Conyers’s son launches campaign for his House seat: report

The son of former Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) is running for his father’s old seat, a decision that sets him up to square off against one of his family members in the Democratic primary.

John Conyers III, 27, filed paperwork on Wednesday for the seat vacated by his father, who resigned in December amid sexual misconduct allegations, according to The Detroit News.

He will now face off against his cousin, state Sen. Ian Conyers (D), who has already jumped into the race.

{mosads}When Conyers resigned from his seat — which he held for five decades — he endorsed his son. That decision surprised many in Michigan politics, including Conyers III, who has never run for office. His online bio says he currently works for a partner at a hedge fund.

The Detroit News said that Conyers III lives in both Detroit and Los Angeles and that in his filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) he used his parents’ address in Detroit as his own.

Political observers in Michigan believe Ian Conyers, 29, who won a special election last year for his state Senate seat, would likely have an advantage over his cousin. He also worked as a regional field director for former President Obama in 2012.

The negative headlines about Conyers III will prove a tough hurdle of him in his House bid.

He was arrested in February by Los Angeles police on suspicion of domestic violence, which he’s denied. Prosecutors declined to charge him due to a lack of third-party witnesses. In 2010, Conyers III was cited for speeding in his father’s government-leased car. The former congressman had to repay more than $5,000 to the U.S. Treasury over his son’s use of the car.

But the two Conyers won’t be the only ones vying for the deep-blue, Detroit-area seat. The Democratic field is expected to keep growing and already includes state Sen. Coleman Young II and Detroit attorney Michael Gilmore.