EASTPOINTE, Mich. – "I was the first African American councilwoman here and now I’m the first African American mayor,” said Eastpointe mayor-elect Monique Owens.
Voters chose Owens as the city’s next mayor during Tuesday’s elections.
“It creates a world where people know that they can do anything if they put God first. I feel very overwhelmed with happiness," Owens said. “A lot of people were first-time voters that came out to vote,” said Owens.
Owens said she was able to reach people on both sides of the party lines, as well as men and women who were both black and white.
Now that the ballots are counted, Owens said it’s time to get down to business.
“I want people to own their own homes, be proud of where they live at and invest more into the city,” Owens said.
She also wants to work with police to lower crimes and bring more recreation parks to the city.
But first, she wants to thank those who helped her with such a big accomplishment.
"I want to say thank you to the city of Eastpointe for believing in me, even people outside Eastpointe, in Detroit and other parts of Michigan,” Owens said.