Former senator and state representative Burton Leland died after a battle with cancer.
Leland most recently served as a member of the Wayne County Commission.
He served as a state representative from 1981 to 1998 and served as a senator from 1999 to 2006.
Wayne County Commission Gary Woronchak released the following statement on Leland's passing:
Today, we lost one of Michigan’s and Detroit’s most memorable political characters. Burton Leland was quirky and unfiltered, passionate and outspoken, and an outstanding public servant. He knew how to reach the people he represented and how to take good care of them. He was a warrior, both on the campaign trail and on behalf of social justice for the most vulnerable among us.
Most sadly, his family lost a husband and father, and I and many others lost a true and loyal friend.
