# Tenisha Yancey

Tenisha Renee Yancey (born August 29, 1976) formerly served as a Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives, where she represented the 1st House District.
Yancey was elected in the 2017 Special Election called to fill a vacancy created when former representative Brian Banks resigned after being charged with fraud.

## Personal life

Yancey is the niece of former United Auto Workers Vice President, Jimmy Settles.
Yancey worked for the Wayne County Executive's office and the Wayne County Land Bank prior to receiving her Juris Doctor degree in 2012. After passing the Michigan Bar in May 2014, Yancey joined the Wayne County Prosecutor's office; where she worked until her employment ended in April 2017.

### Legal issues

In 1995, when Yancey was a teenager, she was found guilty of retail fraud and pleaded guilty to stalking. She served two years' probation for the stalking incident. Two years later, in 1997, she was sentenced to one year's probation for not stopping at the scene of a property damage accident.

## Political career
### 2016 General Election

Tenisha Yancey was elected to the Harper Woods School Board on November 8, 2016. Yancey had no children attending school in the Harper Woods School District, but cited her experience in the court system as making her qualified to serve on the Board.

### 2017 Special Primary Election

After the resignation of Brian Banks due to pending legal issues, Yancey ran in the 2017 special primary election to replace him in Michigan's 1st House District. A friend of Bank's, he volunteered in her campaign. She earned 33 percent of the vote in the primaries against attorney Pamela Sossi. In the primary and election, she was supported by then mayor Mike Duggan. During the election, her previous convictions were brought up by her opposition.

### 2017 Special General Election

In the November 8, 2017, Special Election General, Yancey received 7,266 votes, or 71% of the vote.

### 2022 Primary Election

On April 19, 2022, Yancey filed to run for Judge of the 3rd Circuit Court. On April 19, 2022, Yancey also filed to run for Judge of the 36th District Court. On April 22, 2022, Yancey abandoned her candidacy for Judge of the 3rd Circuit Court.

## Electoral history

Michigan House of Representatives 1st District Special Democratic Primary(Wayne County (part)) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Tenisha Yancey | 2,215 | 33.01 |
| Democratic | Pamela Sossi | 2,017 | 30.06 |
| Democratic | Sandra Bucciero | 956 | 14.25 |
| Democratic | Justin Johnson | 615 | 9.17 |
| Democratic | Washington Youson | 415 | 6.18 |
| Democratic | Keith Hollowell | 150 | 2.24 |
| Democratic | Kirkland Garey | 107 | 1.59 |
| Democratic | Burgess Foster | 78 | 1.16 |
| Democratic | John Donahue | 76 | 1.13 |
| Democratic | Gowana Mancill Jr. | 45 | 0.67 |
| Democratic | Ronald Diebel | 36 | 0.54 |
Michigan House of Representatives 1st District Special Election(Wayne County (part)) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Tenisha Yancey | 7,266 | 71.3 |
| Republican | Mark Corcoran | 2,551 | 25.0 |
| Libertarian | Greg Creswell | 334 | 3.3 |
| Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |