Brenda Lulenar Lawrence (born October 18, 1954) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the Mayor of Southfield, Michigan from 2001 to 2015. The Democratic nominee for Oakland County Executive in 2008 and for Lieutenant Governor in 2010, she was elected U.S. Representative for Michigan's 14th congressional district after winning the seat in the 2014 elections.Lawrence grew up in Detroit's northeast side, on Lumpkin Street. She was raised by her grandparents after her mother died when she was three years old. She graduated from Detroit's Pershing High School, and earned her bachelor's degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. Wikipedia