first openly-gay mayor of any municipality in the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, at noon on January 3, 2011 he left his mayoral office and took the open 25th district seat on the Oakland County Commission
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
.
Born in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Covey has lived in Michigan since 1985 and in Ferndale since buying a house there in 1989.
Elected mayor of Ferndale on November 6, 2007, he was sworn into office on January 14, 2008 for a two-year term, succeeding three-term mayor Robert Porter. He was re-elected unopposed in November 2009. In 2010, he ran for the Oakland County Commission in district 25, succeeding Dave Coulter (D-Ferndale). He won a three-way Democratic primary on August 3, 2010 and bested a Republican in the November general election in a reliably Democratic district.
Prior to being elected mayor, Covey was a long-time member of the Ferndale city council, having served from 1999 to 2008. He served as Mayor pro tem from 2003 to 2005.
Besides political activity, Covey was also CEO of the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP) and Chief Operating Officer of the Michigan AIDS Coaltion, the organization resulting from the merging of MAPP and the Michigan AIDS Fund in 2009. In 2011, he created Ferndale Pride, a gay pride street festival that grew out of Motor City Pride's move from Ferndale to Detroit that same year.